GUCCI COSMIOS
From October 1st to December 1st, the Kyocera Museum of Art in Kyoto City will host an exhibition commemorating the 60th anniversary of the arrival in Japan of the world-famous fashion brand Gucci.
Next year will mark 60 years since the birth of GUCCI in Florence and Kyoto, which became sister cities. Hence, this exhibition pays homage to Japan and Kyoto and expresses the history of the brand’s innovation and tradition of creativity through GUCCI’s archive works.
It celebrates the long-standing relationship between Kyoto and Florence and highlights both cities’ rich cultural and artistic values.
The exhibition space is divided into six rooms, each focusing on a different theme and highlighting the past, present, and future of GUCCI, a brand with a 100-year history.
From here, I would like to introduce the exhibition rooms, starting with the theme of the first room.
TIME MAZE
In this exhibition room, you can experience Gucci’s codes and legacy by seeing the various masterpieces that adorned the next generation, such as clothes, bags, shoes, accessories, and luggage, stored at Gucci in Florence. The items are arranged in concentric circles according to the year, like a labyrinth.
ZOETROPE (The World of Horseback Riding)
The second exhibition room is named after the Greek words “zoe” (life) and “tropos” (turn). The theme is the world of horse riding culture, which is inseparable from a luxurious lifestyle. Alongside an installation of sequential photographs capturing the elegant movements of horses, Gucci’s traditional design items are on display.
ECHOES (The Genealogy of Creativity)
A collection of looks from past creative directors is gathered together in one place, creating a glamorous space that feels like you’ve wandered into a party venue.
LEISURE LEGACY (Celebration of Lifestyle)
Here, alongside traditional Japanese paintings related to leisure and the outdoors from the collection of the Kyocera Museum of Art in Kyoto, sports equipment and leisure goods that have colored various scenes of GUCCI’s lifestyle are on display, allowing you to enjoy a collaboration that can only be held at an art museum.
BAMBOO
In this exhibition room, the true icon of Gucci, Gucci Bamboo, is featured. An impressive display expresses its transformation from its birth in 1947 to the present day. You can also see items that are the result of collaborations between Gucci Bamboo and traditional Japanese crafts and contemporary art.
RED THREADS (Gucci Bonds)
The final space is a red space that symbolizes GUCCI, called Gucci Rosso Ancora. Items and elements that highlight the theme of this exhibition, which is to evoke imagination from the archives, are on display.
Through this exhibition, I was able to witness the world of innovation and creativity of this brand, which boasts a 120-year history. I also learned in-depth about the craftsmanship that has been passed down over the years and the power of its solid branding.
