Cover image of ABSENT CAFE

Data

Location
Marunouchi Bldg., Tokyo, Japan
Team
Megumi Matsubara, Hiroi Ariyama
Completion year
2008
Exhibition title
Marunouchi Artweeks
Client
Mitsubishi Jisho Property Management
Purpose
Installation
Floor area
400 sqm
Photographers
Martin Holtkamp, ASSISTANT

Public art installation in the cafe located in the Marunouchi Building’s main lobby, commissioned by the building’s owner Mitsubishi Jisho Property Management during Marunouchi Artweeks.

We metaphorically erased and made the cafe’s exterior ‘invisible’ by wrapping it with an opaque reflective film. The cafe’s facade normally covered with fashion brands’ advertisements were substituted to a series of ‘absent advertisement’ made of images of her friends in one of any ordinary evenings taken by Megumi Matsubara then blown up to the size of advertisement banners.

The cafe’s regular social transaction typified by people’s conversation was also relocated and reactivated outside the cafe by Absent Symposium, an event co-held with the installation via 3000 postcards spread in the city and online form that called for participation.
The dialogue with the symposium’s participants continued forever until it ended.

Images

  • _DSC8013brighter

    Photo © Martin Holtkamp

  • _DSC7991

    Photo © Martin Holtkamp

  • _DSC7986notripod

    Photo © Martin Holtkamp

  • _DSC7983notripod

    Photo © Martin Holtkamp

  • GhostTest4

    Absent advertisement made for the cafe facade.

    Photo © Megumi Matsubara

  • GhostTest

    Absent advertisement made for the cafe facade.

    Photo © Megumi Matsubara

  • GhostTest2

    Absent advertisement made for the cafe facade.

    Photo © Megumi Matsubara

  • GhostTest3

    Absent advertisement made for the cafe facade.

    Photo © Megumi Matsubara

  • GhostTest5

    Absent advertisement made for the cafe facade.

    Photo © Megumi Matsubara

  • GhostTest6

    Absent advertisement made for the cafe facade.

    Photo © ASSISTANT, Photo © Megumi Matsubara

  • AbsentSymposiumSquare

    invitation of "Absent Symposium" (postcard)

    Photo © ASSISTANT

  • AbsentSymposiumWeb

    invitation to Absent Symposium (online form).

    Photo © ASSISTANT

  • AbsentEmails

    Implementation report of Absent Symposium.

    Photo © ASSISTANT

  • ABSENTCAFE

    ABSENT CAFE logo.

    © ASSISTANT

  • A1-2 v2014

    Architecture drawing/floor plan.

    Photo © ASSISTANT

  • F1-1 v2014

    Architecture drawing of the information box.

    Photo © ASSISTANT

  • 08

    Architecture model image.

    Photo © ASSISTANT

  • 01

    Architecture model, cafe entrance view.

    Photo © ASSISTANT

  • _DSC8059

    Photo © Martin Holtkamp

  • _DSC8033

    Photo © Martin Holtkamp

  • _DSC8026

    Photo © Martin Holtkamp

  • _DSC8020

    Photo © Martin Holtkamp

  • _DSC8014

    Photo © Martin Holtkamp

  • _DSC7999

    Photo © Martin Holtkamp

  • _DSC7992

    Photo © Martin Holtkamp

  • _DSC7990

    Photo © Martin Holtkamp

  • _DSC7979

    Photo © Martin Holtkamp

  • _DSC7975

    Photo © Martin Holtkamp

  • _DSC7971

    Photo © Martin Holtkamp

  • _DSC7963

    Photo © Martin Holtkamp

  • _DSC7957

    Photo © Martin Holtkamp

  • _DSC7955

    Photo © Martin Holtkamp

  • _DSC7942

    Photo © Martin Holtkamp