A great protagonist of Japanese architecture on display in Venice

On the occasion of the Architecture Biennale 2023, in Venice ACP - Palazzo Franchetti hosts the exhibition "Kengo Kuma. Onomatopoeia Architecture". Until 26 November 2023, over twenty maquettes of the well-known Japanese architect, that in the lagoon city oversaw the preparation of his country's pavilion at the 1995 Biennale, will remain on  show in Venice. 

Bis of architecture exhibitions in the ACP- Palazzo Franchetti exhibition venue in Venice at the same time as the 18th International Architecture Exhibition, starting on May 20th. In parallel with Building a Creative Nation, an event in which for the first time Qatar is presenting its next generation of cultural institutions abroad, a particular exhibition project is taking place dedicated to one of the masters of contemporary Japanese architecture: Kengo Kuma.

THE KENGO KUMA EXHIBITION IN VENICE
"Onomatopoeia does not see architecture as the subject of the operations of actors of a higher rank (architects), but places architecture and human beings on the same level. Architects are not in charge of architecture, but walk around it together with the users. The onomatopoeia is similar to the voice of an animal emitted on a physical and experiential level". These are the words of the designer himself chosen as the starting point of the retrospective entitled, not surprisingly, Kengo Kuma. Onomatopoeia Architecture. The act of adopting words whose sounds evoke the noises to which it reveals itself becomes, in Kuma's mind, part of the compositional process. In fact, the materials dear to the Japanese tradition are essential in the architect's vocabulary, including paper and wood, used in a contemporary and sustainable way. Furthermore, in his vision, the use of surfaces must generate reflections on all the senses: sight, smell, touch. Consequently, the more than twenty maquettes exhibited in Venice allow visitors to rediscover all the qualities of the materials, not just the visual ones, and to delve into the universe of the well-known designer.

THE STORY OF ARCHITECT KENGO KUMA
Curated by Chizuko Kawarada and Roberta Perazzini Calarota, the exhibition therefore allows you to get to know a peculiar aspect of Kuma's production up close, which has gradually established itself on the international scene since the 2000s. Born in Yokohama in 1954, he trained at the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Tokyo, where in the 1970s the tendency to use cement prevailed, in the wake of the teachings of Kenzo Tange. A model from which Kuma deviates to embark on a path that will make him, over the years, a reference in the use of wood and metal. With over 400 buildings and installations around the world to his credit, created by the Kengo Kuma and Associates studio, for the exhibition in Venice the architect has also designed a temporary site-specific structure: over 5 meters high and built in aluminium, welcomes the public in the courtyard of the building.