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Junya Ishigami

Architecture As Air

Installation of Junya Ishigami

One of the pioneering architects of his generation, Junya Ishigami presented his first UK installation – a single curved line of 4 metre columns that seem to be suspended in air.

Working between the spheres of architecture and art, internationally acclaimed Japanese architect Junya Ishigami redefines the aesthetics of minimalism by playing with perception, materials and scale.

For The Curve, he conceived a new structure built in response to the gallery’s unique space, which he described as ’melting endlessly into space’. The structure comprised a single curved line of delicate 4 metre columns running the entire length of the gallery, which appeared to be held in place by air and atmosphere alone. Only on closer inspection are the transparent structural components revealed.

This work was a development of his experimental installation Architecture as Air: Study for Château la Coste, which was first shown at the Venice Biennale of Architecture in 2010 and won the Golden Lion for best project.

Supported using public funding by Arts Council England. Additional support provided by SHISEIDO CO. LTD. and Japan Foundation. Conceived and installed by junya.ishigami+associates, with assistance from Château La Coste, Gallery Koyanagi and Toyota Municipal Museum of Art.