Mizuma Art Gallery Tokyo
Modern art gallery interior design. There is a roughly 7m cubed white exhibition space and a 3m cubed black exhibition space.
The white exhibition space is just like the “white cube”, “invented” in 1929 at the New York Gallery of Modern Art. This space was found to be extremely neutral, well adapted to the rapid trend of art commercialisation, becoming a keynote exhibition space for the 20th century. In other words, this room is a place confirming the market for western modern art. On the other hand, there is a “black cube” with fireplace cut into the black tatami floor, stainless steel columns in the alcove. This space is feels similar to a tea room. During a traditional japanese tea party, the host would choose a hanging scroll and flowers to display. Accompanying this, the guests would enjoy the vessels used to make and drink their tea with their eyes. While these elements are important, the interior design of the tea room is also an essential element in personifying the taste of the host. This small, anti-neutral space, showing the taste of the host was considered to be a space where unique Japanese art could be appreciated. We used the dimensions and layout of a tea room on every plane of the interior of this space.
While the Japanese concept of art and traditional techniques are embodied within the Mizuma Art Gallery, the space also belongs to the many modern artists who express themselves. This space could be said to be suitable for artists with its jusxtaposition of the un-blendable Japanese and Western spaces.
When you open the rice paper doors from the black exhibition room, there is an exhibition space for 10 panels in place of the traditional washing room, meaning the room can be used as a viewing room too. It is the room from which the host’s (or the gallery’s) unique collection can be appreciated from and is not far removed from the original idea of the tea room.
Type: Art Gallery / Interior Design
Place: Tokyo, Japan
Area: 250sqm
Period: 2008.06-2009.11
Team: Daisuke Tofuku, Hiroomi Takemori, Tong Ling
Construction: Nagashima Co. Ltd.
Photo: Tomomi Masuko / FOTOTECA
Link: Mizuma Art Gallery
(Artworks by O Jun : Mizuma Art Gallery)