Since 2022, PARCO has been holding a culture festival called “Aiato Aia” every year, with the hope that the fun of being diverse, cherishing the rights of Ai, and making them feel lovely. This year, the theme was "city_logue" because of the desire to create moments when the elaborate "likeness" becomes ambiguous by listening to various "logues" that are heard from cities.
In November 2024, as part of the culture festival "Aiato Abi", an exhibition "Made with Love by Tom Daley" by Tom Daley, who lightly transcended the barriers of common sense and expression with his own sensibility and expanded a space full of euphoria. Tom, who is a British men's jumping athlete but loves knitting, and has become a hot topic at the competition venue. This is the first time in the world to present his activities as a knit artist in the form of an exhibition. On the day of the exhibition, the red knit that he wore was also knitted on an airplane until he came to Japan.
What do you think about the freedom you can create various shapes by knitting and unwinding, and his happy and colorful creations?
There are many difficult and complicated problems in the world, but any work begins with a single thread. Photo report shows an exhibition that makes you realize such a simple, bright and hopeful.
- Photo
- Sachiko Saito
- Edit
- RIDE Inc.
At the exhibition, Tom Dailey selected about 20 favorite knit works, expressing the journey of knitting he has walked. In a space reminiscent of the stadium's dive platform, a knit made during the Tokyo Olympics and five medals won by Tom Dailey are displayed. In the zone entitled "To the tip of the slump", the knit was hung from the ceiling to express the "invisible anxiety of the future" of the corona disaster. On the first day of the exhibition, a knitting workshop was held by the person himself, and it was a special time to feel the "nitting community" that Tom Dailey cherished.
Talk held by Tom Dailey and Break Dancer Ami 
Workshop held by Tom Dailey 
At the venue, a community wall was set up to decorate messages from visitors and ornaments woven on the spot. The space, which was initially a white wall, was colorfully colored over time, and at the end it was filled with warm voices and touchful ornaments with no gaps. In addition to realizing the positive power and ease of knitting, the appeal of why the act of knitting attracts and heals people is also expressed, creating a loving and warm space. The message and ornaments received were delivered to Tom Dailey at a later date.
Tom Daley
Born in 1994, a British men's diving athlete. He also participated in the Paris Olympics in 2024 and won a silver medal. The appearance of knitting at the competition venue at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics became a hot topic, and it was also reported in Japan as the "Knitting Prince". He established the knit brand "Made with Love by Tom Daley" while knitting as a hobby. He has opened the official website of the brand, sold apparel products, and published books on knit recipes. It is also a global icon that announces the state of raising children with same-sex partners and empowers diversity.
Instagram（＠tomdaley）
Information
- Exhibition
- 『Made with Love by Tom Daley』
- Venue
- PARCO MUSEUM TOKYO (Shibuya PARCO 4F)
- Period
- November 8 (Fri) – November 25 (Mon), 2024
- Admission fee
- 1,000 yen (tax included)
- Official website
- https://art.parco.jp/museumtokyo/detail/?id=1584
- Official SNS
- Instagram（@parco_art）X（@parco_art）
Information
- Name of the exhibition
- "Ai and ambiguous city_logue"
- Venue
- PARCO MUSUEM TOKYO (Shibuya PARCO 4F)
/ GALLERY X BY PARCO (Shibuya PARCO B1F) / WHITE CINE QUINTO (Shibuya PARCO 8F)
※Fringe Venue: Mikkkeller Tokyo / Raku Yingen / MILLIBAR - Period
- November 8 (Fri) – November 25 (Mon), 2024
- Admission fee
- Depending on the event
- Organizing and planning
- Parco Corporation / ADI: Aiko Koike / Cooperation: SA.NA
- Official website
- https://parco.jp/aitoaimai/
- Official SNS
- Instagram（@aitoaimai）
