Arakawa & Co., Ltd. is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
In 1975, the company invented the wire adjustment mechanism "ARAKAWA GRIP," which is now used widely in museums, galleries, and stores worldwide.
Today, as part of the 50th-anniversary project '50 GRIPS', we announce the completion of a book that compiles interviews with prominent architects and designers from Japan and abroad and young creators who will lead the way in the future. The book entitled '50 GRIPS - ARAKAWA and 50 Creators Connecting Design Possibilities' is bound with ARAKAWA GRIP,
intended to promote the theme ''More opportunities to experience ARAKAWA GRIP' by Kaori Akiyama of STUDIO BYCOLOR, the director of the commemorative project. During this year's Milano Design Week, a library called 'biblioteca d'Oro (Golden Library)' opens, where visitors can enjoy the book while experiencing the ARAKAWA GRIP. We hope you will have a chance to explore the initiatives implemented to date by ARAKAWA that have supported a variety of creations. We look forward to welcoming you and meeting creators with whom we have yet to have the pleasure of knowing.
biblioteca d’Oro HOW ARE ARAKAWA GRIP AND YOU CONNECTED?
Following "Less,Light,Local(we+)" held last year during Milan Design Week 2023 and "ubique (Hiroto Yoshizoe)" held at TIERS GALLERY in Tokyo as part of the celebration, ARAKAWA's 50th anniversary project '50 GRIPS' will conclude with "biblioteca d'Oro" by Kaori Akiyama of STUDIO BYCOLOR.
Hanging Our
Devotion
The title of our exhibition at Milan Design Week 2024 is 'biblioteca d'Oro' (Golden Library).
The history of Arakawa Co., Ltd. is represented by its 50 years of work with creators. Sitting on a seat suspended from the ceiling with gold ARAKAWA GRIP and browsing through our book hanging in the air, visitors may experience how their bodies and minds are lifted with a sense of airiness.
In this exhibition, visitors can appreciate the ARAKAWA GRIP's functionality, which allows adjustment to any height, allowing everyone, from tall figures to small children, to feel comfortable in their perfect position. The space of 'biblioteca d'Oro' will be composed by interior designers Takanori Urata and Maki Izawa, inviting visitors to an exquisite atmosphere.
Thinking About
the
Context
of Color
The more you learn about ARAKAWA GRIP, the more you realize that it differs from ordinary metal hardware. In an interview with 50 creators of 50 GRIPS, a comment by Mr. Enzo Catellani of Catellani & Smith was particularly inspiring. He said, "ARAKAWA GRIP is a collection of elegant technical components that look like pieces of jewelry.
As a firm that specializes in accentuating aesthetic qualities through colors and materials, STUDIO BYCOLOR has redefined the ARAKAWA GRIP by changing its color from SILVER to GOLD, thereby elevating it to a dignified and dominant presence in the space. The graphic design in gold and navy tones is by Sdanley Shen of MULTISTANDARD.
New ARAKAWA
arising
from
Collaboration
with Creators
Although ARAKAWA GRIP is familiar to architects and interior designers, perhaps only a small percentage of them have actually had a chance to experience it firsthand. Although it has yet to be widely known, its product lineup has been created in response to the requests of architects and designers. By collaborating to develop products, ARAKAWA GRIP has opened up a world that has never existed.
Each of the founder's three sons values their unique perspective: The ability to communicate with creators and understand their ideas, the technical skills and creativity to implement their ideas, and the enthusiasm and collaborative approach. We hope this book will inspire people's imaginations and lead to new forms of expression.
DIRECTION
STUDIO BYCOLOR
Kaori Akiyama, She founded STUDIO BYCOLOR in 2013, a design office that effectively utilizes colors and materials. She graduated from the Department of Design Science of the Faculty of Engineering at Chiba University in 2002, and worked for an office furniture manufacturer in Japan until 2012.
