Kengo Kuma (Kanagawa, Japan, 1954) stand as one of the most influential contemporary Japanese architects. His work fuses Japanese tradition with technological innovation and a daring design experimentation.
Before establishing his architectural firm Kengo Kuma & Associates (KKAA) in 1990, he earned a degree in architecture from the University of Tokyo, where he’s currently holding a teaching position. He was also a lecturer at Columbia University, the University of Illinois and the Keio University.
Over the years his firm has crafted architectural works across more than forty countries in the world and received prestigious awards such as the Architectural Institute of Japan Award, the Spirit of Nature Wood Architecture Award (Finland) and the International Stone Architecture Award (Italy).
KKAA’s current mission is to craft an architecture that places paramount importance on the connection between humanity and the environment, favoring the use of natural and traditional materials often sourced locally and the use of light as a fundamental element in spatial design.
Flying Kodama is the title of the installation conceived by Kuma for the museum’s atrium and was created during the artist’s residency in 2023-2024.
Kodama, in Japanese ‘’tree spirit’’ or ‘’forest spirit’’ it is the result of an ongoing process Kuma has been working on for years. The project started in 2018 at Arte Stella and has lead to the production of a work of approximately 6 meter which introduces geometry and porosity to the Casa Strobele’s woods. It continued in 2019 in Taiwan with the production of a twin work, this time located within an urban context. In 2023, on the occasion of the Architectural Biennale of Venice a small scale oak model was displayed at Palazzo Franchetti, exhibited like a proper sculpture.
For MAO, Kuma has created a new version, derived from the same reflections as the others, but conducting to different results: the 120 cm geometric sphere made with solid ashwood tiles stuck together is in contrast with the phisicality and the roundness of the historic vault of the Museum, presenting itself like a Japanese puzzle game.
Thanks to a series of led string lights, Flying Kodama creates a game of lights and shadows, giving life to a mysterious and dreamlike space with numerous references to Japanese culture. The light is released from the inside towards the outside, enhancing the work, whose kanji is composed of Ko, "tree," and Dama, which has the dual meaning of "soul" and "echo." With Flying Kodama, Kuma has created an echo of light, a Buddhist illumination that emanates from its wooden heart, spreads throughout the entrance hall, and guides visitors toward the exhibition rooms.
