rethinking, remaking, reframing
d+a|Issue 134
Aoki Akio, the founder of DESIGNART TOKYO discusses the importance and legacy of Tokyo's eminent art and design event, particularly for young creatives.
Luo Jingmei
rethinking, remaking, reframing

Tokyo's design scene was intensified for 10 days (18 to 27 October) with many exciting new ideas distributed throughout the city during Designart Tokyo 2024.

For example, at Tiers Gallery in Omotesando, Hojo Akira presented an aluminium sofa that addressed quality control and inventory management in the mass production process. Meanwhile the captivating blue-brown gradients of Masaya Kawamoto's PF Chair and PF Armchair came about from colouring the furniture with a salt bath process.

Over at Ginza’s Hibiya Okuroji, a 300m shopping and food promenade under century-old brick arches, design lab Honoka collaborated with one of Japan’s largest water server companies Aqua Clara, Inc. to showcase the potential of upcycling plastic bottles. The result are lamps, stools, bowls and even wall panels with a translucent, artful quality.

These were some of the 117 diverse presentations of Designart Tokyo 2024 in 96 venues across the metropolis. The design and art festival that started in 2017 embraced the theme of ‘Reframing: the Beginning of a Shift’ this year. It challenged presenters – architects, artists, product and interior designers – to think about their work through novel perspectives without being restrained by conventional frameworks.

The event’s founders are known experts in the industry – Akio Aoki of MIRU DESIGN, Shun Kawakami of artless Inc., Hiroshi Koike of NON-GRID, Okisato Nagata of TIMELESS, and Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham of Klein Dytham architecture. We find out more about Designart Tokyo from Aoki.

Before DESIGNART TOKYO started, were there other similar design fairs in Tokyo?

One was DesignTide Tokyo that happened from 2005 to 2012. Other than that, there was Tokyo Designers Week, which started in 1986 but stopped in 2016 due to an accident during the event.

What are the differences between Design Tide and Designart Tokyo 2024?

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة Issue 134 من d+a.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة Issue 134 من d+a.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من D+A مشاهدة الكل
Tailored For The Curious Explorer
d+a

Tailored For The Curious Explorer

The new Alma House at the New Bahru enclave reflects the collaborative spirit of a school environment.

time-read
3 mins  |
Issue 134
Eco And Egalitarian
d+a

Eco And Egalitarian

Can a building represent a culture? Berrel Kräutler Architekten's sensitive renovation of the Embassy of Switzerland in Singapore stimulates discourse.

time-read
3 mins  |
Issue 134
Building A Green Home
d+a

Building A Green Home

This semi-detached house by Zivy Architects explores passive tropical design, the delight in architecture and the issues of multi-generational living.

time-read
4 mins  |
Issue 134
The Natural Balance
d+a

The Natural Balance

Inspired by the serene beauty of dewdrops, the Antao Collection by Villeroy & Boch transforms bathrooms into wellness sanctuaries, combining sustainability with timeless elegance.

time-read
2 mins  |
Issue 134
Inspiring Creativity And Exploration
d+a

Inspiring Creativity And Exploration

The new Hafary House at Lavender reflects the brand’s vibrancy and innovation, as well as provide an inspiring and engaging space for customers.

time-read
2 mins  |
Issue 134
Home Is Where The Heart Is
d+a

Home Is Where The Heart Is

A vacation house is reimagined for a multi-generational family to gather for holidays in the bucolic setting of Yongjia in Zhejiang, China.

time-read
4 mins  |
Issue 134
balancing act: nature and humanity
d+a

balancing act: nature and humanity

In this inspiration-led series, we asked Jay Liu and Alex Liu, co-founders of Right Angle Studio, to dream up a unique interior concept using mainly items from Space Furniture.

time-read
2 mins  |
Issue 134
rethinking, remaking, reframing
d+a

rethinking, remaking, reframing

Aoki Akio, the founder of DESIGNART TOKYO discusses the importance and legacy of Tokyo's eminent art and design event, particularly for young creatives.

time-read
5 mins  |
Issue 134
rebuilding communities
d+a

rebuilding communities

Shift2024, the much-anticipated conference returns with a stellar line-up of prolific architects making their mark in Asian urban design.

time-read
7 mins  |
Issue 134
unparalleled italian craftsmanship
d+a

unparalleled italian craftsmanship

Filippo Arnaboldi, Chief Executive Officer of Frette, tells us how this luxury lifestyle Italian brand is moving forward with times yet not forgetting about its existing legacy.

time-read
4 mins  |
Issue 134