Exhibition

The ABC of Chairs

Seven million years ago, humans evolved to walk upright on two legs and began to sit. Along with the development of culture, we created the chair, which is a support device for supporting the body. Nowadays, everyone spends a lot of time with chairs every day, whether at home, work, public facilities, or anywhere else. Chairs are the furniture that is most closely involved with our lives, and they are also our partners in life. However, because we use them so casually, we don’t often think about the existence of a “chair”. This exhibition focuses on “What is a chair?” and introduces the “ABC” of chairs, from their birth to their structure, types, and functions, which you may know but you don’t know. Why not discover a new appeal of chairs and look for your own masterpiece chair that you can spend the rest of your life with?

The ABC of Chairs

●Schedule
Venue1: April 10th (Wed) – July 31st (Wed)
Venue2: June 6th (Thu) – June 30th (Sun)
Vnue3: April 26th (Fri) – July 31st (Wed)

●Venue1 / CentPure Ⅰ Gallery1
10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Closed: Mondays

●Venue2 / CentPure Ⅰ Gallery2
10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Closed: Mondays

●Venue3 / CentPure Ⅱ Furniture design archives
9:00 am – 9:00 pm

●Admission: Free

●Related event
Gallery Tour and Talk by Noritsugu Oda
June 19th, Wed 3:00 pm – 4:30pm
Reservation required by e-mail or call: designschool.higashikawa@gmail.com / 0166-82-2111(ext.764)

ALVAR AALTO and Finland Design from Oda Collection

In Finland, the “Land of Forests and Lakes”, design has been shaped alongside its unique climate and culture, without forgetting the essential awareness of embracing nature. Finnish design is characterized by its functionality, rationality, and simplicity, with a culture of cherishing and passing down items to the next generation. Using high-quality items for a long time means they are a part of your life and family tradition. In 2023, Finland marks the 125th anniversary of the birth of the master Finnish architect Alvar Aalto (1898-1976). Therefore, we focus on Aalto and Finland, introducing many masterpieces of Finnish design from Oda Collection.

ALVAR AALTO and Finland Design from Oda Collection

Date: January 13th (Sat) – March 21st (Thu), 2024
Hours: 10:30 – 18:30 (Admission until 18:15)
Closed: Mondays (If Monday is a holiday, the following day will be closed)
Venue: Asahikawa Museum of Sculpture In Honor of Teijiro Nakahara Station Gallery［MAP］
3-1 Miyashita-dori 8 Chome, Asahikawa, Hokkaido / JR Asahikawa Station East Exit (JR Asahikawa Station Concourse)

Genealogy of Chairs

Designs that are called “masterpieces” did not come by coincidence or suddenly. There are various genealogies of chair design that have expanded with the passage of time. In this exhibition, we introduce the genealogy of eight chairs from Oda Collection, including the chair that is said to be the origin of modern chairs.

Genealogy of Chairs

Date: December 16, 2023 – March 31, 2024
*Venue1 December 23, 2023 – March 31, 2024

Venue1: Centpure 1 Gallery 1
Hours: 10:00 – 17:00
Closed: Mondays and Year-end and New Year holidays (December 31 – January 5)

Venue2: Centpure 2 Furniture design archives
Hours: 9:00 – 21:00
Closed:Year-end and New Year holidays (December 31 – January 5)

Admission: Free

MUOTO The shape of Finland design

In recent years, “Nordic Style” has continued to attract attention in Japan, and has been featured in numerous media outlets as an aspirational lifestyle. Among them, Finnish design is famous all over the world, such as “marimekko”, “Atrek”, “ARABIA”, and “MOOMIN”, and its practical yet beautiful and somewhat warm designs have quietly become a part of our lives. It helps us get along and create a rich time.

Finland, the land of forests and lakes, design has been shaped in conjunction with the harsh yet rich unique climate and culture, without forgetting the essential awareness of being close to nature. Designs that are close to “nature” support a peaceful lifestyle, and within this lifestyle, new designs are born like small buds, creating an uninterrupted cycle.

In this exhibition, we introduce a number of masterpieces of Finnish design from Oda Collection, as well as the “shape of design” in Finland and the “shape of life” born from it. In Finnish, the words “design = MUOTOILU” and “designer = MUOTOILIGIJA” are both derived from “MUOTO”, which means “shape”. In this day and age, when locality tends to be lost and attachment to things becomes weaker, the Finnish design of “MUOTO” and its essence will surely bring new awareness to our daily lives.

“MUOTO” the shape of Finnish Design

Date: October 14 – December 17, 2023
*Venue 2 October 21 – December 3, 2023

Venue1: Centpure 1 Gallery 1
Hours: 10:00 – 17:00
Closed: Mondays and Year-end and New Year holidays (December 31- January 5)

Venue: Centpure 2 Furniture design archives
Hours: 9:00 – 21:00

Admission: Free

Relax Chair the time to sit back and relax from Oda Collection

Chairs come in a variety of shapes depending on their purpose, such as work chairs, dining chairs, and family sitting chairs “sofas”. Its fundamental role is as a tool to support the human body. The chair we would like to introduce this time is the chair you want to use when you want to relax. We will introduce chairs that are useful when you want to relax, such as watching a movie while relaxing at home, reading a book, or just to take a little rest before going to bed. Unlike futons and beds, we will be exhibiting chairs from Oda Collection that are meant to be used for “sitting”, allowing you to relax in a variety of positions.

