Intersection of Japanese art, architecture at Tehran’s Silk Road exhibition
By Sadeq Dehqan
Staff writer
The ‘Art and the Space in Between; Iran-Japan’ exhibition, running from January 7 to February 7 at the Kamalolmolk Gallery in Tehran, showcases the works of prominent Japanese artists, including three Pritzker Architecture Prize winners. Organized by the University of Tehran’s Faculty of Architecture and supported by the Japanese Embassy, the exhibition features the intricate concepts of space and time—encapsulated in the Japanese term “Ma”—while celebrating the artistic legacy of Arata Isozaki and fostering intercultural dialogue along the historic Silk Road.
The exhibition features a collection of installations focusing on space, thresholds, and comparative studies of the Silk Road.
The exhibition, subtitled ‘Journey Along the Silk Road,’ features key concepts of Japanese art and aims to enhance intercultural studies, facilitating the exchange of ideas and artistic expressions along the Silk Road. It includes works from three acclaimed Pritzker Prize-winning Japanese architects: Arata Isozaki, Shigeru Ban, and Ryue Nishizawa.
Majid Montazer Zohouri, head of the Museums and Cultural Spaces Office at the University of Tehran, explained to Iran Daily reporter that the exhibition celebrates the artistic legacy of Arata Isozaki, a renowned Japanese artist and architect. Isozaki originally held this exhibition decades ago, and this event serves as a tribute to his work.
Shabnam Torabi, an expert at the exhibition, elaborated that the Japanese terms for space and time are encapsulated in the word “Ma.” This concept forms the core of the exhibition. In Persian, there isn’t a direct equivalent for “Ma,” but it could be understood as “pause.”
She noted that “Ma” represents a mental concept inherent in Japanese architecture. While European and Western architectural styles may not emphasize the relationship between space and time, Iranian architecture showcases elements of this idea, such as corridors and entryways in traditional homes that distinguish the boundary between the outside and inside. When entering an Iranian home, one does not step directly into the interior but must pass through a hallway to reach the private space.
To clarify the concept of “Ma” in architecture, Torabi explained that various spaces within a home facilitate movement between areas. Each space emphasizes the significance of “Ma,” suggesting that empty spaces carry more importance than they appear.
To help the audience connect with this concept, the exhibition features nine distinct spaces defined through installations and architectural art, illustrating the importance of transitional spaces, such as indoor settings, Japanese gardens, bridges, roads, and light—symbolizing the movement from one point to another. Each space seeks to convey the idea of interstitial space and transition.
The main conceptualizer of this exhibition is the late Japanese architect Arata Isozaki, who passed away in 2022. He originally held this exhibition 47 years ago in Paris in 1978. Now, nearly half a century later, a group of his Japanese admirers, along with an Iranian team, have revived it. Due to the Iranian team’s involvement, several concepts have been woven into Iranian culture and thought, including ideas that have traveled from Iran to Japan along the Silk Road, such as the concept of paradise. Plus, the exhibition features images of instruments like the barbat, which entered Japanese Buddhist culture through the Silk Road during the Sasanian era and has been played in temples ever since. In this way, the Silk Road not only serves as a conduit for cultural exchange but also resonates with the concept of “Ma” and interstitial space.
Torabi emphasized that “Ma” is a complex mental concept that underscores the importance of transitional spaces. For instance, the entrances to Japanese tea houses are often designed so small that visitors must bow their heads in respect to enter. A similar practice can be seen in old Iranian homes, especially in zurkhaneh (which literally means ‘strength house’ in Persian, a special traditional place where men practice heroic sports), where doorways are low enough to require visitors to bow as they enter.