Sou Fujimoto at Utzon Center: Work of Internationally Acclaimed Japanese Architect Exhibited in Denmark
Enjoy a sensuous, minimalist installation of work by the internationally acclaimed Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto. This is the first time his work has been presented in Denmark in a solo exhibition. One large, 3-D sketch, made of 500 metres of steel wire, frames a presentation of 12 different architectural projects. Rooted in Fujimoto’s design philosophy, all of them seek to create a correlation between nature and architecture.
June 6 will see the opening at Utzon Center of the special exhibition, PRIMITIVE FUTURE: EVERYTHING IS CIRCULATING. It is devoted to the work of the internationally acclaimed Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto, the creator of ground-breaking buildings all over the world.
“Fujimoto’s design is both minimalist and sensuous. He constantly strives to create both spatial and bodily experiences that unite nature and architecture. ‘Everything is circulating’ is not only his design philosophy, but also the theme of the exhibition, for which he has created an incredibly powerful experience, featuring very simple statements,” says Line Nørskov Davenport, Curator and Director of Exhibitions at Utzon Center.
Three-dimensional dream drawing
The key element of the exhibition is a 500-metre-long, uninterrupted steel wire that winds its way through the exhibition spaces, resembling something like a minimalist, three-dimensional pencil drawing.
“The playful, freely floating line features motifs of people, buildings, trees, furniture, infrastructure and landscapes, weaving its way in and around twelve of the practice’s buildings from around the world. It forms a kind of dream drawing – a visualisation of Fujimoto’s hope for a ‘primitive future’, presenting the relationship between the primordial power of nature and the potentials of the future,” explains Line Nørskov Davenport.
The exhibition also includes films about several of Sou Fujimoto’s distinctive, realised buildings by the French cinematographer Vincent Hecht, who looks both affectionately and critically at life in and around the practice’s works. There are also creative activities and workshops for children and the young at heart.
Inspiring us to look after the world
Sou Fujimoto was born and raised on Japan’s northernmost island, Hokkaido, surrounded by forest and nature. He then moved to the metropolis of Tokyo, now the largest city in the world, to study architecture.
Today, says Line Nørskov Davenport, the revolutionary buildings of this award-winning architect inspire us all to remember that we must take care of nature and the world around us.
“It goes without saying that today we need to build less, to renovate more and to use alternative materials. But at the same time maybe we need to promise each other that we will also build and live in a way that shows how good our world can actually be. Perhaps we should actually commit to making a small footprint that is so inspiring, hopeful, sensuous and wonderful that we will want to look after it.”
About Sou Fujimoto
Sou Fujimoto (b. 1971) is a renowned Japanese architect. He was born in Hokkaido, Japan, and studied architecture at Tokyo University. In 2000, he established his architecture practice in Tokyo; in 2016, he opened a second practice in Paris.
The hallmark of Fujimoto’s work often comprises lightweight, sculptural structures that pave the way for dialogue between indoor and outdoor spaces. His works range from private residences to public institutions and exhibition pavilions all over the world. The practice is also designing the master plan for World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan.
He has received numerous awards and accolades for his work, including a nomination in 2013 for the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize. His works are exhibited and studied on international platforms, and globally he is regarded as one of the most influential architects of his generation.
Praktical Information
Primitive Future: Everything is Circulating is a collaboration with Aedes Architecture Forum (Berlin), which exhibited the Everything is Circulating installation for the first time in the summer of 2023.
Supported by the philanthropic association Realdania, Dreyers Fond, Vola, Knud Højgaards Fond, Beckett-Fonden, and Aage og Johanne Louis-Hansens Fond. The exhibition runs from 6 June to 10 November 2024.
Read more at: https://utzoncenter.dk/en/circulating
Photo: Erik Jan Ouwerkerk