TOTO GALLERY·MA is pleased to announce the exhibition en: art of nexus—Homecoming Exhibition of the Japan Pavilion from the 15th International Architecture Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia.

The original en—art of nexus exhibition presented at the Japan Pavilion in the 15th International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale (May 28 – November 27, 2016) put the spotlight on 12 groups of architects born after 1975 and lucidly presented the work that they have been engaging in during these difficult times under the three themes of “The en of People”, “The en of Things”, and “The en of Locality”. The exhibition struck a chord with visitors from around the world and was awarded a Special Mention.

After sprinting down the path of modernization to match stride with the Western world in the belief it was making progress, seeing its period of rapid economic growth come to an end, and experiencing the disastrous events of March 11, 2011, Japan now stands at a major turning point at which each and every architect needs to ask themselves once again what architecture must strive to achieve in today’s society. The architects featured in this exhibition have been creating new architectural value by meticulously giving form to the small, intimate stories woven through people’s relationships with others and their localities. The presented projects have emerged from a background strongly influenced by a flexible wood-based culture distinct to Asia and disparate from Europe’s rigid stone-based culture that gave rise to modernism. Every one of them can be seen as reflecting the supple fortitude of their architects, who are striving to establish their own unique positions by pushing the possibilities of architecture.

The homecoming exhibition will introduce the work being born from the fresh sensibilities of the young exhibitors by building on the original exhibition shown in Venice. It will also show what the architects have been working on since the Biennale with new exhibits such as movies and models. The exhibition and its complementing symposium and gallery talks aim to provide an outlook on the role of architecture and architects in the coming age.

The International Architecture Exhibition of the Biennale di Venezia is an international event held once every two years in Venice, Italy, that brings together architects from around the globe.
The 15th International Architecture Exhibition held in 2016 was directed by Chilean architect Alejandro Aravena. Themed “Reporting from the Front”, the event called for participants to demonstrate how architecture can respond to the various social circumstances and problems unique to each participating nation.
The Japan Pavilion exhibition, titled “en: art of nexus”, was awarded a special mention for illustrating how architects are addressing the problems Japan faces today, such as housing abandonment and population aging, in new and contemporary ways.
The Golden Lion, the most prestigious award of the Biennale, was awarded to the Spain Pavilion. The pavilion’s exhibition was themed “Unfinished”, and it presented a vivid picture of the current reality of Spain through photographs of the many buildings that stand unfinished due to the extended recession and photographs of the youths living among them.
The Peru Pavilion, themed “Our Amazon Frontline”, presented an idea for a modular building kit that would enable schools to be rebuilt in the Amazon. The plan’s vision to fight poverty and preserve the rainforests with education earned the Peru Pavilion a Special Mention alongside the Japan Pavilion.