Lars Müller and Akiko Miki (eds.)

Insular Insight

Where Art and Architecture Conspire with Nature
Naoshima, Teshima, Inujima

The islands of Naoshima, Teshima, and Inujima in Japan’s Seto Inland Sea are places of pilgrimage for art and architecture enthusiasts. Alongside works in public spaces and site-specific installations, the islands also feature numerous museums and collections of contemporary art. They are home to buildings by architects such as Kazuyo Sejima and Ruye Nishizawa (SANAA), Tadao Ando, and Hiroshi Sambuichi, as well as works of art by Richard Long, Christian Boltanski, and Mariko Mori, among many others. This publication offers a comprehensive documentation of this unique cultural landscape surrounded by Japan’s inland sea. The photographs by the Dutch photographer Iwan Baan that move between tiny details and grand panoramas create a comprehensive portrait of the islands and the fluid transition between nature, art, and architecture. Numerous texts introduce readers to the individual areas and projects either on permanent display or that have taken place temporarily on the islands. Essays explore the history and historical predecessors of the islands, the role of architecture and art in the context of this unique landscape, and the islands as cultural concepts and phenomena.

The islands of Naoshima, Teshima, and Inujima in Japan’s Seto Inland Sea are places of pilgrimage for art and architecture enthusiasts. Alongside works in public spaces and site-specific installations, the islands also feature numerous museums and collections of contemporary art. They are home to buildings by architects such as Kazuyo Sejima and Ruye Nishizawa (SANAA), Tadao Ando, and Hiroshi Sambuichi, as well as works of art by Richard Long, Christian Boltanski, and Mariko Mori, among many others. This publication offers a comprehensive documentation of this unique cultural landscape surrounded by Japan’s inland sea. The photographs by the Dutch photographer Iwan Baan that move between tiny details and grand panoramas create a comprehensive portrait of the islands and the fluid transition between nature, art, and architecture. Numerous texts introduce readers to the individual areas and projects either on permanent display or that have taken place temporarily on the islands. Essays explore the history and historical predecessors of the islands, the role of architecture and art in the context of this unique landscape, and the islands as cultural concepts and phenomena.

Award: DAM Architectural Book Award 2011

Edited by Lars Müller and Akiko Miki

With photographs by Iwan Baan

With contributions by Peter Sloterdijk, Eve Blau, Nayan Chanda, Jean-Hubert Martin, Shunya Yoshimi, and Mitsuhiro Yoshimoto

Design: Integral Lars Müller

16,5 x 24 cm, 6 ½ x 9 ½ in

464 pages, 259 illustrations

hardback

2011, 978-3-03778-255-2, English
CHF 200.00
Out of print

Lars Müller

Lars Müller, born in Oslo in 1955 and a Norwegian citizen, has been based in Switzerland since 1963. After becoming a graphic designer in Zurich, extended travels, and a one-year assistant position with designer Wim Crouwel in Amsterdam, Müller established his studio in Baden/Switzerland in 1982. In 1983, Müller published his first book and as Lars Müller Publishers, with offices in Zürich, has produced some 600 titles to date.