When working with clients, we place the most significant emphasis on the three perspectives - "research," "design," and "release". Our research phase begins with the question of whether or not there is a need for the product. We carefully conduct research through conversations with people in the field, books, tools, and materials. Design work to realize the "core" found through research draws on the experience cultivated at manufacturers and overseas design offices. In releasing products, we communicate with both the creator and the receiver while capturing the subtleties of their needs.
INHERENT:PATTERN, the result of material experimentation, won the iF DESIGN AWARD in 2022. STUDIO BYCOLOR has also received German Design Award, DFA Gold Award, DIA Top 100, Good Design Award, and was selected for LEXUS NEW TAKUMI PROJECT 2016. In addition to serving as a judge for the Good Design Award, she is a part-time lecturer at Chiba University and the Faculty of Design Engineering, Hosei University.
In recent years, she has organized MATERIAL IN TIME, a design exhibition that conveys Japanese creativity to overseas countries using materials as a starting point, both in Japan and abroad, including Hong Kong. In 2022, she directed BLACK SERIES, co-sponsored by Almach Art Gallery, at TIERS GALLERY, operated by Arakawa & Co., Ltd.
SPACE
DESIGN
SPACE
DESIGN
TAKANORI URATA
Graduated from Kuwasawa Design School.
After working at Tokujin Yoshioka Design Office.
2010: Established Takanori Urata Design Office Inc.
2014: Established outdoor gear brand sunsetclimax
Received GOOD DESIGN AWARD, iF DESIGN AWARD, German Design Awards, A'design AWARD, etc.
MAKI IZAWA
Maki Izawa creates designs that enhance people's lives by considering the interaction between space, objects, and people. Her designs focus on optimizing both aesthetics and functionality to create a deep emotional connection with people's hearts. She mainly designs interiors, products, and packages.
She graduated from the Osaka University of Arts. After working in an interior design company and at a design firm, she established Maki Izawa Design Studio in Tokyo.
A' Design Award and Competition Bronze.
ORGANIZATION
ARAKAWA & Co., Ltd.
Arakawa & Co., Ltd. invented the first wire gripper mechanism, which could be adjusted along the wire cable with one push and locked without a set of screws. This innovative system can be applied as a display tool for shop interiors and art museums in collaboration with architects and designers.
Arakawa established TIERS GALLERY inside the headquarters building "TIERS" in Omotesando, Tokyo, in 2017. The concept is "the space for creators." We provide a space for creators such as architects, and designers can gather their diverse ideas and create new values. Based on its founding philosophy of "creating something original," Arakawa has continued to take on new challenges and pioneer new forms of manufacturing for the next generation.
The collective name for the exhibitions and projects that support the creations of ARAKAWA GRIP.
During Milan Design Week 2024, visitors will also be able to view two exhibits: NEW NORMAL NEW STANDARD, which began in 2020 as a design exhibition for beautiful countermeasures against infectious diseases, and COMPOSITION, a project to study the creativity of young designers living in the Kansai region.
OVERVIEW
- Title:
- biblioteca d’Oro
How are ARAKAWA GRIP and you connected? - Date:
- Monday, April 15th -
Saturday, April 21st , 2024 - Time:
- 11:00-7:00pm
- Date/ Time:
- Monday, April 15th - Saturday, April 21st , 2024
11:00-7:00pm - Admission:
- Free
- Venue:
- Zona K
(Via Spalato, 11, 20124 Milan,Italy)
CREDIT
- Organizer:
- Arakawa & Co., Ltd
- Director:
- STUDIO BYCOLOR
- Creator:
- Kaori Akiyama (STUDIO BYCOLOR)
- Space Designer:
- Takanori Urata, Maki Izawa
- Graphic Designer:
- Sdanley Shen (SDANLEY DESIGN WORKS)
- Support:
- TEIJIN FRONTIER CO., LTD.,
Yasuta Veneered Surfaces & Design,
KAWASHIMA SELKON TEXTILES CO., LTD.,
ELEMUS LLC