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“GLOBAL ENDS” exhibit at TOTO GALLERY・MA in Tokyo + enlarge

Photographer: Nacasá & Partners

“GLOBAL ENDS” exhibit at TOTO GALLERY・MA in Tokyo

  • PROJECT ROLES
  • Olson Kundig Architects, Exhibit Designers
  • LOCATION & YEAR
  • Tokyo, Japan , 2010

Project Details

The work of Tom Kundig is part of the exhibit “GLOBAL ENDS—-towards the beginning” at TOTO GALLERY・MA in Tokyo, Japan. Tom is the sole North American architect featured in the exhibit. The exhibit runs from November 19, 2010 through February 26, 2011. The interactive installation, including models, drawings and media, was designed and fabricated by Spencer Fornaciari, Chris Gerrick, Tom Kundig, Alan Maskin, Kelly Mutch, John Nebendahl, John Vierra and Phil Turner from Turner Exhibits.

“GLOBAL ENDS—towards the beginning,” TOTO GALLERY・MA’s 25th anniversary commemorative exhibition, presents seven remarkable practices from five continents that remain locally-based and personally inflected while drawing from the possibilities of the broader world. This group represents a constellation of multiple trajectories expanding from Tokyo that span from Melbourne to Madeira, Santiago to Seattle to Singapore and Olot, Spain. The juxtaposition of the each architect’s local standard of design in this exhibition highlights their own particular rich characteristics. The tactile, material sensibilities of the architects’ work are brought together through large and small-scale models, drawings, photographs and videos that have been specially prepared for this exhibition. Ken Tadashi Oshima (architectural historian, associate professor, University of Washington) serves as guest curator for the exhibit.

Tom Kundig’s portion of the exhibit is in three discrete pieces:
• The concept “Hot Rod” defines the Object exhibit, featuring an interactive “gizmo” hand crank that allows visitors to transform a static pedestal into a dynamic armature for viewing study models and drawings.

• Much of Tom’s residential work distills the essentials of living against the vast backdrop of the natural landscape. The Work exhibit illustrates this theme of “Small Building, Big Landscape.” A wood screen forms an undulating landscape beneath twelve monitors, each depicting a project through images, video and small scale model. The videos feature aerial photography transitioning from a global to local scale, where a small red marker indicates the building site.

• The Wall Display exhibit augments two-dimensional graphics into a three-dimensional interactive display. Six projects are exhibited on a series of stacked operable wall panels, each reflecting a kinetic aspect of the work. The outer panels describe the design process through sketches and drawings, while the inner panels feature final photography and renderings.

The other featured architects are Paulo David (Portugal), Sean Godsell (Australia), Kerry Hill (Singapore), Junya Ishigami (Japan), Smiljan Radic (Chile) and RCR Adanda Pigem Vilalta Arquitectes (Spain).

About GALLERY・MA
GALLERY・MA began its activities in 1985 as a cultural arm of TOTO Ltd. Since then, they have held 133 exhibitions as a unique gallery devoted to architecture and design. In November of this year, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of their founding, they will take the first steps toward a new era by changing their name from GALLERY・MA to TOTO GALLERY・MA and launching a new TOTO GALLERY・MA. The Planning and Management Committee are comprised of Tadao Ando (special advisor), Waro Kishi, Hiroshi Naito, Kenya Hara, and Tokujin Yoshioka.

As the first exhibition plan by this new Planning and Management Committee, TOTO GALLERY・MA will hold “GLOBAL ENDS—-towards the beginning,” the 25th anniversary commemorative exhibition featuring seven invited architectural practices active in seven different locales around the world—-Tokyo, Melbourne (Australia), Madeira Islands (Portugal), Santiago (Chile), Seattle (United States), Singapore, and Olot (Spain). Rather than subscribing to homogeneous currents of globalism, these architects’ practices are rooted in local regions, cultures, and environments. This exhibition endeavors to illustrate the dormant potentials at the “GLOBAL ENDS,” the exhibition’s title, from which various new values will emerge. “GLOBAL ENDS” veritably signifies expanding “tentacles/feelers” connecting from here to the world.

More information can be found at the TOTO GALLERY・MA website.