"Tom's space/ Jerry's place"
The plan was to create a space to store and exhibit the artworks that our client, Ms. Kazuko Koike had made through the activities at "Sagacho Exhibit Space" (already closed in 2002).
Harada laboratory did the planning and construction, supervised by MOUNT FUJI ARCHITECTS STUDIO.
As we check and remove the walls and ceilings for renovation, we noticed the fact that our daily life is surrounded so much by "finishing".
"Finishing" transforms "a void" into "a space" with certain purpose by labeling it and forming it to have adequate, traditional look. You can deem "finishing" as "a sign" that directs and guarantees us a traditional life. In contrast, behind the finishing, there exists a hidden world without signs, consisted of structure and non-coated materials. The scenery is rough. However, the atmosphere there is honest and transparent. Jerry mouse in the famous old animation, "Tom and Jerry" lives in such behind-the-finishing space. He is a lot more alive and ingenious than a pet cat, Tom, who leads the life surrounded by finishing. It would be safe to say that Tom's secret jealousy against Jerry well represents the society's need for art.
Art lets in vitality of the world beyond the realm of semiotics to the semiotic-oriented society of human beings, and gives it a driving force. Our goal was to create an environment that supports such role of art. And achieving coexistence of Tom's room and Jerry's place seemed to be the best way. Practical procedure was really simple. By widening the void between structure and finishing from usual width (a few centimeter) to a few meter, Jerry's exhibiting room (Room A) was created. For itﾕs the world behind finishing, every single finishing existed was eliminated. Then we created Room B by making large dent on a corridor wall. This room for storage can also be used as white cube for exhibition. If you see the room from corridor, it would look like neatly finished "dent on corridor" cut off by glass wall.
"Tom's space" and "Jerry's place". Two rooms with respective attributes are separated by / connected with "a big door". The door just represents art that freely traverse the border between the world beyond the realm of semiotics and human society ruled by signs and connects them.
I believe this place deserve the name of "Sagacho", where new artworks had been created perpetually.
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『JT』2011.2/Shinkenchiku-sha