As movable as butterflies. The chōchin of Japan

The madd-bordeaux is dedicating an exhibition to a type of lighting, which has become through history, part of the cultural identity of Japan, and whose production has been acknowledged "traditional craft" by the ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry: the chōchin are those lanterns, composed of a bamboo structure covered by paper. Their lightness seems to condemn them to an ephemeral life. Through objects, engravings, photos and movies, lent by various French and foreign institutions, the exhibition presents the fabrication of these lanterns, the evolution of their use, their place in Japan mythology and rituals, and their adoption by designers since the 1950s.

« As movable as butterflies » said the American designer Isamu Noguchi about his akari, a collection of about a hundred of lights, designed from 1950 onwards and produced by the famous chōchin maker, Ozeki & Co à Gifu, based in Gifu, Japan. The akari, (light and lightness in Japanese) met a great commercial success first in the United States and later in Europe, and especially in France. Following Noguchi’s paths, many designers have adopted the same technique these past decades or have solely used washi paper as a structural element for the lights they designed. The exhibition shows these different interpretations of a traditional type of light.

Part of "Japonismes 2018: les âmes en resonance", the exhibition will mark the end of this rich series of events, celebrating the 160th anniversary of the diplomatic relationships, between France and Japan and the 150th anniversary of the start of the Meiji Era (1868-1912). From July 2018 to February 2019, this extensive cultural season is meant to showcase the beauty of Japanese culture in France, through exhibitions and shows in France’s main cities.

THE CATALOGUE OF THE EXHIBITION

Designed by Sandrine Nugue, the exhibition catalogue will include articles by specialists of Japanese culture and history such as Damien Kunik (Geneva University) and Anne Gossot (Bordeaux Montaigne University) and decorative arts and design historians, including Constance Rubini, head of the madd-bordeaux and Étienne Tornier, curator of the exhibition.

Graphic design
Sandrine Nugue

EVENT

Construction of a monumental lantern by the Kojima brothers
January 31st and February 1st, 2019
During the first two days of the event, the Kojima brothers, chochin makers based in Kyoto, will build a 1.50 meters diameter lantern in the exhibition space. Visitors will have the chance to see each step of the fabrication: bamboo splitting, string hanging, paper gluing. 
An event organized with the support of The Sasakawa Fundation.

KIDS - FAMILY

• Junior opening (6-11 yo)
Wednesday January 31, at 2.30 pm
Preview tour of the exhibition and meeting with the Kojima brothers. Free admission for the members of the Team junior du madd (the young friends club of the madd - membership year: 10€).
By registration 05 56 10 14 05 – Organized by the Friends of the madd.

• Family workshops Make a small LED lantern with the Kojima brothers
Saturday, February 2 and Sunday, February 3 at 2.30 pm
Length of the workshop: 1 hour
Organized by the Friends of the madd and the support of The Sasakawa Fundation.
Price : 10€ per person - Free admission for the Friends of the madd, the Circle of the madd and the Team junior du madd (the young friends club of the madd).
Space limited - By registration at 05 56 10 14 05 

WORKSHOPS FOR KIDS - WINTER HOLIDAYS

• Pastry workshop with the Pâtisserie S. Bordeaux (from 8 yo)
Tuesday February 19, at 2 pm
Satomi and Stanley Chan have both followed a career paths of excellence with Pierre Hermé, Joël Robuchon and Yannick Alléno. On the occasion of the exhibition, they propose to create a pastry with Japanese flavours.
A workshop developed by the Pâtisserie S. Bordeaux and organized by the Friends of the madd.
Free admission for the members of the Team junior du madd (membership year: 10€). By registration +33 (0)5 56 10 14 05.

• Workshop : create an Origami lantern (6-11 yo)
Wednesday February 20, at 2.30 pm
Creation of a paper lantern from a model and et decors with a brush.
A workshop developed by the Japanese restaurants Matsuri and organized by the Friends of the madd.
Free admission for the members of the Team junior du madd (membership year: 10€). By registration +33 (0)5 56 10 14 05.

• Workshop : calligraphy (6-11 yo)
Wednesday February 27, at 2.30 pm
Discover the various sides of this ancestral art. Before the workshop, choose a word or a name you want to paint on your Shikishi (Japanese thick paper) and specify it when you register.
A workshop developed by the Japanese restaurants Matsuri and organized by the Friends of the madd.
Free admission for the members of the Team junior du madd (membership year: 10€). By registration + 33 (0)5 56 10 14 05.

MEETINGS - CONFERENCES

Thursdays of the museum
A theme, a meeting, a drink
The madd-bordeaux invites the public to attend conferences and talks of well-known figures from the world of design or decorative arts in connection with the exhibition. This hour long meeting is followed by a friendly discussion over a drink hosted by the Alliance des Crus Bourgeois du Médoc, partner of the Thursdays of the museum.
The complete program is currently being finalized.

These events are proposed by the Friends of the madd.
The Thursdays of the museum are organized with the support of Les Galeries Lafayette.
Price: 8 € - Free for students and the Friends and the Circle of the madd
Registration requested +33 (0)5 56 10 14 04

GUIDED TOURS IN ENGLISH ON DEMAND

Individuals (in English on demand)
• During school terms:
Saturdays and Sundays at 3 pm
Price: museum ticket + 3 € - No reservation needed
• During school holidays
Everyday at 3 pm, except on Tuesday
Price: museum ticket + 3 € - No reservation needed

Groups (in English on demand)
All year round: On demand more than 11 people
Prices: 50 € + 3 € per person during the week / 65 € + 3 € per person during the week-end
Registration: +33 (0)5 56 10 14 05 / artdeco.publics@mairie-bordeaux.fr

GUIDED BOOKLET IN ENGLISH

The museum would like to thank

Château Haut-Bailly,
mécène d’honneur

Direction des relations internationales de la ville de Bordeaux
Fondation franco-japonaise Sasakawa
Institut français du Japon
Kojima Shōten, Kyoto
Pâtisserie S. Bordeaux
Restaurants japonais Matsuri
Sentou
Studio Toshiyuki Kita
Villa Kujoyama

The lenders of the exhibition

A1043, Paris
American Library in Paris
Asano, Gifu
Atelier oï
Foscarini
Galerie Downtown, Paris
Galerie Tanakaya, Paris
Musée des beaux-arts, Rennes
Musée national des arts asiatiques - Guimet, Paris
Musée de la Lumière, Nagano
Photovintagefrance
Sentou
The Noguchi Museum, New York
&tradition & Jaime Hayon
Twentytwentyone, Londres

For their fidelity, the museum would also like to thank
Les Amis et le Cercle du madd
Le Château Nairac
Les Crus Bourgeois du Médoc
Les Galeries Lafayette
Farrow & Ball
La Société de négoce DIVA
Samsung