This talk event invites those who are interested in supporting the residency program at Arcus as a volunteer staff. Those who participated last year also welcome. July 4th (Fri) 18:00/ July 5th (Sat) 14:00 *Please visit either July 4th or 5th, one of the days scheduled.

Please contact Jishingama (TEL: 042-501-1660) or visit to make reservations.

Taro Okamoto (1911−1996) was active in a variety of artistic media. Although he started out as a painter, he later produced his first three-dimensional sculpture in 1952. By using a hybrid material of clay mixed with earth, he was able to freely mold in three dimensions. When sculpted and fired, the shapes hardened, just as he intended, retaining the same shape for many years to come. He further expanded upon this artistic technique by learning how to use plaster to reproduce shapes made from clay. He would complete works in metal or plastic by using the same plaster molds. By producing works in larger dimensions, he made sculptures that he would be installed in public spaces for all to see. Okamoto continually tested the possibilities of sculpture and 3D molding. This exhibition is testament to the unique shapes and forms he created. Lecture May 11th (Sun) "Taro Okamoto and Surrealism" by Shogo Otani (The Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo) June 7th (Sat) "Taro Okamoto and Sculpture" by Shuji Tanaka (Oita University) both starting at 14:00. Capacity: 70 people Free. Reservation not required. [Image: "Chair - Drowse" (1967) Fabric, metal]

In the 1950s, Japan made a fast recovery from the wartime period and was at the beginning of a point of rapid economic growth. Design began to take part in this regrowth, especially in the trading and marketing fields. A new notion of design in terms of manufactured products, which was different from that of traditional crafted items, was in demand in order to support and grow economically. This exhibition focuses on designs that emerged in the postwar 1950s. Designs used for posters, newspaper and magazine advertisements, brochures, wrapping paper, book covers, and various forms of packaging designs will be presented along with related materials from that period. Symposium June 8th (Sun) 14:30-16:00 "Culture and Design of the 50s" Hiroshi Kashiwagi (Prof./ Musashino Art University) Naoyuki Takashima (Prof./ Musashino Art University) Hitoshi Mori (Design Historian)

SCAI The Bathhouse is organizing performances and a recording exhibition by Min Tanaka from July 4-8, 2008. Tanaka was born in Tokyo in 1945. He started practicing as a dancer from the early 1970s onwards, announcing himself as the legitimate heir to Tatsumi Hjikata, pursuing his own unique form of dance unbound by existing categories. Tanaka has received numerous awards for his explorations into this art form - In 1990 he was awarded an honor for art and culture by the French government, and a medal for the encouragement of contemporary art in Japan in 2001. More recently, he appeared in the film "Tasogare Seibei", receiving the award for best supporting male actor from the Japanese Academy. In 2006, Tanaka's dance works "Sekkou" and "Toutai Datsuraku" received the Asahi Dance Art Award. Tanaka continues to push the boundaries of the form and promote "dance" as a gesture, an action and a way of life at all levels. Tanaka's performances at SCAI The Bathhouse from July 4-8 will all take the Bathhouse as their starting point, after which the dance will progress to other places, different for each performance. This will be recorded on video and screened at the Bathhouse the following day. After the dance, Tanaka will return to the Bathhouse and participate in a talk event (please see the venue website for schedule details). In short, this is a prime opportunity to learn more about Tanaka's unique world from a variety of perspectives. With experiences culled from each of these programs and activities, what sort of synergy will emerge from these performances?

