The exhibition explores his creative principles, such as the use of smooth concrete, the prominence of simple geometric volumes and the integration of natural components such as light and water in his spatial designs, as well as the importance he places on the intensity of the experience physics generated by its architecture.
Fascinated by architecture, Tadao Ando (born 1941 in Osaka, Japan) gave up professional boxing and embarked on an initiation tour to learn about his passion. In 1969, he created the he he a agency Osaka, where he produced clean, understated designs that went against the 70s trend for high-tech architecture.
Tadao Ando bases his designs on an exploration of the various typical aspects of his work, especially the very reason for architecture to exist: «Because it is used by people, it has close ties to the body… Architecture should provide a place for humanity sense of joy. Otherwise our bodies are not attracted to it."
It also explores the issue of «like do architecture» – «Through thinking about it, I ended up with the relationship between dimension, height, surface and three-dimensional volumes» – and how to integrate light into his drawings: « What I felt when I observed the Romanesque churches ... was that hope resided in the light from alone. I created the Church of Light, wondering if the community symbol wasn't light. Architecture also involves creating places for community. I produce my architecture wondering how I can create things that remain engraved on people's souls forever».
Tadao Ando has received numerous international awards and recognitions, including the prestigious Pritzker Prize for architecture in 1995. Over 300 projects have been listed worldwide throughout his fifty-year career.
This retrospective traces the different periods of his career as an architect and sheds light on his decisive achievements: Azuma House in Sumiyoshi (1976), Naoshima (1988 to present), Church of Light (1989) and La Bourse de Commerce in Paris (autumn 2019) are some of the main projects presented in a staging designed by Tadao Ando, produced in collaboration with his agency.
La show presents about 50 great projects with 180 drawings, 70 models original and numerous presentations, all divided into four main themes: the basic form of space; the urban challenge; the origins of the landscape; dialogue with history.
The central part of the exhibition will feature an important installation: «Naoshima», a representative work of the architect's dialogue with the natural landscapes of the island of Naoshima. His rich and varied accomplishments are complemented by graphite drawings, travel notebooks and photographs taken by Tadao Ando himself, which have never been shown to a European audience before.
To go to the exhibition, a 256-page catalog illustrates the architect's work through 70 of his best projects. This monograph contains three portfolios presenting the architect's black and white photographers, pencil drawings and travel notebooks: a source of inspiration for his early drawings, which are displayed in the exhibition and reproduced for the first time. This collective book is edited by the curator of the exhibition, Frédéric Migayrou. Co-published by Flammarion-Editions du Center Pompidou-Stock Exchange / Pinault Collection – Paris.
TADAO ANDO, THE CHALLENGE
10 OCTOBER – 31 DECEMBER 2018
GALLERY 3, LEVEL 1
