Åbäke is a design unit/collective formed in London in 2000 by four members who studied visual communication and graphic design. The “Fugu Gakko” project by Åbäke & LPPL can be traced back to the unusual discovery of a blowfish (fugu in Japanese) off the Mediterranean coast of Turkey in 2003.

The iteration of Fugu Gakko presented at Aichi Triennale 2022 is based on the 2018 Istanbul presentation, developed further for Aichi. Taking the issues raised by the blowfish as a starting point, the projectʼs objective is the acquisition of new viewpoints that cut across fields such as environmental issues, geopolitics, anthropology, and contemporary art. Discussion, research, and encounters of different types often lead to subjects that would not usually be thought of as related to blowfish. The exhibition space will be transformed over the course of the Triennale as Åbäke, LPPL, and the researchers learn from each other how to utilize a variety of materials and skills in creative ways.

Selected Works & Awards

In 2021, The Fugu School Part 1 2021 was held at the Clear Gallery Tokyo in Tokyo. The Collective also jointly curated the exhibition Which Mirror Do You Want to Lick? with Sofie Dederen and Radim Peško at the University Art Museum, Tokyo University of the Arts in collaboration with students from Tokyo University of the Arts.

Exhibition

• Installation view at Aichi Triennale 2022
• Fugu Gakko, 2022
• Photo: ToLoLo studio