Art × Public "Intangible Library of Jerusalem"

"If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need for life."-Kikero
A small discovery in everyday life, the "Jerusalem-shaped library" that connects Kagurazaka, Tokyo and Israel

-Ayumi Suzuki (Director / Gallerist)

In 2020, many people were forced to stay at home due to the spread of infectious diseases caused by the new coronavirus. While numerous art and design events around the world have been canceled, one exhibition was held as if it had expected such a thing.

The "Jerusalem Formless Library," designed by young Israeli architects Rilaha Sitayat and Daniel Zarhi, is a public artwork installed around a large zelkova tree in the front yard of the AYUMI GALLERY, which is located on the main street near Kagurazaka Station. The work has been open to the public for one year only since the fall of 2019 and has been well received by passersby. The eye-catching grove of poles is dome-shaped when viewed from a distance and is intended for the round-roofed landscape that symbolizes the city of Jerusalem. Furthermore, the entire garden is the epitome of the sacred place "Jerusalem" where you can see, hear, and learn about the scenery, sounds, and daily life of Jerusalem through their smartphones via about 50 QR codes. Reading the QR code on the pole on the west side of the garden will lead you to the western part of Jerusalem, and the QR code on the east side will lead you to the eastern part of Jerusalem.

Connecting outdoor spaces rooted in the community, towns and people, and culture

Rilaha and Daniel respect Kagurazaka, which is also the city of making books, the history of this garden and the zelkova tree in the center, and create a new space called "Jerusalem-shaped library" that connects Tokyo and the city of Jerusalem. rice field. Even if we can't move, we can get a brief rest and knowledge in this garden and feel the liveliness and cultures of the distant places. The city of Jerusalem seems to be busy even before dawn.

Respecting Kagurazaka as a city that makes books, the history of this garden, and the zelkova tree in the center, Rilaha and Daniel reated a new space called the "Jerusalem Formless Library" that connects Tokyo to the city of Jerusalem. Even though we cannot travel, we can take a moment to rest and gain knowledge in this garden, and feel the vibrancy and various cultures of distant places. The city of Jerusalem seems busy before dawn.

This project was originally planned to be completed and removed in the fall of last year, partly because it was part of "Jerusalem Design Week" at "Designer Tokyo (2019)". However, in fact, we are talking with the Israeli side and are still considering whether we can upcycle it in some way. Upcycling is an effort to create new value for things by adding new ideas while making the best use of the original shape and characteristics.
Looking ahead to this situation where the world is fragmented, what can we now connect across country borders and bring to the public? Through the space rooted in this area, I would like to think with them for a while longer.

[Israeli culture in the house] ⑦ "Jerusalem Intangible Library"
https://youtu.be/otdnqw_yx88

Project HP: https: //libraryofintangiblees.com/

(写真: Yulia Skogoreva)

Ayumi Suzuki

Director and gallerist. Born in Tokyo in 1983. He graduated from the Helit Rietfeld Academy. After working at a gallery, she took over the management of the AYUMI GALLERY, a registered tangible cultural property, in 2016 and opened the CAVE-AYUMI GALLERY, a contemporary art gallery, introducing emerging artists from Japan and abroad. She is also involved in artist-in-residence programs and the preservation and utilization of buildings that protect the back alleys of Kagurazaka.
▶ ︎http://www.nest-a.tokyo