Repository for Amazing Academic Remnants

It was probably close to 20 years ago when I visited Professor Yoshiaki Nishino at the Hongo Laboratory at the University of Tokyo. As soon as I stepped into his private laboratory, I was overwhelmed by the space, which was by no means large, filled with objects. There were skeleton and mineral specimens, functional models and propeller models, organically shaped rulers, stoneware… in short, there were items once used for research but, while extremely fascinating, no longer academically useful.

I remember feeling captivated by these objects, and asking Professor Nishino to define their charm for me. This was developed for a dialogue project called AWAKENING for the quarterly magazine Design; the plan was to discuss a different object each time. In addition, an appropriate photographer would be chosen in turn to shoot each object. Unfortunately, the magazine ceased publication after several issues, but one photographer in particular was enamored with the photographic subjects: Yoshihiko Ueda.

These books were produced between 2006 and 2008. Later, as part of the redevelopment of the Japan Post’s building in Marunouchi into KITTE Marunouchi, it was decided that it would include an exhibition facility for the University of Tokyo's academic heritage, under Yoshiaki Nishino’s supervision; Intermediatheque was completed in 2013. I am particularly pleased to see that a great number of objects have gained their proper place and are available for everyone to view and touch, and that Dr. Nishino's intelligence and wisdom have finally become tangible in this way.

Dr. Nishino, an outstanding scholar, is also an exceptional designer. While revealing an interest in Russian Constructivism and building a splendid collection, he also fell in love with the beauty of traditional Chinese characters in Taiwan and designed a book on his research into them. His ability in the field of typography is also quite impressive. From the design of the museum's display cases to the arrangement of objects, his direction is effective in every detail. Intermediatheque is truly the world of Yoshiaki Nishino.

I am deeply moved every time I visit this museum, so I thought I would present it as part of our High Resolution Tour project. There are countless visit-worthy museums and galleries in Japan, but as an establishment where the academic heritage of the University of Tokyo arouses the senses in an extremely inspiring manner, Intermediatheque is certainly a Tokyo landmark. Even the individual characters on the labels exude the spirit and vigor of the Meiji-era scholars and students who devoted themselves to research on behalf of the nation. This is the substance of this space.

To photograph the space, I turned off all the lights in the museum and used the soft light streaming in from the north-facing windows, dimmed by simply manipulating the roller shades. The semi-darkness made the whites of the skeletal specimens and function models appear more beautiful. Although many objects, such as medical documents, fell outside of the range of allowable subjects, and there were secluded areas the light could not reach, I wanted to confront these astonishing objects in natural light. The shoot lasted only a few hours, but I was able to completely immerse myself in the mysteries of life and the universe.

2022.3.7