7 January 2017

Japan Creative Centre (JCC)

The Japan Creative Centre (JCC), Embassy of Japan is proud to present Looking for Japan – Genesis – by Ms Naoko Tosa, Japan Cultural Envoy for the fiscal year of 2016 in the Agency for Cultural Affairs of Japan, and Mr Ryohei Nakatsu. Ms Naoko Tosa's “Sound of Ikebana” artworks were shown at the Art Science Museum in 2013. The artworks, one example being the Japanese four seasonal colours, were also projected on the Art Science Museum in 2014.

As a media artist, Ms Naoko Tosa has discovered that Japanese beauty exists in various forms. She wishes to express these beauties using cutting-edge technologies instead of traditional methods, so as to focus on the natural phenomena that exist, but are invisible to the eye. Based on such methodology, she showcases Japanese beauty, such as the changes between the four seasons, mountains and water, and so on. In the process of doing so, she hopes to rediscover Japan and its future. Don't miss this rare opportunity of meeting Ms Naoko Tosa and Mr Ryohei Nakatsu at this special one-day lecture.

About the Lecture

Traditional beautiful objects which persist to this day, are the ones created or developed with cutting-edge technologies of that time. Examples include the Buddha statues in Nara, the pyramids in Egypt etc. Living in Kyoto, Ms Naoko Tosa has had many chances of meeting heads of traditional art schools. She was deeply impressed by the fact that they have not only tried to keep their traditions, but also tried to find new entertaining values in them, and to change them from time to time. Because of this, these traditions could survive till today.

While she was an artist fellow at MIT in Boston in 2002, she created an interactive installation called ZENetic Computer. It was based on Zen principles and various Zen concepts such as Dry Landscape Gardens, Zen Dialogues, the Ten Ox-herding pictures, and was exhibited at MIT Museum. Wishing to exhibit the system at one of the Zen temples in Kyoto for a month, the chief priest of the temple kindly agreed, as it would be a good chance for the younger generation to understand Zen. Through such experiences, she thought that it would be possible to express Japanese culture utilising information technologies, and to allow foreigners to better understand it.

About the Speakers

Ms Naoko Tosa is an internationally renowned Japanese media artist, who has been selected as the Japan Cultural Envoy for the year of 2016. After receiving her PhD from the University of Tokyo, she was an artist fellow at the Centre for Advanced Visual Studies at Massachusetts Institute of Technology from 2002 to 2004, and is currently a professor at Kyoto University. In 1997, the L'Oreal Grand Prix awarded her art and science first prize.

Her artworks focus on the expression of Japanese tradition and culture with the utilisation of technology. She has held exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the New York Metropolitan Art Museum, ARS Electronica in Austria, Yeosu Expo in Korea, Art Science Museum in Singapore, as well as various museums in Japan. One of her prominent projects is the carrying out of a projection mapping supported by the Kyoto Prefectural Government, as one of the events to celebrate the 400th RIMPA anniversary. Her new exhibition will start at Ikkan Art Gallery, Singapore, from 10 January 2017.

Mr Ryohei Nakatsu received his BS, MS and PhD degrees in electronic engineering from Kyoto University in 1969, 1971 and 1982 respectively. From March 2008 to December 2014, he was Professor at National University of Singapore (NUS), and Director of Interactive & Digital Media Institute (IDMI) at NUS. He is currently an Adjunct Professor of Kyoto University Design School, and CEO of Hexogon Japan and Executive Director of NT & Associates.

His research interests include interactive media, entertainment technologies and communication robot/agent. He has received many awards including Young Engineer Award from the Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers Japan (IEICE-J) in 1978, and IFIP TC14 Contribution Award in 2012. Among numerous fellowships, he has been a fellow of the IEEE since 2001, and a life fellow since 2014. He is also a member of various academic societies such as IEEE, IEICE-J, and Japanese Society for Artificial Intelligence.

Details of the Lecture

Date:

Saturday, 7 January 2017

Time:

2:00pm (Registration starts at 1:30pm)

Venue:

Japan Creative Centre (JCC), Embassy of Japan in Singapore
4 Nassim Road Singapore 258372

Admission:

FREE

Register for the Lecture

To register, please email the following details to jcc@sn.mofa.go.jp with the subject Ms Naoko Tosa Lecture on Looking for Japan – Genesis – by 4 January 2017:

1. Full Name
2. Number of persons (including yourself)
3. Organisation
4. Mobile Number

Please register early to avoid disappointment. We regret that as there is limited seating, seats will be confirmed only upon receipt of confirmation email from JCC. ALL EVENTS ARE FREE OF CHARGE.

Where is Japan Creative Centre (JCC)?

Is this your first time to Japan Creative Centre? Follow the map below to Japan Creative Centre now.

Getting to Japan Creative Centre
4 Nassim Road Singapore 258372
Tel: +65-6737-0434

By Public Bus:
Bus services: 7, 36, 77, 105, 106, 111, 123, 132, 174, 174E, 502, 502A, 502B (Alight in front of Delfi Orchard)
For latest information on bus routes and fares, please refer to SBS Transit.

By the MRT:
You may also take the MRT to the nearest MRT station, Orchard (NS22).
Train fares, travel times and route maps are available on the SMRT website.

Driving to JCC:
Nearest parking is at Orchard Hotel, Delfi Orchard and Orchard Parade Hotel.