Exhibition

Windowology: New Architectural Views from Japan

1 Dec 2021 – 10 Apr 2022

Regular hours

Wednesday
10:00 – 20:00
Thursday
10:00 – 20:00
Friday
10:00 – 20:00
Saturday
10:00 – 20:00
Sunday
12:00 – 18:00
Monday
10:00 – 20:00
Tuesday
10:00 – 20:00

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Japan House London

London
England, United Kingdom

Address

Travel Information

  • High Street Kensington
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Event map

The exhibition explores the different perspectives on the world that windows offer us, considering the role of windows in disciplines such as architecture, film, craft manufacture, manga and motion.

About

During the pandemic, for many, windows took on an entirely new meaning. They unlocked our creative and connective potential as hubs for communities to converse, artists to paint and even small businesses to thrive during lockdown.  

This new-found appreciation is explored further in this multidisciplinary exhibition from Japan House London. Windowology: New Architectural Views from Japan, running from 1 December 2021 until 10 April 2022, explores the significance of windows beyond what may be considered their primary architectural function - to consider their everyday impact through architecture, photography, manga, craft production, and technology.

Curated by the Tokyo-based Window Research Institute, the only institution in the world focused on the study, design, use and impact of windows, and leading architectural historian and critic Igarashi Taro, this free exhibition looks at the ways in which windows frame our vision to give us unique perspectives on the world. 

Core exhibition themes include: 

  • Windows on teahouses: Enter a full-scale replica of the 17th century okoshi-ezu (three-dimensional architectural plan) of Yōsuitei teahouse in Kyoto, constructed from washi (Japanese paper). Famous for its 13 windows despite its small size, each widow is designed to enhance the experience of the tea ceremony via the control of light and breeze. 
  • Windows on craft: Examine the central role windows play in the creation of Japanese crafts such as ceramics from Mashiko, indigo dyeing and washi from Matsue. Used as ‘working windows’, they bring in wind to dry materials, let out steam, allow items to be smoked or even trap heat – all processes integral to the creation of each craft.
  • Windows on manga: Explore one of Japan’s most popular manga series ‘Sazae-san’. First published in weekly newspapers between 1946 and1974 and framed within a yonkoma manga (four-cell comic strip), the characters are often depicted sitting in a typical Japanese house, communicating with other characters via neighbourhood windows.
  • Windows on how we live now: Discover the works of photographer Jérémie Souteyrat. Interested in the different architectural concepts of windows in Japan, his works highlight how urban windows are carefully positioned in response to sightlines in the surroundings, while rural Japanese homes are often built to capture the natural environment. 
  • Windows on storytelling: Famous windows in fiction are often used as a place of exchange, a means to indicate separation or even an entrance to another world. The exhibition explores the role of windows in famed Japanese literature throughout the ages, and what this age-old literary device has come to represent. 
  • Windows on film: Japanese timber-based architecture uses window-like components known as shōji (sliding translucent screens) and fusuma (sliding partitions) to create entirely new spaces. A short film on Kikugetsutei – a Japanese teahouse in Kagawa Prefecture – is available to view, revealing, through the rearrangement of ‘window’ spaces, the different ways in which a Japanese building can be completely transformed over a period of 24 hours. 
  • Windows on the environment: The role of windows in relation to the environment is constantly developing, and Japan is leading the way in creating sustainable architecture. As our interaction with nature becomes increasingly central to building practice, the exhibition explores the way heat, light and wind behave around windows in Japanese houses.

Interactive window installation

A site-specific installation by artist Tsuda Michiko is available to view on the Ground Floor. The piece focuses on the relationship between Japan House London, Derry Street and Kensington High Street - to create an installation within and around the building’s windowsusing camera footage, mirrors, and frames. Blurring the line between past and present, window frames with mirrors and screens reflect images of gallery visitors, inviting them to peer inside to catch a glimpse of themselves.

By distorting the boundaries between the streetscape and interior and projecting visitors’ images into unexpected places, the piece is designed to alter perception of space and create a labyrinthine visual experience. This is part of the Window Research Institute’s exhibition project of window-themed work by artists.

Igarashi Taro, Director of the Windowology exhibition said: “Now more than ever, windows play a vital role in connecting us with each other and our wider communities. Allowing us to see the world outside as well as in, windows are intimately linked to our everyday lives and physical actions. The Japan House London exhibition presents an opportunity for us to introduce our work on Windowology research from Japan, and to showcase the wider cultural significance of the window across all cultures.”

Simon Wright, Director of Programming, Japan House London said: “Hopefully this is a new experience for all: Windowology offers a glimpse into the purpose and meaning of windows in Japan. From teahouse design through to the ‘working windows’ of craft workshops throughout the world, we hope this exhibition shines a spotlight on this often-overlooked element of architecture, and for visitors to explore the many ways in which windows impact their everyday lives and to open our eyes to the potential of different perspectives.”

This exhibition runs from 1 December 2021 until10 April 2022, admission is free. 

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