This week my partner and I will make a quick trip to Chicago to visit Wrightwood 659, a new art space designed by Japan’s Tadao Ando. We’ll explore the inaugural exhibition, Ando and Le Corbusier: Masters of Architecture.
In March 2014 I was vaguely aware of architect Tadao Ando when I took a boat to Naoshima Island, a magical place in Japan’s Seto Inland Sea.
Park Building, Benesse Artsite, Naoshima Island
A young woman met me at Naoshima’s ferry port and drove me to Tadao Ando’s Park Building at Benesse Artsite where I would be staying. She insisted on carrying my backpack. After check-in she led me to my room.
From Lobby to Room
My Room
The white panel on the right slides left to hide entryway.
From Room to Outdoors
I walked downstairs to a common room where I made myself a cup of tea. From there, I explored the immediate grounds.
For me, a key element of travel is contrasts. The Park Building at Benesse Artsite is very different from the Okayama capsule hotel I had stayed the previous day. (See A Night in a Capsule Hotel.)
During my stay on Naoshima I would explore art at various points on the island, including outdoor installations, art houses (former homes turned into art installations) and museums. A highlight was Tadao Ando’s underground Chichu Art Museum. (See Glass Houses and Buried Museums.)
Tadao Ando: Conversations with Students is a good read.
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