Tadashi Kawamata High Terrace at Brüggli 1998

Tadashi Kawamata is born in Mikasa, Japan, in 1953 and later attends the Tokyo University of the Arts, where he also works as a professor between 1998 and 2005. In 1982, he takes part in the Venice Biennale, which brings his art to international attention. Kawamata’s artistic practice encompasses objects as well as sculptural and installation works that blur the boundaries between art and architecture, urban planning, history, communication and sociology. The focus of his works often lies on the production process and their significance within a geographical, social and historical context. For these projects, he therefore travels to various locations around the world and carries them out in collaboration with local communities. One example of this is his ‘Work in Progress’, which is taking shape in the urban space of Zug since 1996. Using his preferred material, wood, Kawamata designs and constructs paths, platforms and other structures that wind their way from the Kunsthaus through the old town to the lakeside promenade. The functionality of these structures is a central aspect of the artist’s work. They are intended to allow the local population to sit more comfortably and walk through the city, thereby perceiving the urban landscape in a new light. The fact that his works are not always recognised as art is less a problem than an integral part of his artistic practice. Kawamata lives in Tokyo and Paris, where he teaches at the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts between 2007 and 2019.

Object dimensions: 75.3 x 124.2 x 21.2 cm

KS 537

• model

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• architecture