Architectural giant, the founder of modernism, the greatest architect of the 20th Century - just some of the accolades that have been attached to Swiss born Frenchman Le Corbusier (1887-1965). Perhaps less well known is that he was also an artist, creating a vast number of paintings and sculptures. “Le Corbusier: Art and Architecture - A Life of Creativity” examines Le Corbusier the man, revealing the individual behind the facade in a comprehensive presentation of about 250 paintings, furniture and architectural artifacts.
The show starts with a full-size, walk-in model of the Paris atelier where he devoted his mornings to painting and sculpture. (Throughout his life he only did architecture in the afternoons.) The atelier forms the entry-point to his world and we can see how drawing and painting were both a source of inspiration and a solace.
Le Corbusier's architecture is of course known and loved worldwide - a constant point of reference and discussion, and never far from the minds of even contemporary architects. Here Le Corbusier's major architectural and urban planning works are exhibited in drawings, models, photographs, and videos, in accordance with the principles that guided them. There are also a number of full - scale reproductions of architectural spaces - large enough for visitors to walk inside - which provide a rare chance to experience Le Corbusier's creations firsthand, and view his furniture, paintings and sculptures in their original context.
The two biggest attractions are a full-size reproduction of a two-story apartment from his “Unité d'Habitation” in Marseilles, and a reproduction of “le Petite Cabanon,” a small wooden hut he built for himself at Cap Martin in the south of France.
2007 is the 120th Anniversary of Le Corbusier's birth. Last year saw the completion of his final project, St. Pierre Church, Firminy, France and there are calls from France and elsewhere to have his works included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This is a pertinent time to review Le Corbusier's oeuvre, and examine again his characteristically humanistic style of modernism, which only truly comes into focus through such a comprehensive examination of both his architecture and art.
Exhibition curator and Mori Art Museum Director's Message to the Viewers. (Japanese Only)
MAM SCREEN each month presents a video work related to an exhibition currently on at the Mori Art Museum. The works are shown on several screens throughout Roppongi Hills, including the 500 inch outdoor screen at the Metro Hat and PDP monitors in West Walk. Screenings are on the half hour from 9.30 to 23.30 everyday. Works related to “Le Corbusier: Art and Architecture - A Life of Creativity,” are being screened from June to September, 2007.
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