EVENT | The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo's 60th Anniversary Project: "Summer House" and "14 Evenings"
Focus on the Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art's 60th Anniversary Project!
"Summer House" and "14 Evenings" Held Simultaneously
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art. The museum (main building) is currently undergoing renovations to its collection galleries and will be closed until October 15 (Monday). However, taking advantage of this period, "Summer House," the first architectural project in Japan by the globally renowned Indian architectural firm Studio Mumbai, will appear in the museum's front garden at the end of August. An azumaya (pavilion) will be installed in the museum's front garden, opening it as a place for relaxation, offering a comfortable space crafted from organic materials, a signature of their work.
Here, visitors can relax during a stroll, enjoy the cool evening air, or simply spend time at their leisure. Additionally, starting August 26 (Sunday), the museum will open its doors specially in the evenings for "14 Evenings." The galleries, normally used for exhibitions, will host a series of performances by leading artists from diverse genres, unfolding daily for 14 days.
Text by KAJII Makoto (OPENERS)
On a Summer Evening, Enjoy a Tokyo Craft Beer
A Luxurious Moment Amidst the Imperial Palace's Lush Greenery, with the First Sounds of Autumn Insects—On summer evenings, "BEER MOMAT" opens at the Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art, transforming it into a lounge. The food is curated by chef yoyo. (VEGEしょくどう). The menu is diverse, featuring Tokyo craft beer "Tokyo Ale," a popular mojito made with holy basil by Romana Keiko, and specialty coffee from COFFEE in the HOUSE (by Little Nap COFFEE STAND).
Studio Mumbai "Palmyra House" 2007 Photo: Hélène Binet
Exterior of the Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art (Main Building) at night Photo: Norihito Ueno
Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art 60th Anniversary Project "14 Evenings"
Date & Time | August 26 (Sunday) – September 8 (Saturday), 2012 (14 consecutive days)
*Open daily from 5:00 PM. Main program start times vary by date; please refer to the website.
*Admission free, no registration required.
Venue | Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art (Main Building) Special Exhibition Gallery (1st Floor)
http://www.momat.go.jp/Honkan/14_evenings/index.html
Studio Mumbai "Summer House" Image
"Summer House"
Date & Time | August 26 (Sunday), 2012 – January 14 (Monday, holiday), 2013
*Free admission.
*Please refer to the website for public viewing dates, times, and closed days.
*From August 26 to 31, the construction process by artisans will be open to the public.
Venue | Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art (Main Building) Front Garden
http://www.momat.go.jp/momat60/studiomumbai/
BEER MOMAT
Date & Time | August 26 (Sunday) – September 8 (Saturday), 2012, 5:00 PM – End of "14 Evenings"
September 13 (Thursday) – 15 (Saturday), 20 (Thursday) – 22 (Saturday), 27 (Thursday) – 29 (Saturday), 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM
http://www.momat.go.jp/Honkan/beer_momat/index.html
Open-Air Classroom Series "Thinking, Making, Moving, and Making Again" Held at "Summer House"
The concept behind "Summer House," Japan's first architectural project, which explores "What is a house?" and "What does it mean to build one's own house?" will be examined over three sessions. Participants of all ages will discuss global examples, historical events, and current situations in these open-air classrooms (free to attend, no registration required).
Session 1 | September 22 (Saturday) 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Moving | Makino Norio, Nakatani Reiji, Sakaguchi Kyohei
Theme: "Moving Houses, Temporary Houses"
"Summer House" draws inspiration from shanties, where residents gather materials themselves and build their own dwellings. Shanties, created through the bricolage of various materials, are temporary shelters that serve to overcome immediate inconveniences, suggesting a light, mobile way of living. Through "Summer House," a temporary structure brought from India to Japan, we will contemplate the lightness of moving and temporary homes.
Session 2 | September 28 (Friday) 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Thinking | Fujimori Terunobu, Tsukamoto Yoshiharu Moderator: Goto Osamu
Theme: "Conditions of a House"
Is a "house" a house because it has a roof? Because it is enclosed by walls? Because it has infrastructure? We will explore the guidelines for building future homes, referencing vernacular architecture from around the world.
Session 3 | September 29 (Saturday) 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Making | Uchida Yoshichika, Takahashi Teiichi Moderator: Toda Minoru
Theme: "How to Build Architecture"
Focusing on the early days of high-rise buildings and prefabricated housing that shaped Japan's urban landscape after World War II, we will trace the trial and error involved in "how to build architecture" that underpinned the industrialization of construction.