ASAHIYAKI 423 EXHIBITION
Client:
ASAHIYAKI
Category:ART DIRECTION
Date:
202304
https://423.asahiyaki.com
ASAHIYAKI 423 EXHIBITION at KOSHOJI EXHIBITION DESIGN
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Exhibition design of ASAHIYAKI, a potter who has been making pottery in Uji, Kyoto for about 423 years.
The exhibition was held at Koshoji Temple, which has a deep connection with Asahi Pottery.
Along the road leading to the temple, there are many places related to the base of ASAHIYAKI and its story,
The Uji River that symbolizes the city, the abundant nature, tea, and the people who have continued to make pottery and vessels,
The people who have been engaged in pottery and tea making, and the ties spun by tea. These elements are harmonized in the city of Uji like a biotope.
The exhibition was composed in such a way that the vessels, symbols of the relationship, Mirror representing water, and history, harmonized within a single circle.
Mirror and acrylic showing the back of the elevated stand, the key to the vessel.
With fixtures made of bamboo and light sources,
with an image like a biotope or a vital petri dish,
The space represents a 423-year relationship that transcends time and space.
[Contribution to the archive book]
"How does the circle represent the relationships between the Asahiyaki works and people?"
The exhibition plan was inspired by a tea ceremony I once participat- ed in Koshoji Temple, a venue historically linked to Asahiyaki that is located near the kiln. During the planning of the exhibition, I conducted extensive research and repeatedly discussed with the exhibition team. I felt the curation and design of the show were not about my individual expression, but rather about bringing out the essence from the kiln's history and the Uji area. The exhibition also incorporated ceramic kiln shelfs used during the firing of the works, plants collected from Uji arranged in a circular pattern, and they placed in a circle of light, floating in a dark space. After much discussion, we decided on the concept of creating floating circles of light to symbolize the interconnectedness of the tea ceremony, temples, and the relationships between visitors and the works just as in a traditional tea room, where people are close to them placed on tatami mats. For ease of production, we chose flexible and lightweight bamboo for the circular fixtures. Bamboo is also a material traditionally used in Japan to represent boundaries. Through our dialogue, we came across the phrase, "The essence of ASAHIYAKI lies within the base." Therefore, we decided to use thick clear acrylic and mirrors, crafted into waterdrop shapes. By placing the works, on the acrylic, the bottoms of them are reflected in the mirrors. Mirrors have been used to represent water since ancient times, and Uji, with its harmony of nature, water, and city life, perfectly embodied this concept. The exhibition, within the circle of light, highlights the works of successive heads of the Asahiyaki family, celebrating the 423-year connection with the land of Uji. We believe we have created an exhibition that represents both the past and future of Asahiyaki, a place where tea lovers can come together and create. We are honored to be a part of this ongoing story.
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京都・宇治で約423年作陶を続ける窯元、朝日焼の展示デザイン。
朝日焼とゆかりの深い興聖寺での展示。
寺へと続く道には朝日焼の拠点や物語にまつわる場所が多くあり、
街を象徴する宇治川、豊かな自然、お茶、そして器と作陶を営み続けてきた人、
茶により紡がれた縁。それらの要素が宇治の街の中で調和したひとつのビオトープの
ように感じられました。縁、水を表す鏡、歴史の象徴である器がひとつの円の中で調和する展示構成としました。
器の要である高台の裏が見えるミラーとアクリル。
竹と光源を用いた什器で、
ビオトープや生命的なシャーレのようなイメージで、
時空を超えた423年の縁を空間の中に表しました。
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【アーカイブブックへの寄稿文】
"器 / 人の関係性を 反映した中で 円相をどのように 表すか"
ある時期に触れたお茶のご縁から携わる事になった展示計画。
会場は窯元の近くの歴史的にも朝日焼とゆかりある興聖寺。
展示計画を行うに際し窯元の歴史、宇治の地から「何か」を掬いとり添える為、
僕個人の表現は必要ないだろうとリサーチとメンバーとの対話を重ねました。
そこから草案の提案を重ね、
宇治を象徴する朝日山をモチーフにした空間を霧で満たす台形の展示台、
器の焼成時に使用してきた陶板を利用した展示、
宇治の植物を採取し、円相状にいけた植物の中に器を配置する展示、
仄暗い空間に浮かぶ光の輪の中に器を配置する展示等、様々な方向性を探りました。
対話を重ね、本来の茶室と同じく畳の上で人と器の距離が近い状況である事、
お茶、お寺、茶道という関係性から円相を想起する、
光の輪が浮かぶアイデアに定めました。
作りやすさを考慮し円形の什器は、柔軟かつ軽量な竹を採用する事になりました。
竹は日本では結界としても用いられる素材です。
対話の中に「器の要は高台の裏にある」という言葉がありました。
厚いクリアアクリルとミラーを水滴のような形状に加工。
円相の中に配置しアクリルの上に器を置く事で高台の裏をミラーに写しました。
鏡は古来、水を表すものであり宇治は川と共生する街であることにも由来します。
お茶にまつわる営み、自然、水、街が調和する宇治。
仄かな明かりの空間に浮かぶ光の輪の中に、
宇治の地で423 年紡がれてきた縁、歴代の当主の器が共にある展示構成となりました。
これまでとこれからの縁を表す展示を実現できたのではと感じます。
朝日焼はそういった営みを続けられる茶を愛する人々が集う創造の場。
物語の一編に携わらせて頂けた事を嬉しく思います。
Organizer: ASAHIYAKI
Producer: Toshiyuki Matsubayashi [ASAHIYAKI]
Project Manager : Yuko Saga
Art Direction/Graphics: Koichi Ogawa [Hajime]
Exhibition Design: Yoshihiro Mikami [STUDIO YOSHIHIRO MIKAMI]
Exhibition Construction: Tetsu Ogasawara [MICHIKUSA Inc.]
VR video production: ACTUAL Inc.
Photo: Yoko Morita
