Valerio Olgiati Exhibition - Federal Council · Olgiati preceded the lecture of ETH Zurich’s...

Embassy of Switzerland in Japan

State Secretariat for Education and Research SER

Valerio Olgiati Exhibition , Opening: Oct 31 , 2011 • Exhibition: Nov 1 – Jan 15 2012 • Science & Technology Office Tokyo of 17

Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft

Confédération suisse

Confederazione Svizzera

Confederaziun svizra

Valerio Olgiati Exhibition at the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo Opening ceremony: October 31, 2011 • Exhibition: November 1, 2011 - January 15, 2012 The National Museum of Modern Art Tokyo, Embassy of Switzerland in Japan

Why an architecture exhibition in Japan?

• Common interest: Since many years, Switzerland and Japan have been admiring the works of each other and sharing common interest, be it for their common fascination for good handcraft or for their special organization of structural thinking. The exhibition on Valerio Olgiati represents the strong collaboration between the two countries over the past years and is another step in establishing a continuous presence of Swiss architecture in one of the most prestigious, active and influential countries in this field.

• World famous architecture: Valerio Olgiati’s buildings and competition entries are attracting widespread respect in both national and international architectural circles. Especially in Japan, his works meet a very important interest and has been extensively presented in the specialized press, as for example by the renowned Japanese architecture magazine Architecture and Urbanism (a+u). The Japanese audience to Olgiati’s work is one of the most adverted internationally. The exhibition meets great interest and attracts the media and the broad public . With the exhibition ‘Peter Märkli and Jun Aoki’, Swiss architecture has already been very successfully presented at the MOMAT in 2008 and widely recognized through strong media awareness.

• Japanese Nobel Prize for Architecture: The Praemium Imperiale Prize, given by the imperial family of Japan and considered to be the Nobel Prize in the field of architecture, was awarded to the Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron in 2007 and Peter Zumthor in 2008. The Olgiati Exhibition is an opportunity to enhance the ties in architecture between the two countries.

Goals

• Strengthen Switzerland’s international reputation: This exhibition aims to promote Swiss architecture at an international level, but also to present Swiss architect’s excellence that leads and inspires people worldwide.

• Promote Swiss architectural quality and academic ac hievements: The fact that Prof. Dr. Laurent Stalder from ETH Zurich has taken the initiative to bring this project to Japan is encouraging. With their involvement, the project represents not only the world renowned architect from Switzerland, but also the high level of Swiss academic achievements trough the exhibition as well as workshops and lectures around the show.

• Actively strengthen the cultural and professional exchange between Switzerl and and Japan: In this respect, the side events to the exhibition are crucial . On the intellectual level , the show will familiarize the visitors with the work of an outstanding Swiss architect by the help of an esthetically appealing and lively presentation. Olgiati’s presence during the opening and his presentation in a public lecture will foster dialogue and give a tangible impression of his personal and professional attitude.

Results

• Exhibition: Great success and strong media presence at the opening ceremony. More than 40 media representatives attended the press briefing. Articles will be published into famous architectural reviews in order to expand the exhibition’s impact. See appendix for early editions including those from Nikkei Business Associé, The Japan Times, So-en, Sankei Express and Casa Brutus. The exhibition lasts until January 15, 2012.

• Lecture: Over 600 applications or four times exceeding auditorium’s capacity were received – strong interest into Swiss architecture expressed by Japanese students, professionals and media.

• After one month, the museum registered 8,952 visitors and expects to see this number rise above 20,000 by the end of the exhibition. The exhibition will serve as a starting point for future long-term programs of exchange and collaboration between Japanese and Swiss architecture networks. On the professional level , the contacts established with Tokyo’s architecture scene and with other experts have been strengthened.

• The success of this project underlies the strong potential of the Japanese architect’s collective Atelier Bow-Wow (Momoyo Kaijima and Yoshiharu Tsukamoto) exhibition in ETH Zurich main hall in 2013.








Organizers

• Organizers: The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo / Institute for the History and Theory of Architecture (gta), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) / the Accademia di Architettura in Mendrisio.

