This is an open call for Exhibition proposals to be realized at Design Gallery 1953. As long as the exhibited works relate to your own design work—whether in product design, graphic design, architecture, or other fields—any genre is welcome.
Previous Exhibitions Photo: Nacása & Partners Inc.
Since 1964, the Japan Design Committee has operated the Design Gallery 1953, a compact 45-square-meter space, located in the heart of Ginza. Having hosted around 800 exhibitions, including 'The Anatomy of Design' and 'Designer's Catalogue', the gallery has played a pivotal role in shaping contemporary Japanese design. In this historic space, the inaugural DESIGN GALLERY AWARD has been established to propel design in its philosophy, breadth, and quality into the future. Each year, two outstanding exhibition proposals will be selected from the submissions. The winners will receive an award and prize money, along with the opportunity to exhibit at the Design Gallery 1953.
Judges
The jury for this award consists of members of the Japan Design Committee, along with a selection panel chosen from among them, who will award two outstanding proposals.
Transcending disciplines, 30 designers, architects, and critics are currently participating in this initiative on a voluntary basis.
Do you want people to walk into the design gallery and immediately exclaim, “Woooow!”? Or do you want them to go, “???? …Ah!”? Either way, I want to experience the kind of emotion that draws out gasps of surprise and sighs of admiration. Designers are a deeply jealous breed. I want to feel insanely jealous.
Kenya Hara
Designer
Imagine holding your own design exhibition in Ginza. Doesn’t that alone feel exciting? The gallery may be small, but it has hosted over 800 exhibitions. Spacial constraints inspire creativity and innovation. Don’t miss this opportunity —take the leap and dive in.
Hiroshi Naito
Architect
With the rise of generative AI, the day may soon come when no “mystery” lies beyond expectation. Human creativity itself is facing a moment of crisis. In this era, I hope exhibitions can still present “compelling mysteries” and “unknown mysteries” that only people can create for one another.
Taku Satoh
Graphic Designer
Since 2001, I have organized and curated an exhibition series in this gallery called Anatomy of Design, which dissected mass- produced products from an external, design-oriented perspective. That experience profoundly changed my life. Though the gallery is small, it is a space with limitless potential. Exhibitions are not defined by their size. Even a small venue can give rise to groundbreaking ideas. I look forward to seeing new proposals.
Reiko Sudo
Textile Designer
Even as design expression continues to diversify today, I believe that the “energy” or “earnestness” that comes from working with one’s hands and trying to create something will always reside within the work. It does not need to be polished or perfect. What matters is how one has engaged with the material and considered what to embed within it. For this inaugural edition of the award, I look forward to discovering the energy that emerges from that process.
