Expressing the "past" and the "future" of Tokyo in a new Media Art exhibit will open at Tokyo International Cruise Terminal on July 7

The Agency for Cultural Affairs presents "CULTURE GATE to JAPAN"

TOKYO, July 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On July 7, 2021, The Agency for Cultural Affairs will open a new art exhibit at Tokyo International Cruise Terminal as part of their "CULTRE GATE to JAPAN" initiative. Six artists who are active in the field of Media Arts are exhibited at the Tokyo International Cruise Terminal as well as on the web, with the aim of promoting the appeals of Japanese culture and sharing it with the world.

<Tokyo International Cruise Terminal>
The theme of the exhibition at Tokyo International Cruise Terminal is "Back TOKYO Forth". Six artists who are active in the field of Media Arts (art, entertainment, animation, and manga) participate in this project and exhibit their works at the venue, the Tokyo International Cruise Terminal. The concept, "Back TOKYO Forth", is a coined phrase from back and forth combined with Tokyo in the middle. It will express the possibility of new Media Arts for the world from Tokyo, thinking over the issues the current society faces between past culture (Back) and the direction toward the future (Forth). In addition, the website provides the charm of Japanese culture through contents that introduce artists' research and their production process until the exhibition of their works, as well as the exhibited works on the website. 

• Period: Exhibits open on July 7, 2021
• Location: Tokyo International Cruise Terminal
  (Open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm)
  *Due to emergency measures implemented to contain the spread of covid-19, please note that the facilities and artworks may experience irregular closures or temporary restrictions. Before visiting, please be sure to check our official website as well as the website of the Tokyo International Cruise Terminal for the most up-to-date information.
• Entrance fee: Free
• Theme: Back TOKYO Forth
• Director: SAITO Seiichi (Presides Panoramatiks (former Rhizomatiks Architecture)
• Curator: HATANAKA Minoru (Chief curator at NTT Intercommunication Center [ICC])
• Artist (in alphabetical order):

Midway Stone by FUJIKURA Asako

The displayed work is based on the motif of Japanese gardens.

Completed her master's course at the Graduate School of Film and New Media, Tokyo University of the Arts, in 2018. She assembles scenes that release people from the continuation of time and sprawl in a modern city. Using images generated by 3DCG, she is involved in as images, installations, and AR. Her solo exhibitions include "Colony Highway Broadcast" (emergencies! 035) (NTT Inter Communication Center [ICC], Tokyo, Japan, in 2018). Her group exhibitions include "Close to Nature, Next to Humanity" (Taitung Art Museum, Taitung, Taiwan in 2020).

blank clocks  by IGUCHI Kota

The displayed work is based on the motif of the perceptions of time.

Born in 1984. He founded TYMOTE in 2008 while he was studying at the Science of Design, College of Art and Design, Musashino Art University, and then founded a creative association CEKAI Corp. in 2013. Being active as a movie director ranging from motion graphics to real video images focusing on dynamic design, he excels at team building based creative direction. Awards that he won include the Tokyo TDC Award 2014, D&AD Yellow Pencil Award 2015, and the NY ADC Gold Award 2015. Visiting professor at Kyoto University of the Arts.

Synesthesia X1 - 2.44 <Hazo> by  Synesthesia Lab feat. evala (See by Your Ears)

The displayed work is based on the motif of Zen.

The Synesthesia Lab is an experimental R&D lab focused on synesthesia and the architecture of other multi-sensory experiences. In 2019, Enhance and Rhizomatiks teamed up to develop the "Synesthesia X1 - 2.44" — an immersive synesthetic experience device equipped with two speakers and 44 actuators that wraps you in a world of sounds, haptic, and lights. A further collaboration with sound artist evala titled "Synesthesia X1 – 2.44 feat. evala (See by Your Ears)" was unveiled at Media Ambition Tokyo 2019 (MAT). For "Back TOKYO Forth", evala (See by Your Ears) returns to join in with Enhance and Flowplateaux on their newly designed synesthetic experience.

*The work is currently undergoing adjustment. After final adjustments are completed, opening dates for the work will be announced on our website.

*Until that time, previously recorded video footage of the work will be displayed at the venue.

Tokyo Behavior   by TSUDA Michiko

The displayed work is based on the motif of Showa era lifestyles.

Born in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1980. Ph.D. Film and New Media Studies at the Graduate School of Film and New Media, Tokyo University of the Arts. Stayed in New York as grantee of the Asian Cultural Council(ACC) in 2019. Tsuda focuses on creative work based on the characteristics of video. Recent group exhibitions include "Inter+Play: Arts Towada 10th Anniversary Exhibition Part 1" (Towada Art Center, Aomori) in 2020, "Aichi Triennale 2019: Taming Y/Our Passion" (Aichi), "Roppongi Crossing 2019: Connexions" (Mori Art Museum, Tokyo). Solo exhibitions include "Trilogue" (TARO NASU, Tokyo) in 2020, "Observing Forest" (Zarya contemporary art center, Vladivostok) in 2017.

AUN   by UENO Senzo

The displayed work is based on the motif of bonsai.

Born in Kagoshima Prefecture in 1982. He focuses on movies, advertisements, and music videos. Starting his own business as a cinematographer in 2011, he has also been working as a filmmaker. He won a lot of awards mainly for his work in advertisements and music videos, including not only three major awards in the industry, i.e., the Cannes Lions Award, The One Show, and the Clio Award, as well as the D&AD award, New York Festivals award, ACC Award, and Grand Prize, Gold Award, and Best Cinematography in competitions, such as the Japan Media Arts Festival.

Structures of Liquidity  by UMEZAWA Hideki + SATO Koichi

The displayed work is based on the motif of Japan's port cities.

UMEZAWA Hideki / Born in Gunma Prefecture in 1986. He completed his master's degree at the Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts. He produces his works based on the prelinguistic feeling one perceives in the circumstances and the interest in the complexity of natural phenomena. He has participated in exhibitions held in Paris and Dublin and was engaged in work at a national electronic music studio known as EMS while staying in Stockholm. Awards he won mainly include Prix Presque Rien 2015 at the Luc Ferrari International Competition.

SATO Koichi / Born in Tokyo in 1990. He completed his master's degree at the Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts. From an interest in geography, ecology, and gender, he produces the installations complexly combining images and nonvisual media, such as sound, and odors. multiple odors. His main solo exhibitions include "Crepuscular Gardens / Hankaika-no-niwa" at the Shiseido Gallery in 2018.

<About CULTURE GATE to JAPAN>
Beginning in February of 2021, the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan will launch an innovative cultural promotion project called "CULTURE GATE to JAPAN".  Held at seven airports across Japan as well as the Tokyo International Cruise Terminal, artists and creators active in the field of Media Arts will exhibit artworks inspired by the unique culture of each area with the goal of communicating the broader appeal of Japanese culture.

The global effects of the novel coronavirus have made it difficult to meet new people and experience new cultures in person. However, that should not interrupt the exchange of art, ideas, and culture. Through this project, we hope to continue providing people around the world with the same sense of wonder and joy felt when encountering a new culture.

Organizer: Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan
Official Website: https://culture-gate.jp/ 
Exhibit at Tokyo International Cruise Terminal:
https://cruise-terminal.culture-gate.jp

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