ADI Design Museum presents an unprecedented cultural exploration of Japanese design, emphasizing its uniqueness between tradition and research.

The essentiality of forms, extreme attention to detail, and the originality of each piece, while maintaining continuity with tradition, are now combined with technological and engineering research that develops new materials and recycles discarded ones. These characteristics make Japanese design an international icon.

The exhibition SIMPLICITY: The Origin of Japanese Design offers a cross-cutting perspective on design and craftsmanship to understand the origins of the concept of simplicity. It can be interpreted as emptiness (ku), space or silence (ma), sometimes seen as poverty (wabi), and the consumption related to use over time (sabi). Other interpretations include asymmetry, indefiniteness and imperfection – concepts rooted in various philosophical thoughts belonging to this culture, from Zen Buddhism to Shinto animistic thinking, often contrasting Western rationality.

This unique exploration was conceived by curator Rossella Menegazzo, an expert in art history and Japanese culture at the University of Milan, with the graphic and exhibition design project by Japanese designer and curator Kenya Hara. Hara envisioned the exhibition path as a forest to stroll through. Each tree groups together works that express a common quality, presenting unprecedented combinations of works by various designers and artisans. The theme of simplicity is explored by assigning keywords that aid in understanding.

Curated by Rossella Menegazzo

Exhibition design and graphic project by Kenya Hara