Relax Chair the time to sit back and relax from Oda Collection

Date: August 18th (Fri) – October 1st (Sun), 2023
Hours: 10:30 – 18:30 (Admission until 18:15)
Closed: Mondays (If Monday is a holiday, the following day will be closed)
Asahikawa Museum of Sculpture In Honor of Teijiro Nakahara Station Gallery［MAP］
3-1 Miyashita-dori 8 Chome, Asahikawa, Hokkaido / JR Asahikawa Station East Exit (JR Asahikawa Station Concourse)

WOMEN’S EYES

Women designers who have been world-renowned. Since the time when social independence was still difficult for these women, they have been working as lifestyle professionals, creating designs that fit into daily life with their unique sensibilities. This exhibition will feature approximately 200 beautiful and functional masterpieces by 26 women designers from Oda Collection.

WOMEN’S EYES

Date: July 13th, Thus. – October 1st, Sun.
Venue1: Centpure 1 Gallery 1
Hours: 10:00 – 17:00
Closed: Mondays and Year-end and New Year holidays (December 31 – January 5)
Venue2: Centpure 2 Furniture design archives
Time: 9:00 – 21:00
Admission: Free

Masterpiece from Oda Collection Vol.12 “Chairs of Japan”

Objective

In 2021, Higashikawa, one of the main production areas of Asahikawa furniture, was established “Good Chair Day” with architect Kengo Kuma. In conjunction with this effort, this exhibition will curate and display world-famous chairs from “Oda Collection” by theme with the 14th of each month as a replacement day.

Overview

From July 14th, 2023 to October 13th, 2023, we would like to introduce chairs that was born in post-war Japan and is still loved by many people. In the past, Japanese people lived on the floor for many years. After entering the era of Meiji, various chairs began to be used after the civilization bloomed, but in general, chairs were still a long way off. Chairs began to spread among people after the war, when American culture spread rapidly.

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Masterpiece from Oda Collection Vol.12 “Chairs of Japan”

Date: July 14, 2023 – October 13, 2023
Time: 10:00 – 17:00
Holidays: Tuesdays (except holidays), New Year holiday season, Obon
Venue: Asahikawa Design Center [ACCESS]
Nagayama 2 Jo 10 Chome 1-35 Asahikawa, Hokkaido 079-8412

Organizer: Higashikawa The Town of Photography
Supporting Organizations: Asahikawa Furniture Industry Cooperative, Oda Collection Organization

Please check asahikawadesign.com/en/events/odacollection12/ for details.

Masterpiece from Oda Collection Vol.11 “Arne Jacobsen”

Objective

In 2021, Higashikawa, one of the main production areas of Asahikawa furniture, was established “Good Chair Day” with architect Kengo Kuma. In conjunction with this effort, this exhibition will curate and display world-famous chairs from “Oda Collection” by theme with the 14th of each month as a replacement day.

Overview

From April 14th, 2023 to July 13th, 2023, we would like to introduce molded plywood chairs by Arne Jacobsen, a standard-bearer of modern Danish furniture and functionalist architecture, who also left many masterpieces as a furniture designer.

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Masterpiece from Oda Collection Vol.11 “Arne Jacobsen”

Date: April 14, 2023 – July 13, 2023
*From June 12 – June 25, exhibition will be temporarily suspended
Time: 10:00 – 17:00
Holidays: Tuesdays (except holidays), New Year holiday season, Obon
Venue: Asahikawa Design Center [ACCESS]
Nagayama 2 Jo 10 Chome 1-35 Asahikawa, Hokkaido 079-8412

Organizer: Higashikawa The Town of Photography
Supporting Organizations: Asahikawa Furniture Industry Cooperative, Oda Collection Organization

Please check asahikawadesign.com/en/events/odacollection11/ for details.

TECHNOLOGY AND DESIGN

New technology born with the times. Masterpiece designs have always been created with new techniques, new materials, and ideas. This time, from Oda Collection, we would like to introduce about 40 pieces of new designs explored by designers in the connection between “technology” and “design” created by the energy of the times.

TECHNOLOGY AND DESIGN

Date:
– April 1(Sat)-April 24(Mon)→Venue 1 only
– April 29(Satu)-July 2(Sun)→Venue1 and Venue2

Venue1: Centpure 1 Gallery 1
Time: 10:00 – 17:00
Closed: Mondays (Except holidays) and Year-end and New Year holidays (December 31- January 5)

Venue:2 Centpure 2 Furniture design archives
Time: 9:00 – 21:00
Closed: Year-end and New Year holidays (December 31-January 5)

Kitamachi 1 Chome, Higashikawa, Hokkaido → Google Map

Admission: Free

A Mindful life “Scandinavian design exhibition”

The Mindful life “Scandinavian design exhibition” just started from March 1st at Nihonbashi Takashimaya. On the first day, Mr. Oda and the ambassadors of Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony. It’s a very valuable exhibition that approaches the whole picture of Oda Collection such as chairs, lighting, tableware, and cutlery. Please take a look. The exhibition is scheduled to start in Tokyo in March, then to Nagoya in April and May, and then to Osaka in August. Please look forward to this traveling exhibition as well.

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A Mindful life “Scandinavian design exhibition”

Date: March 1, 2023 – March 21, 2023
Time: 10:30 am – 7:00 pm (closes at 7:30 pm)
Venue: Nihonbashi Takashimaya main building 8F (Nihonbashi 2-4-1, Nihonbashi, Tokyo)
Admission fee: Adult 1,000 yen / University and High school student 800 yen / Under junior high school: free

https://www.takashimaya.co.jp/store/special/hokuou/index.html

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Traveling exhibition plan

Nagoya Takashimaya 10F
April 20, 2023 – May 7, 2023

Osaka Takashiyama 7F
August 9, 2023 – August 20, 2023