MIMICRY CHAIRS DESIGN BY NENDO STUDIO AT
LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL 2012
MIMICRY CHAIRS DESIGN BY NENDO STUDIO AT
LONDON DESIGN
FESTIVAL 2012
It’s not everyday
that a designer is given the opportunity to create a contemporary installation
amid the splendour of the V&A Museum, which is already home to over four
million items of historical and contemporary art and design. In 2012, the
invitation was extended to Nendo, a Japanese studio that has emerged as one of
the most dynamic design groups of the last decade.
“Now is the moment
to commission Nendo,” declares Ben Evans, Director of London Design Festival.
“The breadth and quality of their work is outstanding and they’re the new stars
of design. It is why we have positioned them as a key project in our residency
at the V&A this year.”
Nendo’s project was
titled Mimicry Chairs and comprised a series of elegant chair installations
appearing in varying locations throughout the Museum. Working in contrast to
the often ornate museum surrounding, the studio created a simple chair
archetype made from pressed and punched metal which was finished in white to
give it an ethereal, almost ghost-like appearance.
A solo chair greeted
visitors on arrival at the Grand Entrance. This singular statement was the
basis for a series of installations located within the museum’s galleries,
staircases and corridors. As you journed through the museum, the chairs were
modified and morphed to mimic the particular space they inhabit as well as the
surrounding objects.
Nendo is run by Oki
Sato and Akihiro Ito who have completed scores of projects all over the world
since their formation in 2002, ranging in scale from small handheld items,
lighting and furniture to major exhibition and retail interiors. “I don’t know
many designers who have produced such an astounding number of new works in such
a short period. Oki has a curiosity that never stops. He is interested in
everything, and always has something to say,” states Jana Scholze, Curator of
Modern Furniture and Product Design at the V&A. “There is a playfulness in
Nendo’s work, and a formal simplicity, which is deceptive because the birth of
the products can be extremely complex.”
http://www.londondesignfestival.com/2012-mimicry-chairs-nendo-va
A
Quoted
from Telegraph 2012
‘’
Very much the designer of the moment, Nendo has produced a not-to-be-missed
project. A single white chair evolves and multiplies in 10 different ways in 10
different galleries at the V&A. It is poetic, almost ghost like in its
effect. The journey starts in the main entrance to the museum. ‘’
Ben Evans Director of the London Design Festival
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/uk/london/9543323/London-Design-Festival-2012-directors-highlights.html
VICTORIA & ALBERT MUSEUM LONDON
THE VICTORIA & ALBERT MUSEUM
A Brief History of the Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum's collections span two thousand years of art in virtually every medium, from many parts of the world, and visitors to the museum encounter a treasure house of amazing and beautiful objects. The story of the V&A's foundation helps to explain its astonishing richness and diversity.
The Museum was established in 1852, following the enormous success of the Great Exhibition the previous year. Its founding principle was to make works of art available to all, to educate working people and to inspire British designers and manufacturers. Profits from the Exhibition were used to establish the Museum of Manufactures, as it was initially known, and exhibits were purchased to form the basis of its collections.
The Museum moved to its present site in 1857 and was renamed the South Kensington Museum. Its collections expanded rapidly as it set out to acquire the best examples of metalwork, furniture, textiles and all other forms of decorative art from all periods. It also acquired fine art - paintings, drawings, prints and sculpture - in order to tell a more complete history of art and design.
Generous funding and a less competitive art market than today's meant that the young Museum was able to make many very important acquisitions. The Museum itself also grew, with new buildings being added as and when needed. Many of these buildings, with their iron frames and glass roofs, were intended to be semi-permanent exhibition halls, but they have all survived and are one of the finest groups of Victorian buildings in Britain.
In 1899, Queen Victoria laid the foundation stone of a new building designed to give the Museum a grand façade and main entrance. To mark the occasion, it was renamed the Victoria and Albert Museum, in memory of the enthusiastic support Prince Albert had given to its foundation.
