The Smiljan Radić + Marcela Correa exhibition "Closet and Mattress" is running at Maison Hermès Forum in Tokyo's Ginza district until November 30th. Architect Radić and sculptor Correa are based in Santiago, Chile.

The exhibition consists of two installations, photography, and drawings. One of the installations is a huge closet constructed from thin cedar boards about 1mm thick and fitted with a distorted full-length mirror. Natural light filters in through the thin cedar walls, creating a bright red space unimaginable from the outside. A chair is provided inside, where visitors can sit and watch a video on an iPad that discusses Radić's architectural philosophy along with his past works. Glass containers hang from the ceiling, and a black sink is attached to the wall. Atop the closet is a red mattress, shaped like a lump of meat by threading white ropes through it. In the second installation, several of these red mattresses hang from the ceiling, creating an impressive space.

Also, on one wall of the venue is a photo series titled "Fragile Construction," featuring photographs of fragile architecture around the city. These photographs are not of formal "architecture," but rather fragments of various "constructions," such as informally erected huts and gravestones. By photographing these haphazardly constructed structures that are often seen as worthless, the photographs express the micro-histories and memories of individuals that cannot be glimpsed when viewing ordinary architecture.

Radic and Correa, who are also partners in the exhibition, visited Japan for the opening. The pair explained, "Both the closet and the mattress are pieces of furniture that are too light to be described as part of a building. On the other hand, they are too large to be called interior decor. They exude a unique presence in the home. The closet stores a person's clothes, diary, and photographs, while the mattress absorbs the weight and sweat of the sleeper, making them the furniture closest to humans. We exhibited the closet and mattress as symbols of a place where one can distance oneself from the outside world and speak to oneself." The "shelter" theme, a place where one can hide and disconnect from the outside world and confront oneself, is a theme that has frequently appeared in their past work. At the 2010 Venice Biennale International Architecture Exhibition, they exhibited a shelter-like piece, "The Boy Hidden in a Fish," curated by architect Kazuyo Sejima. This exhibition offers an escape from everyday life, which can often be formal and superficial, and invites viewers to reflect deeply on themselves and appreciate the importance of personal memories and history. Fulfilling their roles as architect and sculptor, the collaborative installation makes us think about the nature of collaboration.


[Event Information]
Smiljan Radic + Marcela Correa Exhibition "Closet and Mattress"
Venue: Ginza Maison Hermès Forum
Address: 5-4-1 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Dates: Until November 30th
Time: 11:00 to 20:00 (Until 19:00 on Sundays)
Free admission