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L.A. exhibition celebrates the paleo-futuristic architecture of Sou Fujimoto

Sou Much To See

L.A. exhibition celebrates the paleo-futuristic architecture of Sou Fujimoto

A retrospective of Sou Fujimoto’s work will be on display at the Japan House Los Angeles this fall. Pictured: L’Arbre Blanc, a conceptual multipurpose tower for Montpellier, France (Courtesy Sou Fujimoto Architects)

This fall, Japan House Los Angeles will showcase Sou Fujimoto: Futures of the Future, an exhibition highlighting the works of visionary Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto. The wide-ranging retrospective of the Marcus Prize-winning architect’s work will open October 27 and will run through December 12.

Over 100 models and large-scale photographs of past and current projects will go on display for the exhibition, including images for the architect’s cloud-like 2013 Serpentine Pavilion in London, England.

The exhibition will also feature several works from the architect’s Architecture is Everywhere collection. The series is made up of a collection of miniature models created by juxtaposing small-scale human figures adjacent to everyday objects with the intention of highlighting the notion that architecture “must be found before it can be created with intent.”
At the time the Serpentine commission was awarded, 41-year-old Fujimoto was the youngest architect to win the honor. Before that, in 2008, Fujimoto was awarded the Japan Institute of Architects Grand Prix. In 2012, the architect’s entry for the Japan Pavilion of the 13th Venice Biennale was awarded the Golden Lion citation. 
Mille Arbes (Courtesy Sou Fujimoto Architects)
In his larger body of work, Fujimoto addresses the notion of a so-called “primative future,” where enigmatic reasoning yields diverse and multi-faceted formal and programmatic arrangements that are rendered through crisp and angular geometries. As a result, Fujimoto’s work is able to join inside and outside, nature and urbanity, objects and spaces, and notions of public and private, according to a press release accompanying the exhibition.
The exhibition comes to the newly-opened Japan House Los Angeles following the venue’s late-August debut. The cultural institution is currently exhibiting Prototyping in Tokyo: a Visual Story of Design Led Innovation, a robotics-themed installation, and will feature a collection of architecturally-relevant talks and events throughout the year.
For more information, see the Japan House L.A. events page.

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