Bloomberg Pavilion Project

BLOOMBERG PAVILION PROJECT

Project Outline
The 'Bloomberg Pavilion Project' will employ the pavilion in the grounds of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, as a stage for solo and open exhibitions as well as performance events by young artists who are resident in Tokyo. This pavilion that was designed by Akihisa Hirata an architect who has recently received a lot of attention both at home and abroad, will stand beside the main entrance to the museum and become a new symbol of MOT. The space within this pioneering structure will present a challenging venue for young artists and through it we aim to invigorate the Tokyo art scene.

This project is to be held jointly by the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, which endeavors to promote a new generation of artists through such events as the 'MOT Annual' and its activities in collecting works, together with the financial information provider, Bloomberg, that is engaged in philanthropic programs throughout the world, providing support for art and other cultural activities. Following on from the 2007 event, this will be the second collaboration in the series, which aims to support young artists and improve accessibility to art. All programs held in the pavilion are free of charge and anybody may enjoy them. October 2011 will see the birth of a new art space at MOT from which to transmit latest talent.


Architectural Concept
I wished to create a pavilion that resembled a single tree.

Trees have a symbolic shape. Simultaneously they produce shade while providing an ideal space for mankind. I wondered what would happen if the walls were to keep growing upwards and present an uneven surface like 'pleats'. Pleats resemble a tree in the way that they spread out and capture the sun and I felt that they would produce a bright, impressive exterior. I also thought that the space beneath this surface would present a relaxed atmosphere, similar to that of tree shade that would be an ideal quality for an exhibition space.

The pleated surface was created using an extremely simple technique. It consists entirely of combinations of isosceles triangles in what is called a hyplane structure, producing a continuous curved, pleated surface. This basic structure can be repeated in a simple fashion to construct an organic whole. It is similar to the way in which a tree branches repeatedly in a simple form that assists efficient photosynthesis.

What does nature or simplicity mean in architecture? This small pavilion poses an important question for the future.
Akihisa Hirata
Pavilion image (Exterior) Pavilion image (Interior)

Sponsors Statement
Bloomberg first sponsored the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo in 2007 with the launch of the Bloomberg Public Space Project. Commissioning innovative artworks to emerging artists based in the Asia-Pacific region in a free public space, the Public Space Project has provided a vital platform for some of the most dynamic and exciting artists and has opened up the MOT's programme to a wider audience. We are delighted to continue to support MOT this year with the introduction of a major new programme of interactive performance and exhibition to further engage artists and the public in contemporary art.

Bloomberg's support of the Bloomberg Pavilion Project forms part of a dynamic programme of contemporary arts sponsorships that put innovation and access at their core. As a cutting edge communications company, Bloomberg has long championed innovation and has established an international reputation for supporting organisations that push beyond conventional boundaries. Through its dynamic philanthropy programme Bloomberg has supported a wide range of arts initiatives that burst beyond the four walls of theatres and galleries taking the excitement of theatre and art further out into the community.


Pavilion Programs


Tetsuro Kano
Oct. 29 (Sat) 2011 - Nov. 27 (Sun)

Is our idea of 'nature' the same as that of, for instance, a bird's? In his installation, consisting of ready-made objects, Kano invites wild birds to enter, expanding the possibilities of time and space as if planning a new nature.

Tetsuro Kano, Naturplan(2010), installation, dimensions variable, Courtesy the artist


Shuta Hasunuma
Dec. 10 (Sat) 2011 - Jan. 15 (Sun) 2012

In addition to questioning the state of music, HASUNUMA simultaneously hints at new possibilities in communication, offering new values to facilitate an understanding of the richness of the world. For this exhibition he plans to present a new work involving multiple loud speakers and projectors.

Shuta Hasunuma, Untitled, Installation view of SPECTACLE IN THE FARM, 2010


Qosmo×Techno-Shugei Club.
Feb. 4 (Sat) 2012 - Mar. 4 (Sun) 2012

Qosmo Inc. will present an installation and the Techno-Shugei Club (Kyoko Kasuya+Tomofumi Yoshida)
will offer a workshop cum exhibition combining electronic devices and handicrafts.

©2011 Qosmo Inc./ ©2011 Techno-Shugei Club


Fumiko Kobayashi
Mar. 24 (Sat) 2012 - Apr. 22 (Sun) 2012

Fumiko Kobayashi has produced the installation which visualizes the relationship between the artist and the space, combining objects such as furniture and bicycles found at the exhibition sites and their surroundings and daily commodities she used and consumed there. Kobayashi will present a new installation resulted from her encounter with MOT's new experimental space.

Fumiko Kobayashi, Traveling・No return, 2009, Lamda print with acrylic mount


Company Derashinera Performance.
May. 6 (Sun) 2012, 17:00 - 18:00

In recent years the Company Derashinera has received praise for its displays of physical expression, which possess a strong narrative style. It will use the MOT experimental space to stage a performance that surpasses all boundaries.

Points and Lines, Company Derashinera, photo:Takaki Sudo


Yuko Mohri
May. 19 (Sat) 2012 - Jun. 17 (Sun) 2012

A computer suffering a system error, musical instruments and cacti that emit electromagnetic waves; organic and inorganic objects, the visible and invisible--all these combine to produce a concert. MOHRI Yuko's usual lively mechanical works develop the space, transforming the pavilion into a giant living creature.

Yuko Mohri, Everyday Laos, gallery 20202, 2010, photo: Ujin Matsuo


Namba Sisters.
Jul. 14(Sat) 2012 - Jul. 29 (Sun) 2012

The Namba Sisters consist of NAMBA Kei and NAMBA Saki, actual sisters who work together to stage theatrical performances. They are separated by ten years and using this to their advantage/disadvantage, they present stories of a small family. During this event, in addition to their performance, they will also hold workshops, allowing them to interact with a variety of people.

Namba Sisters, We are sister, April, 2010


Open Exhibition (Display Section) Aug. 11 (Sat) 2012 - Sep. 9 (Sun)2012
MOT Bloomberg/House Project (tentative title)
We invite artists to submit proposals for the presentation of their works within the unique space of the pavilion. There will be one winner of the Grand Prix and the selected artist will have an exclusive exhibition in the pavilion during the summer of 2012. The exhibition will last for four weeks. To qualify for entry, the individual must be an artist living in Japan and under the age of thirty. The work can be in any genre, two-dimensional, three-dimensional, video, etc. Entry forms will be released later and we hope to see many entrants.

Open Exhibition (Media/Performance Section) Mid Sep, 2012
MOT Bloomberg/10-Minute Media Presentation (tentative title)
An open exhibition for charismatic presentations utilizing media technology (installation/performance/device/application/live session/internet project etc.). The plan is for presentations of ten minutes or less in front of a panel of judges. The winner will be shown in the autumn of 2012. Please refer to the details to be released later (entry open to artists under the age of thirty/groups with a member under the age of thirty, who reside in Japan). We hope to see many entrants.


Exhibition Information
Bloomberg Pavilion Project Oct.29 SAT,2011―Oct,2012

Closed: Monday, Year-End holiday *opening hours coincide with the museum's temporary exhibition schedule. Please check our homepage for further information.
Hours: 10:00-18:00
Organizer: Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture,
Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo
Supporter: Bloomberg L.P.
Tickets: Free Entry for all the Pavilion projects
Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo
4-1-1, Miyoshi, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0022
TEL. +81-3-5245-4111(General Information) +81-3-5405-8686(Hello Dial) old.mot-art-museum.jp

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