If you've never been to the 21_21 Design Sight exhibition space in the Tokyo Midtown complex, and have even a passing interest in craftsmanship, now is the time to pay a visit. Just touring the building, which was designed by famed architect Tadao Ando and lies largely underground, would be well worth the admission price. But through Aug. 26, you can also enjoy a film presentation and exhibition that show — beautifully — the care that can go into making "everyday" objects.
Titled "Tema Hima: the Art of Living in Tohoku," the exhibition is a collaboration led by two of Japan's top designers. Graphic designer Taku Satoh and product designer Naoto Fukasawa traveled for three months in northern Japan, with a photographer, a journalist, two film artists and an expert in food branding. Their goal was to find inspiration for the future of design by examining the tema (effort) and hima (time) traditionally devoted in Tohoku to making things.
Although many of the objects selected for the exhibition are beautiful, for the most part they were not made by famous artists and artisans. Most of the exhibits are anonymous products created by regular people for everyday use. Many, for example, are foods. By encouraging the viewer to slow down long enough to really look at the objects, and consider the effort that went into creating them, the exhibition reveals their hidden beauty. It also challenges the modern notion that quick and convenient is better.