• Sponsors & Partners: The Science & Technology Office Tokyo, Embassy of Switzerland / the State Secretariat for Education and Research / the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia / The Department of Architecture, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) contributed to the event.

Exhibition at the National Museum of Modern Art, To kyo

• Opening ceremony: Over 100 guests were present during the opening ceremony including VIPs and media on October 31. Valerio Olgiati and Kenjiro Hosaka, curator of the exhibition, made an introduction during the press tour to which over 40 journalists attended. Speeches given by MOMAT’s Director Sachio Kamogawa, Ambassador Urs Bucher and Valerio Olgiati preceded the lecture of ETH Zurich’s Prof. Dr. Laurent Stalder introducing Olgiati’s architecture. Passugger Swiss mineral water bottles designed by Valerio Olgiati were presented and offered to the guests. Moreover, world-famous Japanese architects like Kazuyo Seijima, who designed the EPFL Learning Center, honored the event with their presence.

• The exhibition is a project of the Institute for the History and Theory of Architecture (gta) of the Architecture Department, ETH Zurich, paying tribute to the works of Valerio Olgiati. It is directed by Prof. Dr. Laurent Stalder and co-curated by «gta Ausstellungen», the Institute’s internationally renowned exhibitions department. Presenting contemporary positions in Swiss architecture is a major focus of the «gta Ausstellungen» programme. The exhibition project has been developed in close collaboration with Valerio Olgiati.

• The exhibition seeks to define key issues in Olgiati’s architecture by examining a selection of his projects. It addresses themes such as materials, craftsmanship, structure, concepts and image. Plaster models on a scale of 1:33 and 1:50, large format photographs and renderings, project plans and the architect’s personal «Imaginary Museum» are used to create an exhibition space that palpably reflects Olgiati’s sensate work .

• Lecture: A lecture given by Valerio Olgiati on November 2 at MOMAT’s auditorium (with a capacity of 150 seats ) received over 600 applications . Again, the results show the strong interest that Valerio Olgiati’s architecture attracts throughout Japan and the world. Valerio Olgiati presented his works’ conceptual approach and the specific significance of different themes such as place, temporality, material and structure, usage and perception is scrutinized in each project, re-formulated and radically expressed.

• Catalogue: To ensure the long-term effect of the exhibition, a catalogue has been published in English and Japanese language. Offered to the guests during the opening ceremony, the catalogue is also available for purchase at the Museum. This is one example among other of strong commitment and support from MOMAT.

Dinner at the Ambassador’s Residence

• Dinner: a dinner honoring Mr. Olgiati with Japan’s leading architects was hosted by Ambassador Urs Bucher at the Swiss Residence on October 31. Over 30 selected guests participated in this event which was a great success and an excellent occasion to strengthen collaboration between Switzerland and Japan.








Future

• Bow-Wow presence: Yoshiharu Tsukamoto and Momoyo Kaijima, owner of the atelier Bow-Wow, also attended the event. An exhibition of their works at the ETH Zurich is in preparations to be shown in 2013.

Workshop / Lecture

• Workshop at MOMAT with the Tokyo Institute of Techn ology: A workshop was held at MOMAT with the Tokyo Institute of Technology, Department of Architecture and Building Engineering, in collaboration with Associate Professor Yoshiharu Tsukamoto’s laborator y on November 2. Kumiko Inui, Associate Professor at the Tokyo University of the Arts was also present. A total of 55 students participated to the event and had the opportunity to listen to Valerio Olgiati while contemplating exhibition’s artworks for over two hours. They also could ask him questions regarding his philosophy towards architecture. This event marks the first collaboration between MOMAT and the Tokyo Institute of Technology.

• Lecture at the Kyoto Institute of Technology: A lecture was given by Valerio Olgiati at the Kyoto Institute of Technology, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Division of Architectural Design, at the 60th Anniversary Hall of KIT on November 7. The lecture was well received and very well attended. The hall, with a capacity of around 200 seats was full , but it has been estimated that there were about 250 people , as there were people standing behind and in the aisles. It was a very inspiring and thought provoking lecture , showing an attitude, a position, and the uniqueness of an approach to creating architecture emanating from Switzerland , as attested by the engaging and lively discussion between Professor Olgiati and the audience after the lecture. There were also some guests from outside the university who attended the lecture, coming from places outside of Kyoto City, showing the popularity and keen interest people have on Valerio Olgiati and his architecture. This again shows the strong interest in Japan towards Swiss architecture and its wish to strengthen exchanges at the academic level.

