Constructed "Ruins": What Was and Was Not Excavated during the Construction of KeMCo

2023/03/08

Overview:

What are "ruins"? Generally, the term refers to a place where traces of human activity from the historical past exist. Many of these traces are buried underground. Therefore, excavation is necessary to uncover the contents of these "ruins."

During the construction of the Keio Museum Commons (KeMCo), Keio University conducted an excavation of the traces remaining on the site. This was done to preserve the records and artifacts for the future before they were lost during construction. Through this excavation, we discovered various traces from the Jomon to the Edo periods and achieved significant results.

However, we did not excavate all the traces remaining on this land. For example, traces of natural phenomena and those from the modern period onward were not targeted. Excavation is, in fact, an act of selecting traces, and the "ruins" and the "history" told through them are also constructed by this selection.

In this exhibition, along with the findings obtained through this selection process, we also turn our attention to what was not selected. By temporarily stepping outside the constructed framework, we hope to provide an opportunity to re-examine the nature of "ruins" and "history."