21_21 DESIGN SIGHT will hold a special exhibition "Design Teacher" from November 21, 2025. The exhibition directors are design journalist Noriko Kawakami and curator and writer Kaoru Tashiro.
This time, we will focus on the following six people, and in this exhibition, we will introduce them as "design teachers".
Bruno Munari (born in Italy, 1907–1998), Max Bill (born in Switzerland, 1908–1994), Achille Castiglioni (born in Italy, 1918–2002), Otor Eicher (born in Germany, 1922–1991), Enzo Marli (born in Italy, 1932–2020), Dieter Rams (born in Germany, 1932–).
This includes people who have nurtured people who will lead the future in the field of design education, but they also have in common that they are people who have explored the future of each era and brought about a new phase of society by working with faith and hope in their hearts. This exhibition will also touch on the perspective of Shutaro Mukai (1932–2024), who studied with Max Bill and Ottor Eicher, and later developed a lifelong friendship with which he laid the foundation for design studies in Japan.
The act of design, which continues to think, create, and communicate, is inseparable from living. When we approach the humanity of each artist through his representative works, his remaining words, and documentary footage, and look at his design activities, we will also know that they all expected each of us to think, act independently, and move forward.
As society faces the future of society, it is expected that we will ask questions based on the perspective of design, and the role of design is becoming wider and deeper. After looking back on the trajectory of the activities of our predecessors that should not be forgotten, how to explore the future and what kind of message to send to society.
Please think about the importance of whether you can do it.
Meet teachers who are incredibly curious, inquisitive, and courageous, and full of charm.
【Event Overview】
Title: Special Exhibition "Design Teacher"
Dates: November 21, 2025 (Friday) - March 8, 2026 (Sunday)
Venue: 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT Gallery 1 & 2
Closed: Tuesdays, year-end and New Year holidays (December 27 - January 3)
Opening hours: 10:00 - 19:00 (admission until 18:30)
Admission: Adults 1,600 yen, University students 800 yen, High school students 500 yen, junior high school students and younger free
(Various discounts and online tickets are available on the website. https://www.2121designsight.jp/program/design_maestros/ Please see. ）
Organizer: 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT, Issey Miyake Design and Culture Foundation
Supported by: Agency for Cultural Affairs, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Minato Ward Board of Education, Embassy of Italy, Embassy of Switzerland, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany
Grant: Sakae Stunzi Foundation
Special Sponsor: Mitsui Fudosan Corporation
Cooperation: National Crafts Museum, Musashino Art University Museum and Library, Tama Art University, Quano Trading Co., Ltd. (Purgeina), Takeo Co., Ltd., Delphonics Co., Ltd., Floss Japan Co., Ltd., Metropolitan Gallery Co., Ltd.