Testimonials

“May I express my great appreciation for your very warm hospitality during the dinner in honour of Valerio Olgiati. It was inspiring to feel the warmth of Switzerland among friends. May I also take this opportunity to express my great appreciation for your strong support of the Swiss Architects and Architecture. They form a big inspiration for ways on approaching how we live and do architecture now. Hopefully, we could continue to create opportunities for sharing and encouraging exchanges.”

Erwin Viray, Professor, Kyoto Institute of Technology

“I would like to thank the Embassy and the S&T Office Tokyo for their great and valuable support for the setting of our exhibition at the MOMAT. Me and my team are very pleased to see that the exhibition is having a great success and I hope that this will mark a new start and strengthening of collaboration in architecture between Switzerland and Japan.”

Valerio Olgiati, Professor, Accademia di Architettura in Mendrisio

About Valerio Olgiati

Valerio Olgiati, born in 1958, ranks amongst the most successful representatives of Switzerland’s younger generation of architects. Since founding his practice in 1996, Olgiati’s projects and competition entries have been widely acknowledged in architectural circles both at home and abroad. Many of his projects have won awards for their outstanding architectural qualities. Olgiati is one of the very few contemporary architects who combine conceptual precision, craftsmanship and highly accomplished artistry. Rigorous analysis of the challenges posed by each aspect of an architectural project demonstrates his conceptual approach. Even though the inner logic of the design process remains clearly visible in each individual structure, Olgiati’s work nonetheless engages with established architectural tradition. Intellectual analysis finds its architectural correlation in the structural composition of a building, in the precision of constructive details, the choice of materials, high-quality craftsmanship and formal clarity. This comprehensive endeavour to make an unambiguously sensate artwork of each individual building is the defining characteristic of Olgiati’s architecture. The Yellow House Museum, in Flims/CH (1999), the schoolhouse in








Paspels/CH (1998), the Atelier House Bardill in Scharans/CH (2007) and the Swiss National Park Visitors’ Centre in Zernez are among his most outstanding projects. Among his most spectacular competition projects to date are the National Palace Museum in Taipeh/TW (2004), the Ardia Palace in Tirana/ALB (2005) and the PERM Museum XXI in Perm/RU.

Appendix

Documents provided by MOMAT

• Exhibition plan

• Flyer, Poster, Ticket

• Opening invitation card, envelop, exhibition catalogue coupon, museum map

Media

• Nikkei Business Associé, The Japan Times, So-en, Sankei Express, Casa Brutus

Documents provided by KIT

• Flyer

Websites

• MOMAT: http://www.momat.go.jp/english/artmuseum/Valerio_Olgiati.html • ETH – gta: http://www.gta.arch.ethz.ch/opening/valerio-olgiati • Valerio Olgiati: http://www.olgiati.net • Tokyo Institute of Technology: http://www.titech.ac.jp/english • Kyoto Institute of Technology: http://aad.kenchiku.kit.ac.jp/ja/newsrelease.php?id=109 (Japanese only) Photo credit - lecture: Yuri Manabu

Appendix – exhibition plan








Appendix – flyer (front)








Appendix – flyer (back)








Appendix – poster

Appendix – ticket








Appendix – opening invitation envelop

Appendix – exhibition catalogue coupon

Appendix – museum map








Appendix – opening invitation card








Appendix – The Kyoto Institute of Technology – flye r








Appendix – press clipping: Nikkei Business Associé, November 1-15, 2011








Appendix – press clipping: The Japan Times, Novembe r 04, 2011








Appendix – press clipping: So-en, November 28, 2011








Appendix – press clipping: Sankei Express, December 04 2011








Appendix – press clipping: Casa Brutus, January, 20 12

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