On 20 July 2023,

Kengo Kuma’s latest solo exhibition,

“Architecture for the Five Senses”

 officially opened at Fosun Foundation (Shanghai)

 

Based on the new concept of "Architecture for the Five Senses”

introduced by the world-renowned architect Kengo Kuma,

visitors can explore the new form of future architecture

through the human senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell and intelligence.

“KENGO KUMA: Architecture for the Five Senses” exhibition

 

This exhibition is Kengo Kuma’s largest experiential retrospective to date, covering architectural models, music, fragrance, large-scale installations, multimedia art, literature, calligraphy and other forms. It is also a concentrated presentation of Kengo Kuma's work and life scenes in the past two decades.

Kengo Kuma once proposed concepts such as "anti-object" and "architecture of defeat", advocating the merge of architecture with nature, while emphasizing the importance of experience by breaking through the limitations of form.

 

This exhibition not only intends to spread more architectural knowledge, but also hopes to open up new ways of thinking for visitors through the participation and interaction between people, while offering spiritual comfort.

 

“In the 1990s, I proposed anti-object to break through forms. At that time, most people were interested in forms, but I didn’t like formalism. Now I would like to stress the importance of experience, that is, the five senses are far more important than forms. Forms can only stimulate the sense of sight, but deeper senses are beyond the sense of sight, which is what I would like to deliver at the exhibition.” – Kengo Kuma

Architecture is one of the long-term focus areas of Fosun Foundation (Shanghai). From the building of Fosun Foundation (Shanghai), also known as the "dancing house", to the public art works on the most beautiful terrace on the Bund, Fosun Foundation (Shanghai) is committed to explore all forms of art and creation that have the most direct relationship with people, so as to stimulate people to have in-depth thinking and discussion on the relationship between their own life, living form and society.

A landmark of the Bund, "Window of the City"

This exhibition focuses on architecture for the five senses. It stimulates the human senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, and intelligence, allowing visitors to feel and experience the architecture, and re-perceiving the relationship between themselves, the architecture and the environment.

 

Different spaces on each floor have their own scent: wood, grass, and breeze... At the same time, the exhibition uses sound as the background in different model areas to draw visitors to look at the architecture through the sense of hearing.

 

First floor exhibition hall

 

Zhu Leng, the large-scale installation at the plaza on the first floor of Fosun Foundation (Shanghai) leads visitors to the entrance of the exhibition. The installation uses metal materials to simulate the natural toughness of bamboo strips, and at the same time echoes the flowing golden exterior of the architecture itself, evoking the curve and vitality of plants growing upward freely. The scent of sandalwood in the installation draws visitors further away from the dense architectural forest of the city to enter the sensory universe created by Kengo Kuma.

 

ZHU LENG

Zhu Leng, installation work at the “Architecture for the Five Senses” exhibition

 

This exhibition starts with "Bamboo". As you enter the first floor exhibition hall at Fosun Foundation (Shanghai), the entrance, which is Kengo Kuma's newly designed installation work Zhu Jian, illustrates the "original scenery" that Kengo Kuma had in his heart - tens of thousands of bamboo strips are connected by renewable and reassembled components. The flexibility of bamboo and gravity form a wonderful balance, forming the curve of bamboo and appearing floating in the air.

 

ZHU JIAN

Zhu Jian, installation work at the “Architecture for the Five Senses” exhibition

 

Visitors can walk through the passage of Zhu Jian and learn more about Kengo Kuma's representative architectural works. The exhibition hall presents models, manuscripts and other works of Kengo Kuma's architectural design works such as "Marseille Contemporary Art Center" and "Beijing Qianmen".

First floor exhibition hall of the “KENGO KUMA: Architecture for the Five Senses” exhibition at Fosun Foundation (Shanghai)

 

Second floor exhibition hall

 

The second floor exhibition hall presents the immersive multimedia installation Digital Time of the Five Senses, which is a world of architectural works expanding into a three-dimensional multimedia space, and also another imaginary space of Kengo Kuma.

 

A multimedia work with 360-degree omnidirectional projection, the Kadokawa Musashino Museum, was inspired by the Musashino Highland formed from collision of tectonic plates. Using the creative vision and various elements of Kengo Kuma’s works as materials, it develops a creative thinking space for Kengo Kuma’s architecture that is not bound by the physical world and is unconstrained.

Digital Time of the Five Senses, installation work at the “Architecture for the Five Senses” exhibition

 

Zhu Qu is another large-scale installation in the second floor exhibition hall. Many bamboo strips form "curves" with different amplitudes and curvatures, extending a gentle spiral shape, reflecting the scattered light and shadow of the bamboo forest for the exhibition route customized for Fosun Foundation (Shanghai), creating a tea room like a quiet bamboo forest.

 

ZHU QU

Zhu Qu, installation work at the “Architecture for the Five Senses” exhibition

 

Through models, manuscripts, calligraphy, scale models and other works, coupled with music and aroma, visitors can immerse themselves in multiple projects that have been completed or are in progress, including Asakusa Cultural Tourist Information Center, and Shipyard 1862.

Second floor exhibition hall of the “KENGO KUMA: Architecture for the Five Senses” exhibition at Fosun Foundation  (Shanghai)

 

Third floor exhibition hall

 

More architectural works and calligraphy works of Kengo Kuma are presented in the third floor exhibition hall of Fosun Foundation (Shanghai).

Third floor exhibition hall of the “KENGO KUMA: Architecture for the Five Senses” exhibition at Fosun Foundation  (Shanghai)

During the exhibition, the ICICLE men's collection "Chinese Wardrobe" pop-up showroom will make a second stop at Fosun Foundation (Shanghai) in collaboration with the "KENGO KUMA: Architecture for the Five Senses" exhibition.