Throughout the 20th century, the collections continued to grow. While expanding its historical collections, the V&A also maintained its acquisition of contemporary objects, starting with a collection of Art Nouveau furniture in 1900.
The Museum's ceramics, glass, textiles, dress, silver, ironwork, jewellery, furniture, sculpture, paintings, prints and photographs now span the cultures of Europe, North America, Asia and North Africa, and date from ancient times to the present day.
Although the V&A's collections are international in their scope, they contain many particularly important British works - especially British silver, ceramics, textiles and furniture.
The British collections enable the V&A to explain not just the history of design in the British Isles but also the broader sweep of their cultural history. The British Galleries are designed to give visitors from this country and from around the world a new insight into the history of Britain by bringing us closer to the thoughts and lives of key people in an influential culture.
The Victoria and Albert Museum also offers visitors the chance to experience at first hand the splendour of the arts of Asia. Britain's long association with India and South East Asia has given the V&A the opportunity to acquire magnificent works from the cultures of that region. Objects in all media are represented, including stone and bronze sculpture, furniture and woodwork, jewellery and metalwork and collections of Indian miniature painting and textiles which are among the most important in the world.
Visitors can also enjoy galleries devoted to the art of Japan, China, Korea and the Islamic world. The East Asian collections are among the best in Europe, with particular strengths in ceramics and metalwork, while the Islamic gallery displays some truly spectacular carpets.
The V&A also reflects the diverse nature of contemporary Asian cultures, collecting contemporary Asian art and design as diverse as Japanese studio crafts and Indian film posters.
Contemporary design has always been at the heart of the V&A's work and the Museum remains true to its founding mission of promoting excellence in design and manufacturing. It works hard to encourage contemporary designers, acquiring their work, and providing inspiration through its displays.
Many of Britain's most successful designers have used the V&A as a source of ideas and stimulation and visitors to the V&A have the opportunity to see their work alongside the historic collections which helped shape them.
Henry Cole, the V&A's first director, declared that the Museum should be a 'schoolroom for everyone'. The V&A today offers visitors the chance to explore more deeply by using its study rooms, guided tours, gallery activities, lectures and special events. Whether you want to enjoy the galleries independently, or get more closely involved, there are many ways to discover the delights of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/a/a-brief-history-of-the-museum/
VICTORIA & ALBERT MUSEUM' DIRECTOR MARTIN ROTH
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VICTORIA & ALBERT MUSEUM' DIRECTOR MARTIN ROTH
VICTORIA & ALBERT MUSEUM LONDON
OKI SATO
1977
Born in Toronto, Canada
2002
M.A. in Architecture, Waseda University, Tokyo
Established “nendo”
Tokyo office
2005
Established “nendo” Milan office
2006
Lecturer for Showa Women’s University, Tokyo
“The 100 Most
Respected Japanese” (Newsweek magazine)
2007
“The Top 100 Small Japanese Companies” (Newsweek magazine)
2008
Published “nendo” (daab)
2009
Lecturer for Kuwasawa Design School, Tokyo
2010
Published “nendo ghost stories” (Art Design Publishing)
A jury member of iF
award
2011
Published “kaminendo” (Art Design Publishing)
“Famous for 15
Years: The Wallpaper* 150″ (Wallpaper* magazine)
2012
Established “nendo” Singapore office
Lecturer for Waseda
University, Tokyo
“Designer of the
Year” (Wallpaper* magazine)
“Designer of the
Year” (Elle Deco International Design Award)
2013
“Guest of honor” (Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair)
AWARDS
Good Design Award
(Japan)
Japan Commercial
Environmental Design Association (JCD) Award Gold Prize
Japan Interior
Architects / Designer’s Association (JID) Award Grand Prize
I.D. Annual Design
Review Best Product (USA)
red dot design award
(Germany)
iF products design
award (Germany)
Furniture Design
Award Grand Prize (Singapore)
Wallpaper Best
Domestic Design (UK)
Compasso d’Oro
Honorable Mention (Italy)
Elle Deco
International Design Award “Bath and Materials”
