Construction– Tadashi Kawamata
The artwork ‘Construction’ is by Japanese artist Tadashi Kawamata, a prominent figure in the international contemporary art scene.
Passage between large sculptural forms built with reused chopsticks (2020-02-04/2020-04-12) by Japan House São PauloJAPAN HOUSE São Paulo
Construction– Tadashi Kawamata
Known for his large-scale installations made from unconventional materials, Kawamata uses hashi—the pair of chopsticks commonly used in Japan—as the central element in this work, highlighting their significance in everyday Japanese culture.
In his work, Kawamata explores human needs and desires through a thoughtful approach that invites visitors to see the space in which the piece is installed from a new perspective. To showcase the versatility of Kawamata's work, the exhibition also features several photographs and videos documenting key interventions from his career, offering a historical overview of the artist’s trajectory.
Greatness from smallness
Renowned for repurposing a wide range of materials—such as wood scraps, planks, barrels, and chairs—, in ‘Construction,’ a work conceived after his visit to Japan House São Paulo in 2019, uses over 180,000 chopsticks (90,000 pairs)
The installation evokes an organism that responds to the space it inhabits, unfolding on a large scale within the cultural center.
“Kawamata fills Japan House São Paulo with this mass of chopsticks that is at once dense and light, transforming the nature of a simple, everyday object—one we typically use mechanically, without much thought. He involves the visitors in this new environment he creates, highlighting the material and its essence by taking it out of its original context. And he unsettles the audience with this artistic and architectural intervention by altering the familiar landscape they are used to," remarks JHSP Cultural Director Natasha Barzaghi Geenen.
No waste - from waste to artwork
The hashis used in this work are discarded materials—items that would have been thrown away for not meeting the standard requirements for their traditional use.
Through a proposal made by Japan House São Paulo, the Construction installation involved the collaboration of dozens of students participating in the institution’s Volunteer Program. University students from fields such as art, architecture, and design had the opportunity to assist in assembling the installation under the guidance of the artist’s team.
More than 350 volunteers from various universities in São Paulo registered to participate. “The involvement of the student community in this project was essential and highlights the importance Japan House São Paulo places on fostering diverse forms of cultural exchange,” says Natasha, also highlighting the logic that permeates the artist's work throughout his career.
About Tadashi Kawamata:
Born in Hokkaido in 1953, Tadashi Kawamata was invited to represent Japan at the 1982 Venice Biennale at just 28 years old.
Since then, he has produced artistic interventions in Paris, Berlin, Tokyo and New York, including two editions of Documenta in Kassel, Germany, in 1987 and 1992. This exhibition marks the artist’s return to São Paulo more than 30 years after his first and only exhibit in the city, in 1987, when he took part in the 19th São Paulo International Biennial with “Nove de Julho Caçapava,” an open-air intervention at the intersection of the Nove de Julho Avenue and Caçapava Street.
Click play and learn more about the Installation:
Japan House São Paulo
Avenida Paulista, 52
Bela Vista – São Paulo/SP
Phone: +55 11 3090-8900
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