From the iconic Kikkoman soy sauce bottle to the curious HOME1 survival coat, 100 objects are featured in the exhibition “Japanese Design Today 100” at Montreal’s UQAM Centre de Design. Previously shown in Los Angeles and Toronto, this exhibition, produced by the Japan Foundation, provides a window into Japanese culture through everyday objects selected for the quality of their execution and their uniquely Japanese characteristics.
CONTEMPORARY JAPANESE CULTURE REVEALED THROUGH 100 OBJETS
You can learn a lot about a culture by observing the objects it produces. Their design reveals the technology used to create them, their intended function and the taste of their users. “Japanese Design Today 100” offers visitors a “contemporary archaeology” experience that provides insight into the history, traditions and lifestyle of Japanese society.
Says curator Hiroshi Kashiwagi, “The 100 objects assembled here are drawn both from popular culture and sophisticated design. Not all of them exhibit the clean lines of modern design, and the form of several is more typical of traditional culture. This variation reflects the trends in Japanese design today.”
Eighty-nine of the items on display are objects in daily use, while the other 11 are examples of the finest product design of recent decades. Some of the objects reflect global design trends, many bear traces of a respect for Japanese manufacturing traditions, and others issue from popular culture.
The exhibition will appeal to design enthusiasts, lovers of Japanese culture and those wishing to escape the wintry weather with a brief excursion to the Land of the Rising Sun.
For more information, visit http://www.centrededesign.com/