“Freeing Architecture”: It might not be evident at the beginning, but as we immerse ourselves into Ishagami’s work, we could say that the name is particularly self explanatory for the exhibition. Junya Ishigami is the perfect example of a spirit “liberated” from boundaries and stereotypes.
“I wish to think freely; to expand my perspective on architecture as flexibly, broadly, and subtly as possible, beyond the stereotypes of what architecture is considered to be”
-Junya Ishigami
The architect personally conceived the exhibition as an architectural project for the Fondation Cartier, presenting twenty of his works in Asia and Europe, more than thirty models where specially designed and hand-crafted in Ishagami’s studio for the event. The placement of the models, accompanied with videos and drawings harmoniously interact with the building’s architecture composing on single environment.
Ishagami incorporates the landscape into his work rather than disrupting it, maintaining the human as a component of the environment rather than as its creator.
Therefore “freeing architecture” doesn’t only refer to the naturalistic character of his work, which seems to be autonomous, taken shape by itself, but also to the liberation from stereotypes of what architecture is considered to be. The balance between sobriety and the whimsicality of his artwork truly refreshes our minds from the saturated and habitual setting of a big city. He doesn’t only make us rethink about the architecture we have been creating for centuries, but also about the boundaries that are still unbroken in other art domains.
More Information:
Junya Ishigami, Freeing Architecture
From March 30, to September 9, 2018
Fondation Cartier