 

Adhering to the concept of "MADE IN EARTH", ICICLE is committed to bringing the oriental philosophy "harmony between human and nature" into the contemporary context, creating high-quality and comfortable clothing with natural fabrics. This time, the brand integrates the creativity of men's four-season wardrobe installation into the artistic scene, bringing together the inspiration of traditional Chinese colors to recreate the showroom. This collaboration is a vivid display of the continuous exploration and inspiration of the two parties in the fields of art, nature and life. Through ethical clothing and sensory thinking provoking architectural art, the collaboration seeks new inspirations about lifestyle, and creates a sensory journey that breaks through the limitations of the form.

ICICLE men's collection "Chinese Wardrobe" pop-up showroom in the first floor exhibition hall of Fosun Foundation (Shanghai)

 

The paint for the exhibition hall of the exhibition was provided by Nippon Paint. As the exclusive paint partner of Fosun Foundation (Shanghai), Nippon Paint has integrated aesthetics into people's daily lives for many years, witnessing the evolution of public aesthetics and the trend of home design. Nippon Paint hopes to refresh the beautiful living space through the ingenious use of "function", "color" and "texture" of paint, and also bring more art lovers an immersive journey of exploration and experience.

 

2023.7.21-10.06 KENGO KUMA: Architecture for the Five Senses

 

Exhibition date: 21 July to 6 October 2023

 

Tuesdays to Sundays 10:00-18:00

(Last admission time 17:30)

Closed on Mondays

Extended opening hours from Thursdays to Saturday 10:00-20:00

(Last admission time 19:30)

 

General admission ticket RMB128

 

On the opening day of the exhibition on 20 July, many partners and media friends visited architectural sensory universe created by Kengo Kuma.

 

Kengo Kuma, architect, Wang Jinyuan, Chairman of Fosun Foundation (Shanghai) and Honorary Chairman of Fosun Foundation, Hu Pengfei, Founder of R International Image and Curator of Kengo Kuma architectural design exhibition, Xia Lu, Deputy General Manager and Director of Exhibition Department of Guardian Art Center and other guests celebrated the official opening of the "Architecture for the Five Senses" exhibition.

Opening of the “KENGO KUMA: Architecture for the Five Senses” exhibition

 

Architect Kengo Kuma congratulated on the opening of the "Architecture of the Five Senses" exhibition

Wang Jinyuan, Chairman of Fosun Foundation (Shanghai) and Honorary Chairman of Fosun Foundation

 

Welcome to Fosun Foundation (Shanghai), everyone is familiar with the works of Kengo Kuma, whether in the field of architectural design, or for art lovers and visitors. Visitors can explore and think about the harmonious unity of human and architecture, and experience the advanced architecture of Kengo Kuma, which are in line with people's current aesthetic standards and living needs – going back our roots and being close to nature. Unlike previous exhibitions, this exhibition is for the five senses. It explores senses beyond sight, including hearing, touch and smell.

Hu Pengfei, Founder of R International Image and Curator of Kengo Kuma’s architectural design exhibition

 

Under the circumstances of the three-year epidemic, people are feeling more and more exhausted physically and mentally. Based on this, Kengo Kuma proposed the concept of "Architecture for the Five Senses", and gave his own understanding and direction for future urban architectural design. The exhibition is presented in an experiential and immersive exhibition space, bringing a courtyard-style sensory experience, and showing the relationship between human and nature, and human and architecture.

 

Xia Lu, Deputy General Manager and Director of Exhibition Department of Guardian Art Center

 

Shanghai is one of the exhibition destinations of "Architecture for the Five Senses". Fosun Foundation (Shanghai) is an excellent art institution with an international perspective. We have many similarities in terms of internationalization, high standards and diversification of the exhibition, which contributed to this pleasant collaboration, we look forward to more visitors walking into the exhibition hall to experience Kengo Kuma's unique architectural language and philosophy of life.

 

Special thanks to Fujifilm (China) Investment Co., Ltd. for providing photo shooting and printing services for guests on the opening day. Each guest may take a photo in front of the selfie wall at the exit of the third floor exhibition hall, and professional staff will provide photo printing services. At the entrance on the fourth floor, there is an exhibition area dedicated to displaying Fujifilm video products with the theme of adding color to life. We look forward to your visit during the exhibition period!

Exhibition opening imaging partner, Fujifilm

Exhibition opening alcoholic beverage partner, Tsingtao Brewery

Exhibition opening beverage partner, N12

Exhibition opening dessert partner, 21cake

CLOUD Bistro will partner with 21cake to present the limited afternoon tea of the "Architecture for the Five Senses" exhibition. Inspired by the construction materials frequently used by architect Kengo Kuma, CLOUD Bistro and 21cake will create a variety of artistic desserts, along with the launch of special drinks.

 

Continuing the "reconstruction" approach often used in architectural design, in this exhibition, 21cake will present a "reconstruction" architectural cake. By reconstructing the way of eating a Napoleon cake, it presents a new taste experience, and provides a more free eating experience starting with food. It resonates with the experience of the "five senses" emphasized by Kengo Kuma by introducing a new way of eating, focusing on the flavor, and also taking care of people's lives when eating. 

Limited-time afternoon tea of the "KENGO KUMA: Architecture for the Five Senses" exhibition

21cake architectural cake "Reconstruction"

Many limited merchandise will be launched during the exhibition, including textured coasters, scented candles, canvas totes, limited manuscripts of Kengo Kuma, all inspired by Kengo Kuma’s unique design, continuing the architectural journey that resonates with nature. Visitors may purchase merchandise at the ART SHOP on the fourth floor of Fosun Foundation (Shanghai).