From July 4, 2025, “What If? BOSAI: The Next Disaster,” directed by WOW, will be held at 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT. When the forces of nature become a threat and vital infrastructure and social systems suddenly stop functioning—that moment when our ordinary lives are lost comes without warning, amid peaceful everyday life. In such a moment, what will we think, and how will we act? No one can be sure when the next natural disaster will strike. Even for us at WOW, who are based in Sendai and experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 firsthand, there are times when it can feel challenging to live while constantly keeping this awareness in mind. However, in Japan, which is called a “disaster-prone nation,” natural disasters are a simple fact of life. As the types, frequency, and scale of disasters constantly change, “What If?” does not simply refer to a specific future point in time, place, or person, but rather can be thought of as being multidimensionally present in our daily lives and consciousness, with diverse ways of facing it. ​​The exhibition welcomes visitors with a wide range of questions about disasters. Some questions have clear answers, while others vary depending on the person. By thinking for themselves and encountering diverse perspectives, visitors confront various possibilities. That experience becomes a quiet preparation for that “What If?” moment that may someday come, and a source of support for flexibly overcoming difficulties. We invite you to look forward to “What If? BOSAI: The Next Disaster,” a space that offers a comprehensive view of how we confront disasters.

Exhibition Highlights WOW has been exploring expressions that appeal to our sensibilities while inspiring thinking and imagination and creating encounters with new perspectives. In this exhibition as well, rather than delivering disaster preparedness as one-way information, we focus on our mindset and awareness when facing disasters. Visitors use the various “questions” scattered throughout the venue as starting points to actively contemplate their own “What If?” scenarios while experiencing the works. We also provide interactive experiences where visitors can share their thoughts with each other. By creating opportunities for dialogue with others, we seek to provide catalysts for reflecting on disaster awareness and preparedness actions from multiple perspectives. Participating creators comprise 22 groups including WOW (as of May 27). Starting from the fundamental question of what disasters actually are, the exhibition broadly presents the disasters people have faced and the wisdom born from them, including data visualizations of earthquakes and floods, projects emerging from disasters, disaster-related products, folklore traditions preserved throughout Japan, and forms of wishes that have been passed down from the past that transcend scientific certainty. In addition to serving as overall exhibition director, WOW will display a video installation where select responses submitted by visitors through their smartphones are projected throughout the venue.

Exhibition Contents / Exhibitors Disaster Visualization Data visualizations are set out with displays of historical materials and graphic expositions to provoke reconsiderations. Exhibits also simulate possible disasters. They further serve to look backwards at past disasters experienced all across the globe, with examples taken from events in Japan. Exhibits: Shunichi Koshimura, Nikkei Inc. “Japan: The Earthquake Archipelago,” Nyanko Soba, Panoramatiks + Eukarya, YAMAP INC. “YAMAP Watershed Map” and others Installations Inviting Reconsideration of Disaster Preparedness Two brand-new interactive installations prompt visitors to re-evaluate the frequency of occurrence and their personal stance towards disaster preparedness. Exhibits: Daihei Shibata "BOSAI-Gradation," siro + Masaya Ishikawa "Moment by Moment" Projects, Research, and Products Present and future systems of disaster preparedness are introduced to map out the phases of any catastrophic event. Exhibits include innovative research into the countermeasures against breakdown of public communications, together with means to swiftly deploy alternative information transmission methods. Also displayed are life-support and mental-health assistance to be rolled out both during and after initial periods of confusion. Further discussed is the concept known as “preparedness without preparing.” Exhibits: WOTA CORP., KDDI CORPORATION, Gehirn Inc. “NERV Disaster Prevention App,” Ken Nakajima “Research on Carrier Pigeons for Disaster Relief,” Shigeru Ban Architects + Voluntary Architects' Network “Paper Partition System” and others Hopes Lying Beyond a "Critical Moment" We investigate the ways in which hope survives the “critical moment” through a variety of representations connecting disaster and daily life. Among displays are paintings produced after encountering people and climates in a disaster area, also design methods generated from disasters, and spread worldwide. Included too are public awareness initiatives devised to remind how disasters can occur on any day, and at any time. Exhibits: Makiko Satake “Seaside Seeds,” TORAFU ARCHITECTS + ISHINOMAKI LABORATORY “Bench-Making Workshop in Temporary Housing, Onagawa,” JAPAN POST Co., Ltd. + Warehouse TERRADA “Post office storage service for disaster preparedness kits,” VALUE BOOKS, Fukushima-Minpo Co. and others Relationships with Nature; Looking at Yourself The Exhibition presents novel ideas with disaster-prevention potential, outside what we are already familiar with, for example, disaster preparations that emphasize ecological continuity, especially at trees, and at that most basic bodily protection, clothing. Exhibits: veig “Jōtei (Receiving Garden),” Kosuke Tsumura “FINAL HOME,” and others

From the top left image: veig “Jōtei (Receiving Garden)” Photo: Hiroki Tagawa (nando inc.) / Makiko Satake “Seaside Seeds” Courtesy of Art Tower Mito Contemporary Art Gallery Photo: Yuzuru Nemoto / siro + Masaya Ishikawa “Moment by Moment” / Kosuke Tsumura “FINAL HOME” / TORAFU ARCHITECTS + ISHINOMAKI LABORATORY “Bench-Making Workshop in Temporary Housing, Onagawa” / Ken Nakajima “Research on Carrier Pigeons for Disaster Relief” / JAPAN POST Co., Ltd. + Warehouse TERRADA “Post office storage service for disaster preparedness kits” / Shigeru Ban Architects + Voluntary Architects’ Network “Paper Partition System” / YAMAP INC. “YAMAP Watershed Map” / WOW “What if? – Answers from everyone” / Gehirn Inc. “NERV Disaster Prevention App” / Daihei Shibata “BOSAI-Gradation” / Nikkei Inc. “Japan: The Earthquake Archipelago”

Exhibition Overview Title: Exhibition "What If? BOSAI: The Next Disaster" Date: July 4 (Fri) - November 3 (Mon), 2025 Venue: 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT Gallery 1 & 2 Closed: Tuesdays (Except September 23) Opening Hours: 10:00 - 19:00 (Entrance until 18:30) Admission: General ¥1,600 / University students ¥800 / High school students ¥500 / Junior high school students and under may enter for free Organized by: 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT, THE MIYAKE ISSEY FOUNDATION In Association with: Agency for Cultural Affairs; Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry; MINATO CITY BOARD OF EDUCATION Special Sponsor: Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd. Exhibition Director: WOW Graphic Design: Taku Sasaki, Aki Kanai Space Design: TORAFU ARCHITECTS Text / Planning Associate: Mai Tsunoo Academic Support: Naoya Sekiya ▶︎ 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT