Japan has a wealth of art resources, not only in the United States, but also in daily life. In the process of preparing for the exam, in addition to immersing ourselves in the works and research projects, it is also very important for our students to see more exhibitions and works on a daily basis to accumulate aesthetics and thinking methods. Today, I would like to introduce to you some good places for design students to watch the exhibition.
21_21 DESIGN SIGHT
21_21 DESIGN SIGHT, located in Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan, was founded by architect Tadao Ando and fashion designer Issey Miyake. Unlike other art museums, this is an art museum with design as its core theme. A place to think about various events and things through design, and to make presentations and suggestions to the world.
The goal of 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT is to promote people's understanding and attention to design, attract the participation of various people such as designers, engineers, craftsmen, enterprises, and ordinary users, and cultivate people's interest and understanding of design.
At 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT, exhibitions with the theme of "Everyday Life" are the focus, and through diverse programs such as dialogues and workshops, visitors can feel the joy of design and experience experiences full of fresh surprises. Among them, many of the exhibitions are curated by designers, which is also one of its characteristics.
Design can make life enjoyable, enriching, and broaden the possibilities for thinking and acting. It's not just about visible objects, it's about relationships between people and things, and between people. 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT explores and creates the future of design as a culture.
In English, having good vision is called "20/20 Vision (Sight)". The name 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT implies a more far-reaching vision. SIGHT stands for "Vision" by design, which expresses the importance of the way of seeing things and vision.
The logo of 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT is a plate made of an iron plate and is called a "product mark". The design resembles residential signage to indicate that the place is the "place" of the design. By using images that are often seen unconsciously in everyday life, it expresses the concept of 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT to tap into potential possibilities from everyday life through design.
The interval between 21 and 21 is exactly the width of the human eye. 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT stands for the "point of view" of design and the importance of looking at things sincerely.
Official Website:
https://www.2121designsight.jp/
Address:
9-7-6 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo Midtown Midtown Garden
Tokyo Midtown Design Hub
Tokyo Midtown Design Center is a design communication center located in Roppongi City of Design and Art. デザインの今と美に出会う (Encounter with the future of design) is the theme of the Design Center.
Three institutions specializing in design education, creation, and promotion work together to present design in various fields through exhibitions, seminars, events, and more. It's a hub for all sorts of "now" designs. It's easy for everyone to meet, experience and learn from design, so they can move the future a little ahead of their time.
JAGDA-related exhibitions are exhibitions that are held every year in Tokyo ミッドタウン・デザインハブ. These exhibitions include exhibitions of design works that solve social issues, exhibitions that connect designers and businesses, exhibitions that introduce young designers and overseas design activities, etc., and attract people to gather and connect with each other with the keyword "design".
At the same time, the design center has also launched a project called GOOD DESIGN EXHIBITION, which organizes exhibitions-related seminars, lectures, workshops and other activities. In addition, design-related press conferences and press conferences are conducted. By conveying the message of design to a large number of people and media gathered in Tokyo Midtown City of Design and Art.
Official Website:
https://www.designhub.jp/
Address:
9-7-1 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo Midtown Tower 5F
Ginza Graphic Gallery
Ginza Graphic Gallery, a gallery specializing in graphic design, is affectionately known as the "Three Gs (GGG)" because of its name that begins with the letters "G".
In 1986, Daii Nippon Printing Co., Ltd., which is closely related to graphic design, established GGG in Ginza as the center of its founding and gallery within the framework of cultural activities. It continues to host exhibitions and lectures, as well as publishing events such as GGG books, providing many people with the opportunity to touch the wonders of graphic design.
Speaking of GGG, we can't help but mention the ADC exhibition and TDC exhibition, which are held every year in the Japan Design Awards.
ADC (Tokyo Art Directors Club) is an abbreviation for Art Directors Club, and is a membership-based organization composed of art directors, film directors, creative directors, and copywriters.
At the ADC exhibition, visitors can see the outstanding advertising and design works of the year, which were selected by all members of the Tokyo ADC as judges.
TDC (Tokyo Type Directors Club) is an organization of type designers, graphic designers, art directors, creative directors, video artists, educators, researchers, and editors. The Tokyo TDC Award, an international graphic design award centered on the visual expression of words and language.
At the TDC exhibition, visitors can see works based on the theme of the excellent font design of the year.
Official Website:
https://www.dnpfcp.jp/gallery/ggg/
Address:
7-7-2 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo DNP Ginza Building 1F
Creation Gallery G8
The creative gallery G8 was first established in 1985 as the "G7 Gallery" in the Ginza 7-chome Building. Opened by Recruit in Ginza. In 1989, the gallery moved to the first floor of the current Ginza 8-chome building and was renamed "Creative Gallery G8", named after the design magazine "クリエイション" edited by Mr. Yusaku Akira.
G8画廊主要举办以图形设计为中心的企画展。 G8画廊致力于通过设计,提出丰富的生活建议,创造各种不同的相遇场所 (We continue our activities with the aim of proposing a rich life and creating various encounters through design.) ）
Mr. Kakura's relationship with Recruit dates back to the early days of the founder, Mr. Hiromasa Ebu, who asked Mr. Kamakura to design the cover of an information magazine and subsequently commissioned him to create a logo. Since 1988, Mr. Kankura has moved the studio to the headquarters of Recruit and continues to support Recruit by serving as a consultant not only in terms of design, but also in all aspects of management.
In his later years, the design magazine "クリエイション" was founded in 1989 and published 20 issues for five consecutive years (he was 79 years old at the end of the 20th issue). The magazine features about 7 designers per issue, and publishes more than 140 sets of design works, aiming to document the work of the best designers of the 20th century, which were established and matured.
The name of the gallery, "Creative Gallery G8", is also derived from this, and many solo exhibitions have been held in conjunction with the publication of the magazine.
"Creation" No. 1
In addition to G8 Gallery, Recruit Co., Ltd. also operates another gallery in Ginza that focuses on graphic design and graphic photography, which is the ガーディアン・ガーデン that will be introduced next.
Guardian Garden
Opened in 1990, ガーディアン・ガーデン (Guardian Garden) aims to provide an "opportunity" and "place" for young creators to express themselves. As a competition gallery focusing on graphic design and photography, it mainly conducts its activities through an open call for exhibitions.
The gallery invites top creators from all walks of life to serve as judges, actively discover and nurture new talents, and judge from a long-term perspective. This place became a gathering place for many young people, who took the opportunity to make significant progress, began to embark on the path to the profession, and became figures who would lead the era of the future.
Unlike G8 Gallery, which mainly introduces works by representative Japanese writers and avant-garde artists, ガーディアン・ガーデン is closer to a competition gallery that discovers young artists. Since the next competition, "1_WALL", many outstanding designers and artists who are active in the industry have been born.
In today's world, where "expression" is becoming more and more diverse, we want to create a space to think about new forms of expression together with those who take "expression" seriously. We want everyone to be able to overcome obstacles and showcase their work, which is what we want.
Design Gallery 1953
デザインギャラリー1953 is a design gallery located on the 7th floor of Matsuya Ginza and opened in 1964. It aims to introduce the design works of various designers from all over the world and different fields. More than 700 exhibitions have been held here (775 in 2021), making it one of the oldest design galleries in the world.
From planning to operation, the gallery is managed by team members, and a variety of exhibitions have been held, attracting the attention of many people each time. Currently, the Design Gallery holds exhibitions at a frequency of 10 times a year. In even-numbered years, they hold large-scale curatorial exhibitions on the theme of considering the trends of the times.
デザインギャラリー 1953 has always adhered to the concept of connected design, bringing together designers working in various fields (such as graphic design, product design, interior design and architectural design) to form a team of Japanese デザインコミッティー.
In addition to the gallery event, the team also held an event called "デザインコレクション (Design Collection)" to sell excellent design goods from around the world selected by the members. It's a store full of concrete examples and tips for bringing design to life. As a major store specializing in design goods, it is considered to be a leading presence in Japan.
Fine arts, design, and architecture are inseparable components of human activities in pursuit of the beautiful forms of the times. While they are often seen as isolated cultural spheres, or even as activities that are opposed to each other, specialization and differentiation can only be recognized as the premise of progress of human civilization as a whole.
We should rule out misunderstandings, prejudices, and arbitrariness that experts tend to fall into. Architects, designers, and artists need to be aware of the need to collaborate on a global scale for human civilization.
Japan Design Committee
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