TORAFU ARCHITECTS creates a 'forest of verbs' for 'MUJI IS' exhibition in tokyo

in 1980, MUJI was established in japan as an antithesis to consumer society, and an over-prioritization of capitalism. by suggesting well-designed products from a non-branded point of view, the MUJI aesthetic has grown on a global scale to achieve the concept of a ‘pleasant life’. today, the company produces everything from products and ideas, to architecture and transportation systems.

from now through february 21, 2021, the gallery at ATELIER MUJI GINZA in tokyo presents an exhibition that centers around 15 verbs. each word is related to the activities and projects featured in MUJI’s recent publication celebrating its 40th anniversary. titled ‘to the forest of verbs with ‘MUJI IS’, the exhibition design has been conceived by TORAFU ARCHITECTS, who created a forest-like experience, within which visitors can find hidden MUJI objects and further discover the ethos of the brand.

together with TORAFU ARCHITECTS’ founders shinya kamuro and koichi suzuno, designboom visited ‘MUJI IS’ to document the exhibition and discover the MUJI universe. see images from our exhibition tour below, and read on for more details about the show.

image © ATELIER MUJI GINZA 2020

for the exhibition at ATELIER MUJI GINZA in tokyo, MUJI picked 15 verbs that best embody its products and activities: hiku・habuku (subtract) / ikasu (utilize) / kazaranai (simplify) / manabu (study) / tou (question) / uketsugu (inherit) / matomeru (bundle) / totonoeru (organize) / yorisou (support) / kizuku (notice) / yudaneru (entrust) / kurikaesu (repeat) / awaseru (combine) / mitateru (imagine) / kokoromiru (experiment). ‘MUJI will accompany people throughout their lives with these verbs,’ says the company. ‘our ideas and actions will evolve further, as they always have done, with people all over the world.’

image © ATELIER MUJI GINZA 2020

MUJI then tasked TORAFU ARCHITECTS with designing the exhibition, layout and spatial configuration to highlight the chosen verbs and selected products. shinya kamuro and koichi suzuno of TORAFU ARCHITECTS sought to display the verbs and the company’s products in an integrated manner. consequently, 15 paper tubes, each with a diameter of 600mm, correspond with one of the verbs. each cylinder displays a MUJI product within a sculptural void that frames the item. as they are presented on a white background, with careful consideration given to the lighting and the elimination of shadow, the products appear to float within their excavated setting.

image © designboom

‘we feel as if we were a young seedling now grown into a tree, becoming a part of the forest, and eventually of the earth itself,’ MUJI explains. appropriately, when viewed together, the paper tubes evoke a cluster of trees for visitors to explore. beyond this ‘verb forest’, a chronological table of four decades of MUJI’s history is also displayed — offering visitors a comprehensive overview of the brand’s history. together with the exhibition and timeline elements, an accompanying publication details the background of MUJI’s birth, its products, advertisements, activities and more — see images in the gallery at the bottom of the page.

image © ATELIER MUJI GINZA 2020

discover more news and projects relating to MUJI on our dedicated page, and see other projects by TORAFU ARCHITECTS on designboom here.

image © designboom

image © designboom

image © ATELIER MUJI GINZA 2020

image © designboom

image © designboom

image © designboom

image © designboom

image © ATELIER MUJI GINZA 2020

image © ATELIER MUJI GINZA 2020

TORAFU ARCHITECTS koichi suzuno and shinya kamuro show designboom around the exhibition  
image © designboom

portrait of shinya kamuro and koichi suzuno, founders TORAFU ARCHITECTS
image © designboom

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exhibition information: 

exhibition title: to the forest of verbs with MUJI IS
date: october 16, 2020 – february 21, 2021
venue: ATELIER MUJI GINZA gallery 2 (6f MUJI GINZA), admission free
organiser: MUJI
planning collaboration: MUJI laboratory for living
space design: TORAFU ARCHITECTS Inc.
graphic design: akiko kurachi
site construction: tokyo studio co., ltd.
curation: junko suzuki
planning and management: household division / household design, ryohin keikaku co., ltd. and ATELIER MUJI GINZA (MUJI GINZA)
venue address: 3-3-5 ginza, chuo-ku, tokyo, 104-0061