«Onomatopoeia does not treat architecture as the subject of operations by higher-ranking actors (architects) but treats architecture and humans on the same level. Architects are not at the head of architecture but walk around the architecture with users. Onomatopoeia is a kind of animal-like voice that is emitted at a physical and experiential level.»
Taking inspiration from Kengo Kuma’s own words, ACP Art Capital Partners – Palazzo Franchetti, in collaboration with the international firm Kengo Kuma and associates, presented Onomatopoeia Architecture, an original retrospective around a unique theme of the innovative contemporary Japanese architect and his projects located across the globe, open to the public until 26 November 2023.
With onomatopoeia, the act of creating or using words that include sounds associated with what is named, as a starting point, Kengo Kuma gives form to a physical sensation which expresses his idea of sustainable architecture, where materials are recovered and people and physical things are reconnected. Taking Japanese traditions and its preferred materials - wood, paper and metal – he applies them in his own unique and contemporary manner. In his vision, surfaces engage not only with sight, but also with the senses of smell and touch. The exhibition consists of the models for some of his most significant buildings, encouraging visitors to discover the sonority behind the different materials.
«Every time I go to Venice and feel close to the water as a "material", I think about the dialogue between man and material. In this exhibition at Palazzo Franchetti in Venice, I would like to show how I create a dialogue with materials. In this dialogue, I don't often use a language influenced by logic. And when I use it, it is impossible to make people understand me. That is why I always use Onomatopoeia. The material and the body are talking to each other, and they resonate when using this primal language». (Kengo Kuma)
Kengo Kuma ©Vincenzo Bruno
On the occasion of the 18th International Architecture Exhibition, ACP Art Capital Partners – Palazzo Franchetti is inviting one of the most innovative and valued architects on the international scene. The historical Palazzo Franchetti, ACP venue, itself constructed upon wooden stilts, is the perfect location to admire Kengo Kuma’s vision of architecture and sustainability. About 22 maquettes by the Japanese architect will be on view in the exhibition.
Kodama, Kengo Kuma ©Vincenzo Bruno
Kengo Kuma’s attitude towards materials is a key element of his originality.
Born in Yokohama in 1954, the Japanese architect considers the world itself as material and studies the site of his projects in depth before executing a single sketch, genuinely trying to understand places and to create architecture that is both open to its environment and rooted in the place and its history. Interestingly, he believes that materials are inextricably related to the place. «Via the material, we can learn about the place and come close to its specificity. By becoming friends with materials, I have been able to learn the most important things», he explains.
His approach to projects is often inspired by the past and in many instances clearly structural. At the same time, it is also tactile, sensory and even sensual. His sensibility involves flow and rhythm as well, typical elements of music. It is also true that Kuma’s buildings often have an unexpected lightness, or a kind of movement that he attributes to his own musical concept. Avoiding concrete as much as possible, his buildings seem to sit lightly on the ground. They can, on occasion, seem evanescent or perhaps ambiguous, too.
Laguna, Kengo Kuma ©Vincenzo Bruno
Kuma calls himself a “materialist”, in the physical sense of the word. His interactive search for new and (sometimes) old building material revealed to him a wealth of new and different things and materials waiting to be discovered.
The preferred material by architects after World War II was concrete, as it was a fast and cheap way to rebuild what had been destroyed. In his way of thinking though, the materials of common contemporary architecture seemed in large part to constitute a rejection of the past. But it is precisely in the past that the clues to building a better future, hide.
Attending the University of Tokyo in the Seventies for Kengo Kuma meant being confronted with architecture masters such as Kenzo Tange, well-known for his broad use of concrete. Kuma found himself to be something of an outsider. Instead of following in Tange’s modern footsteps or looking for inspiration in Japanese tradition, his international background gave him a sense of freedom.
The Darling Exchange, Kengo Kuma ©Vincenzo Bruno
It was not until his years in New York City as a Visiting Student at Columbia University in 1985 and 1986 that he started to look at traditional solutions, understanding that they frequently carry the spirit of the past. Kuma’s rediscovery of Japanese traditions occurred in sharing the Japanese tea ceremony with some American friends in the teahouse he had created and noticing how impressed and fascinated they were by Japanese design.
His buildings can be found across Japan as well as in Italy, the United States, China, France, Australia, to name a few. The exhibition, organized by ACP Art Capital Partners – Palazzo Franchetti in collaboration with Kengo Kuma and Associates, will include a map of all of them and exhibit the maquettes done for Kuma's most important buildings organized into onomatopoeic areas. Audiovisual devices enhance the exhibition. For this occasion, Kuma has created a temporary structure conceived specifically for ACP – Palazzo Franchetti's inner garden. Made of aluminum, it is over 5-meters high and will be accessible to visitors.
©Vincenzo Bruno
The implementation of this fascinating and immersive exhibition has been made possible thanks to the support of Qatar Creates and Qatar Museums, under the leadership of Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani. Qatar Creates is the year-round national cultural movement that curates, promotes, and celebrates the diversity of cultural activities in Qatar, showcasing art, culture, and creativity. Qatar Museums, the nation's preeminent institution for art and culture, provides authentic and inspiring cultural experiences through a growing network of museums, heritage sites, festivals, public art installations, and programs. QM preserves and expands the nation's cultural offerings, sharing art and culture from Qatar, the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia (MENASA) region with the world and enriching the lives of citizens, residents, and visitors.
Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums, said, «As an organization that is actively commissioning outstanding international architects to collaborate with it in developing new cultural and educational institutions, Qatar Museums is pleased to have a presence in Venice during the Architecture Biennale to showcase our most recent projects. For the same reason, we are proud to support ACP - Palazzo Franchetti's exceptional presentation of the work of Kengo Kuma, whose architecture is so exemplary in bridging deep-rooted cultural heritage and global modernity, a balance we strive to replicate in our support of the creative industries both at home and abroad.»
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Press release and photos courtesy of Qatar Creates
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