SIDE GALLERY

New Exhibition! Now on View.

JAPANESE DESIGN II
Side Gallery. Barcelona
18 Jun 2026 - 25 Oct 2026

In the decades following World War II, Japan underwent a profound transformation. The rapid economic growth of the 1960s—often called the “Japanese Economic Miracle”—brought modernization, urbanization, and a growing middle class eager to embrace new ways of living. This period was marked by a national effort to rebuild not only the economy and infrastructure but also Japan’s cultural and aesthetic identity within a modern, global context. Design became a vital expression of this renewal, balancing technological progress with a deep respect for craft and tradition.

Within this dynamic environment, Japanese furniture design flourished as a bridge between the old and the new. Designers such as Isamu Kenmochi, Junzo Sakakura, Daisaku Choh, Riki Watanabe, Ubunji Kidokoro, or Katsuo Matsumura redefined the domestic landscape through objects that reflected both modern sensibilities and Japanese cultural values. Their work was shaped by the encounter between Western modernism ideas—introduced through contact with European and American design movements—and the principles of mingei, or folk craft, which celebrated the beauty of everyday, handcrafted objects.

By reintroducing these works in the contemporary context, Side Gallery invites a renewed appreciation for a design ethos that remains profoundly relevant today: one that understands simplicity as complexity distilled, and functionality as cultural expression.

New Exhibition! Now on View.

JAPANESE DESIGN II
Side Gallery. Barcelona
18 Jun 2026 - 25 Oct 2026

In the decades following World War II, Japan underwent a profound transformation. The rapid economic growth of the 1960s—often called the “Japanese Economic Miracle”—brought modernization, urbanization, and a growing middle class eager to embrace new ways of living. This period was marked by a national effort to rebuild not only the economy and infrastructure but also Japan’s cultural and aesthetic identity within a modern, global context. Design became a vital expression of this renewal, balancing technological progress with a deep respect for craft and tradition.

Within this dynamic environment, Japanese furniture design flourished as a bridge between the old and the new. Designers such as Isamu Kenmochi, Junzo Sakakura, Daisaku Choh, Riki Watanabe, Ubunji Kidokoro, or Katsuo Matsumura redefined the domestic landscape through objects that reflected both modern sensibilities and Japanese cultural values. Their work was shaped by the encounter between Western modernism ideas—introduced through contact with European and American design movements—and the principles of mingei, or folk craft, which celebrated the beauty of everyday, handcrafted objects.

By reintroducing these works in the contemporary context, Side Gallery invites a renewed appreciation for a design ethos that remains profoundly relevant today: one that understands simplicity as complexity distilled, and functionality as cultural expression.

📸 Jeroen Verrecht

Fondazione Dries Van Noten dedicates an ongoing series to the artists and works on view, an invitation to look more closely at the ideas, materials, and making behind each piece.

The first is Nifemi Marcus-Bello Nifemi Marcus-Bello, a Nigerian designer whose practice challenges Western centric narratives and champions a locally rooted and community driven approach. His research led work spans public seating systems to limited edition pieces that interrogate material histories. On view is The Daybed (2026), a form cast entirely in bronze, inspired by the Agadaze, the traditional bed of the Tuareg people of Niger.

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Courtesy by the artist and Side Gallery
Images by Erik Benjamins