Seigow Matsuoka / Kengo Kuma —
Few, but ripe. / Relax your shoulders

With his creative studio, Kengo Kuma tries to develop a new relationship between nature, technology and humans. That requires a break with conventional visual habits, on the one hand, but can, on the other, lead to surprising solutions. With customers who welcome new approaches, like the director of the Kadokawa Culture Museum, Seigow Matsuoka, this can result in entire exhibition concepts.

Interview with Seigow Matsuoka and Kengo Kuma

Red Dot: With Edit Town, you developed a library that tracks a random arrangement of books. How important is it to break with established (visual) habits in order to realise new solutions in interior design?
Seigow Matsuoka: It is important to bring new “words, letters and voices” to interior design.
Kengo Kuma: They say that the human brain does not operate in parallel or vertically, but actually more dynamically and diagonally. This library uses those characteristics. There was no precedent for bookshelves like this, but I took on the challenge with courage, and I feel that the results have earned broad support.

You also create many exhibition spaces: how should museums present themselves today in order to remain appealing?
Seigow Matsuoka: Demonstration means showing the “hidden monster”. An exhibit needs monsters, demons and ghosts.
Kengo Kuma: I think the design of art galleries and other museums should always take on new challenges. Of course, the art and other works exhibited are important, but I also try to treat the space itself as a work of art.