[Exhibition Report] TOKYO NODE GALLERY "Design Ah Exhibition neo"

[Approx. 4,100 characters, approx. 80 photos]
I went to TOKYO NODE GALLERY for the first time to see the "Design Ah Exhibition neo" and here are my thoughts.

▶︎ Conclusion

In particular, this exhibition is highly recommended for families with children and dates. This is mainly because 1) everything inside the venue uses hiragana, making it content that even children can understand, 2) more than half of the exhibits are interactive, allowing enjoyment without prior knowledge, and 3) it is very photogenic. However, it was a shame that the venue was packed with people and there were queues everywhere, making it difficult to grasp the organizer's message. Also, this exhibition will not be touring! If you are interested, you should visit as soon as possible!

▶︎ Reason for visiting

The reasons for my visit were: 1) I thought my child would enjoy it, 2) I had been to the "Design Ah Exhibition" in 2013, and 3) I had never been to TOKYO NODE GALLERY before.

I have visited the "Chihiro Art Museum Tokyo" and "Toyama Prefectural Museum of Art and Design" as museums/exhibitions related to Taku Satoh, the general director of the "Design Ah Exhibition".

▶︎ Access

To get to TOKYO NODE GALLERY, it is about a 10-minute walk from Toranomon Station. It is located on the 45th floor of the Toranomon Hills Station Tower.

Since I had been to the Toranomon Hills Station Tower gallery once before, I was able to arrive without any trouble this time (I got lost back then).

▼ BAYCREW'S gallery (Station Tower 3F)

▶︎ What is TOKYO NODE GALLERY?

TOKYO NODE GALLERY is a space located on the 45th floor of the Toranomon Hills Station Tower (opened in 2023). It is, of course, operated by Mori Building Co., Ltd.. The gallery consists of sections A, B, and C, each with its own characteristics.

Recent exhibitions that have been the talk of the town include "Perfume Disco-Graphy" (2024) and "Mika Ninagawa Exhibition: Eternity in a Moment" (same year).

"NODE" means "nodal point." The goal is to be a place that connects various things across boundaries, such as the world and Japan, or person to person (I had always thought it was "|NUDE").

The motion logo for TOKYO NODE was created by Yugo Nakamura. He also served as the director for the NHK educational program "Design Ah". And since he is also the video director for the "Design Ah Exhibition neo", this exhibition was destined to happen.

Furthermore, there are no plans for a traveling exhibition for "Design Ah Exhibition neo". There must be expressions by Yugo Nakamura that can only be done at TOKYO NODE. It would probably make a lot of money if it traveled, though 💰

▶︎ "Design Ah Exhibition neo" Impressions

✔️ A powered-up "Ah Exhibition"

The "Design Ah Exhibition" has been held at six museums nationwide since 2013, including 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT, the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, and the Toyama Prefectural Museum of Art and Design, attracting a total of 1.16 million visitors. This time, it has been powered up at TOKYO NODE GALLERY!

The theme of "Design Ah Exhibition neo" is "verbs." The "movements" we perform casually in our daily lives. The structure is designed to make you stop and reconsider them in a fun way from a new perspective.

✔️ An incredibly fun exhibition

There are 35 exhibits in total. Out of those, 19 are marked as "playable" (54% of the total). Therefore, I think it will be extremely fun for children.

This place was not a "gallery" at all, but completely a "playground." Taking photos is also fun. All of them are highly photogenic exhibits.

Also, since there are hiragana characters everywhere, I think it will be especially fun for children at an age where they are starting to read them (1st grade of elementary school and up).

✔️ English study too?!

Every exhibit is labeled in both Japanese and English. Among them, I was surprised that even the onomatopoeia are all labeled in both languages, and at the same time, it was a learning experience. I imagined the scene of native check discussions, with fun conversations like "What is the difference between shari and kari? What does boso mean?"

✔️ Exhibits that particularly caught my attention

My child cried because they couldn't draw the chair well. Even though I know there is no right answer in art, it seems they were frustrated that they couldn't draw it the way they wanted to.

My chair and my child's chair, drawn from the same perspective. The chair is the same yet the finished drawings are different. (Setting aside skill levels) I found this interesting because it was here that I truly felt the diversity of art.

According to my child, "The one where you draw 'Ah' is the most fun."

I simply enjoyed "Ah Tune" and "DO IT!" because they had a club-like sound and vibe.

The final exhibits, "DO IT!" and "Which Design Show," were fun, participatory video works.The sound was powerful and everyone from children to adults was grooving along. In particular, "DO IT!" featuring the voice of DJ KOO was a highlight.

✔️ People, people, and more people at the venue

Tickets were by advance reservation only. Although same-day tickets were sold out, there were so many people at the venue that I kept wondering, "What kind of venue is this, anyway?" The lines for the "interactive" exhibits were often unclear as to which line led to which exhibit. At the very least, I thought they should have reduced the number of people by another 20%.

The concept of visualizing verbs is interesting. It would be best if the exhibition's concept could be conveyed while playing. However, when you spend so much time waiting in line or are in an environment where there are too many people to fully enjoy the exhibits, your concentration breaks, and the message that should have been conveyed becomes diluted.

The overall conclusion is that it was "interesting," but if I had to say "what I took away from it," it didn't really resonate because it was so crowded. Also, I got the impression that "Design Ah Exhibition neo" was much more entertainment-oriented compared to past "Design Ah" exhibitions. There were some exhibits where I thought, "This is interesting, but does it have anything to do with the 'Ah Exhibition' concept?"

✔️ No merchandise I wanted

I didn't buy anything at the merchandise area. I thought that if they had pin badges or stickers shaped like "Ah," or postcards of "Ah," they would definitely sell. I wonder why there are no standard, high-demand goods.

✔️ Expect a longer stay

I spent 2.5 to 3 hours at the venue. The admission fee is 2,500 yen for adults which is quite expensive (2 years and older: 500 yen, elementary school students: 1,000 yen!), but considering the time spent, I might have gotten my money's worth. Above all, my child was happy so it was worth it.

▶︎ Summary

How was it? Although it has "exhibition" in the title, it is actually closer to a "playground" than an "art" exhibition. Since there are many interactive exhibits, you can fully enjoy yourself. It is especially perfect for families with children or dates. However, the venue is crowded, so going on a weekday is recommended. While the exhibition has a message, it was a bit disappointing that it was somewhat drowned out by the crowds.

▶︎ Today's Museum Meal