Uniform — ⅛ Takamura

Curator: Rodrigo Santoscoy

From July 21st, 2023 to January 7th, 2024

Uniform is a project by the garment design studio ⅛ Takamura  that seeks to explore the tensions between the history of uniforms and the technological processes involved in their production, bringing out the symbolic significance of this type of clothing.

The exhibition consists of an archive of twelve pieces that have been studied by ⅛ Takamura  for their relevance in terms of both function and design. This archive reveals two important characteristics of uniforms: the first is that they identify the members of a particular group, so that this group can perform its work efficiently; the second is that their symbolic or dramatic power differentiates the members of the group from others in the community.

For the exhibition, ⅛ Takamura  was commissioned to create a set of uniforms for the MAZ team, interpreting the various functions performed by the staff within the following categories: “Visual Impact,” which comprises the areas of visitor services, mediation, workshops, and security; “Operations,” which includes museum design, supervision, and maintenance; and “Management,” which embraces the various aspects of administration, curating, education, and communication. The collection has been developed as a speculative exercise in organizing the identity of the institution by means of the production of uniforms.

The project culminates in a large sculptural piece that underlines the notion of gattai (合体), or fusion, as a creative process. In this three-dimensional encounter of elements, gattai allows for the abstraction and creation of new designs. The colossal sculpture is inspired by the mecha of Japanese manga, a bio-machine piloted by a hero, whose sophisticated technology generates a symbiosis between tools and the human body. The design and capabilities of the mecha reflect the skills of the person commanding it.