Series: Hiroshi Yanagimoto | Part 35: Discussing the "Daikanyama BOOK DESIGN Exhibition"
Series: Koichi Yanagimoto | Part 35: Discussing the "Daikanyama BOOK DESIGN Exhibition"
The "Daikanyama BOOK DESIGN Exhibition," an original project by Daikanyama Tsutaya Books, is running until Sunday, May 25th. Art and design concierges selected books published in 2013, both domestically and internationally, that are sold at Tsutaya Books, based on their printing, layout, and binding. Thirty carefully chosen titles are on display and for sale.
Text by YANAGIMOTO Koichi
An Exhibition Showcasing "Good Design Books" from 2013
While less common in Japan, events to select the "most beautiful books" from those published the previous year have a long history in Europe.
Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Germany are particularly renowned worldwide. A commonality among these three countries is their strong historical Protestant presence. In Protestantism, faithfulness to the Bible was paramount, and disseminating the Bible was a significant means of spreading Christianity.
Johannes Gutenberg of Germany produced the world's first letterpress book in 1455, which was also the Old and New Testament. For these reasons, printing and publishing became particularly prosperous in Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Germany, and printing continued to develop even after the influence of Christianity waned.
Rijks Museum
Around the end of the 19th century, printing companies became patrons of artists and designers, supporting their artistic activities while developing the printing techniques the artists desired. In the Netherlands, associations of small and medium-sized printing companies published weekly bulletins, and their special Christmas editions featured a house magazine conceived, edited, and designed entirely by a prominent designer of the year, a publication that has continued from before the war to the present day.
Naturally, such an environment also expanded opportunities for designers. Irma Boom is likely one such designer. Her work is featured in the current "Daikanyama BOOK DESIGN Exhibition," and she has been a regular at the Best Dutch Book Design awards for over a decade.
Last year, Irma Boom was appointed as the art director for the Rijksmuseum (Rijksmuseum Amsterdam), which reopened after nearly a decade of renovations. She was responsible for everything from the trademark and guide flyers to packaging and museum merchandise. However, what is most intriguing is the museum's photo book.
Typically, a museum's photo book features its collection of masterpieces within the museum's setting. Irma, however, extensively uses photographs of the museum in a state of ruin during its renovation. The museum's renewal itself becomes a conceptual art piece, captured in a single book. This work is, of course, also selected for the current exhibition.
Series: Koichi Yanagimoto | Discussing the "Daikanyama BOOK DESIGN Exhibition"
A Book That Grows 10% Larger
Another book by Irma Boom has been selected. It is a collection of her projects, which she herself curated. The first edition of this collection was published in 2010, and the edition released last year is the second, incorporating three years of work since the previous edition.
Given it's Irma, it's no surprise that it's not a simple book. Despite its minuscule size of 4.5 x 5.5 cm, it exceeds 800 pages.
Biography in Books
However, don't be surprised by this alone. The second edition is about 10% larger than the previous one. Anyone with even a basic understanding of printing knows that printing requires a master plate, and for cost efficiency, reprinting from the same plate is ideal. Yet, Irma deliberately changed the size, creating entirely new plates for the second edition, despite the inefficiency. Strictly speaking, it's not a second edition but rather a completely new book made in a similar fashion.
Furthermore, she intends to increase the book's size by 10% with each subsequent reprint, creating a series akin to Matryoshka dolls. Because her books are like this, their print runs are small, making them collector's items. The 2010 edition is already fetching nearly ten times its original selling price, and the 2013 edition is likely to follow suit.
Let's return to the "Daikanyama BOOK DESIGN Exhibition." Book design isn't limited to art or design books. This exhibition also features selections from new book series, literary works, picture books, and cookbooks. Typically, books are read or purchased for their content. However, this exhibition offers a chance to "discover" the charm of books through the unconventional contexts of printing and binding. The display fixtures themselves are also noteworthy, designed with meticulous detail to draw focus to the chosen elements, which is quite interesting. Naturally, all selected books are available for purchase, along with books and catalogs chosen from events in Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, and other countries.
"Daikanyama BOOK DESIGN Exhibition"
Dates: Thursday, May 1st - Sunday, May 25th, 2014
Venue: Daikanyama Tsutaya Books, Building 2, 1st Floor Art Gallery
Hours: 7:00 AM - 2:00 AM (Store Hours)
Tel. 03-3770-2525
http://tsite.jp/daikanyama/event/003605.html
Talk Event 1: Yusuke Nakajima (limArt / POST Representative) x Yoshihisa Tanaka (Nelhol)
Date: Friday, May 16th
Talk Event 2: Koichi Yanagimoto (Glyph) x Fumifumi Banba (Daikanyama Tsutaya Books) x Yohei Sanjo (Daikanyama Tsutaya Books)
Date: Sunday, May 25th
Location: Daikanyama Tsutaya Books, Building 1, 2nd Floor Event Space
Time: 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM
How to Participate (Reservation Required): Purchase the "Daikanyama BOOK DESIGN Exhibition" catalog (300 yen)
In-Store Reservations: Daikanyama Tsutaya Books, Building 2, 1st Floor Art Counter
Phone Reservations: 03-3770-2525
Capacity: First 70 attendees (reservations close once capacity is reached)