Japan Foundation Travelling Exhibition “Built Environment”
Japan Foundation Travelling Exhibition “Built Environment”
Embassy of Japan in Latvia and National Library of Latvia invites to the exhibition “Built Environment: An Alternative Guide to Japan”. It will be displayed in the 1st floor Exhibition Hall II from November 3 to January 18, 2023. The entrance is free.
Through the selection of 80 buildings, landscapes and civil engineering buildings, this exhibition aims at introducing the environment, society and history of Japan starting from the end of 19th century to present day. Each of Japan`s 47 prefectures is represented with at least one entry.
This exhibition is prepared by three curators from three different professional fields – architecture historian, Associated Professor of Osaka City University KURAKATA Shunsuke, researcher of landscape design, Associated Professor of Chiba University of Technology HACHIMA Satoshi and Curator of Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art HOSAKA Kenjiro. Each from his own point of view, they offer an insight into architecture as a dialogue between historical background and context of environment, spanning the period starting from industrialization and modernization of Japan to the present, when the steep economic growth and Bubble economy of the end of 80s is already a thing of the past.
The exhibition displays photos and video, while the descriptions of each of the 80 entries prepared by the curators are summarized in a brochure.
It`s interesting to note that architect Gunārs Birkerts, designer of the new home of the National Library – the Castle of Light – has been influenced by Japanese architecture and began his professional career at the office of American-born Japanese superstar architect YAMASAKI Minoru.
The exhibition has been prepared in cooperation with Japan Foundation and the National Library of Latvia.
More information available on https://www.jpf.go.jp/e/project/culture/exhibit/traveling/built_environment.html
