Following the Architecture Foundation in London, it is now the turn of Grand-Hornu Images to host the first international solo exhibition by the rising star of Japanese architecture, Akihisa Hirata.
Having recently taken part in the Venice Biennale, where he was awarded a Golden Lion, Akihisa Hirata will also present an installation that will soon be part of the ‘Japan forward’ exhibition at the Kunsthal KAdE museum in Amersfoort, the Netherlands.
Taking the form of a continuous loop that twists and turns like a contortionist, the imposing “Tangling” structure will fill the Atrium of the Grand-Hornu, reflecting the very essence of Hirata’s architectural work. Creating numerous passages and nooks, the loop serves as a support and backdrop for hundreds of study models and sketches.
An interview with the architect, a soundscape and films specially commissioned for the occasion will illustrate Hirata’s theories on the concept of ‘entanglement’ in architecture.
Fascinated by the creation of simple and elegant geometric solutions that mimic and draw inspiration from nature’s millions of years of experience, Hirata conceives of architecture and ecology as a complex entanglement – in terms of form, function and relationships – between artificial and natural elements.
His designs rigorously explore the possibilities that lie ahead for the architecture and structures of tomorrow.
