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MORI LIVING Diary
Metabolism Remembered at Mori Art Museum
January 18, 2012
The latest exhibition at MAM, entitled Metabolism: The City of the Future, is the first ever retrospective of the only modern architecture movement to have been born in Japan.
The exhibit is divided into four chronological sections, spanning pre-Metabolism to the movement’s expansion around the world.
Be sure to check out the exhibition in order to fully appreciate these fascinating modern marvels!
The Mori Art Museum (MAM) is one of my favorite museums in Tokyo. Even though there is no permanent collection, its exhibitions are always diverse and interesting, spanning realms from contemporary art to fashion and design. Every few years the museum also puts on an architecture-related exhibit, and I find these to be especially well done, perhaps because Mori itself is an urban development company and therefore interrelated to architecture.
The latest exhibition at MAM, entitled Metabolism: The City of the Future, is the first ever retrospective of the only modern architecture movement to have been born in Japan. The movement was greatly influenced by one of my personal favorite architects, Kenzo Tange. According to exhibition literature, Metabolism is based on the idea that architecture and cities share "the ability of living organisms to keep growing, reproducing, and transforming in response to their environments."
I had the opportunity to join a tour of the exhibition for staff of Mori Building, which was a great way to learn even more interesting facts than I would have gotten visiting on my own. The exhibit is divided into four chronological sections, spanning pre-Metabolism to the movement's expansion around the world. Each section includes models, photos and plans of relevant buildings, whether realized or unrealized, as well as computer generated videos using the latest CG technology.
One of my favorite sections was a large room containing photographs and lifelike models of some of my favorite buildings in Tokyo, including Tange's Yoyogi National Stadium and St. Mary's Cathedral. Incidentally, the latter is where Tange's own funeral was held in 2005, making it all the more significant to his body of work.
Another highlight comes toward the end of the exhibition. The room dedicated to Expo '70 Osaka was so wonderfully realized that it made me wish I had had the chance to see the fair's stunning and innovative architectural works in person. But luckily several of the buildings designed by the Metabolists are still standing in cities around the world--be sure to check out the exhibition in order to fully appreciate these fascinating modern marvels!
Kelly