THE JAPANESE CURATOR PIONEER
Maholo Uchida started her career as a curator of new media art and design producing several national and international exhibitions. Since her appointment to Miraikan (National Museum of Emerging Science and Technology) in 2002, she has developed a new style of science museum, where activities and exhibitions strongly orientated towards art, design, game, manga and other popular culture.
It was a pleasure to hear from Maholo Uchida, a lovely young woman, passionate about her job and always looking for better solutions in a fast changing world.
What approach to design makes GDA award different from the others design award?
There are many many problems in the world that design can contribute to solve, and many people don’t realize what design is. Some people call it a research, some people wouldn’t call this design, they would call it a service. Good Design Award has such a wider view, we accept this ‘around area’ that helps the world, we have a wider definition for what design is.
Comfort is the theme of this edition, but what about aestethic? Would you ever award something that is very beautiful and less practical?
Me? No.
You see, there are many definition of design, in my unit we were focused on function, not aesthetic, beacuse we were dealing with medical products, things that can’t make mistakes. Function comes first, I believe that beauty can come along as well, but design is first of all a problem solver.
In example, the scissors for brain surgery that were selected among the best 20, they are very beautiful, indeed. My favourite item, from the best 20 of this year, the Turugi Hook safety belt used in the construction industry, it combines beauty, usefulness, functionality.
In example, the scissors for brain surgery that were selected among the best 20, they are very beautiful, indeed. My favourite item, from the best 20 of this year, the Turugi Hook safety belt used in the construction industry, it combines beauty, usefulness, functionality.
What is the most important criteria in judging good design?
For me, it is a system. One of my very favourite design project is Shinto Shrine Rebuilding project, it can be rebuilt every 20 years.
In order to rebuild everything every 20 year, we need material, we need motivation, technologies, money, we need project, the all system is something we need. The strongest design has of course aesthetic, and a process including material and function and everything, but maybe because I am a curator, I believe in a strong and nicely designed system.
Is there a piece of design that has received an award that has helped you specifically in your job?
Actually, yes. It is an interactive globe in Miraikan science museum, it is designed as a system, not merely an object. We can update it everyday, it shows how our planet is and how things work. (Maholo gives us admission tickets for the permanent exhibition at Miraikan, where we went the following day, the globe is impressive and beautiful indeed )
There is something you wish you could design? With no restriction..
Ahhh yes! A museum of language. (Her eyes twinks, a big, passionate smile) It is kind of a dream project.