Tokyo Gallery + BTAP is pleased to announce "Identical Light", a solo exhibition by Shigeki Yoshida. For this, his first exhibition at Tokyo Gallery + BTAP, Yoshida will be displaying 31 black and white prints that take light as their theme. We will be holding a reception party for the artist on the first day of the exhibition, and on June 21st (Sat), from 14:00, there will be a talk given by Michiko Kasahara, Chief Curator at the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography. Shigeki Yoshida was born in Ibaraki Prefecture in 1963. Following his graduation from Wako University in 1987, he produced prints and paintings, but after being sent to New York as an artist research fellow for the Japan Agency for Cultural Affairs in 1997, he relocated there. Taking a photography course while studying at Hunter College proved to be the impetus for him to start working in that medium. Yoshida continues to live in New York, and since 2000 he has been working on the "Identical Light" series, which he was motivated to create "so as to reveal the things that we don't normally see." Light is an inherently immaterial phenomenon, and we are first made aware of it through its reflection off other things. Yohida's works capture the light that reflects off the everyday surroundings in his life in New York, the buildings and streets; he takes his photographs in the hope that the light portrayed in these images will evoke memories in the viewer and leave a lasting impression in their heart. Yoshida works in black and white. "Many think of black and white photography as an exhausted medium. But I would say that it is the fundamental medium that deals with light, which is so frail, and subject to the vagaries of change that one can never recapture the identical light" he says." I am attracted to black and white photography because it enables me to see the existence of an unassuming but inspiring light that surrounds my life. Photography is for me a process of recognizing something imperceptible but also something precious. "Even though his work consists of straightforward photographs of light as it falls on certain locations, without any alterations to the setting or manipulations of visual effects, it a unique rendering of black and white shadow that conveys a sense of unreality and mystique. Yoshida believes in "the possibility of photography to depict even something invisible", and Tokyo Gallery + BTAP hopes that you will take the opportunity to discover the unique visual aesthetic of Yoshida's works, which create a poetic connection between the everyday and one's memories. Opening Reception June 18th (Wed) 18:00-20:00 Talk Event between Michiko Kasahara and Shigeki Yoshida, June 21st (Sat) 14:00-

This world, that life so briefly brushes. Why do we exist, and how much can we turn to face up against the certainty of death. How should we best live this limited life. In this day and age, when human lives are often handled as if they were objects, and when civil war and unrest have become something commonplace, this question has taken on greater significance than ever. Artists, too, have tried to tackle this issue through the ages. Does art have the ability to arouse our vitality in order to begin to approach this conundrum? Perhaps this is a universal question we have all ruminated on. Fumihiko Aono, Takayuki Obana and Moto Yamamoto are all artists who create works that tackle the eternal theme of death, and in so doing thereby shed light on the power of life by contrast. Viewers of their works will hopefully find something of their own latent power in order to discover their own solutions to these questions. Takayuki Obana workshop June 7th (Sat) 13:30-16:00 Fee: ¥300, limited to first 30 applicants This workshop will show you how to make a finished artwork from materials collected from the street. Guardians or parents are requested to accompany young children, elementary schools students or younger.

Born in 1971, Saskia Olde Wolbers creates videos with a mysterious transparency. After creating elaborate handmade models, Wolbers films them, building up stories within. The constructed worlds on the screen may be beautiful, but show no people and are desolate. Combined with a soft, somewhat magical voice-over, her images penetrate deep into the minds and memories of viewers. Each of her works raises doubts about the truth of a world that we had believed to be real, giving a glimpse of the extent to which what we perceive as reality is in fact a constructed artifact. In 2003 Olde Wolbers won the Baloise Art Prize at Basel Art Fair, followed by the Becks’ Futures Award in 2004. She was also selected for ARTFORUM magazine’s “Best of 2005: 11 critics and curators look at the year in art,” demonstrating her growing reputation and potential. The timing is perfect for Mori Art Museum to bring her art to Japan. -Artist Talk April 26th (Sat) 17:00-18:30 *with consecutive interpretation. Location: 52nd Floor Information Counter

Tatsuo Kawaguchi is one of Japan's representative postwar artists. Focusing on his well-known work "Relationship -Energy" (1972), which was selected last year as part of the museum collection, this exhibition looks back on his notable works from the 1970s. While Kawaguchi's artistic production has evolved in various ways since the 1980s up until the present, most of the experiments and trials for these modes of expression had already been executed in the works he produced a decade earlier. This exhibition traces Kawaguchi's roots, introducing many of his early works that have almost never been exhibited before. Kawaguchi shows in these works his extraordinary interest in something "invisible", a theme usually overlooked by artists. As its title suggests, "Relationship -Energy" takes as its motif invisible energy. Although the term energy lacks familiarity for most, once it makes contact with media such as a neon tube, electric heater and bell, it transforms itself into light, heat and sound, suddenly becoming ordinary matter. Kawaguchi also strives to ignite the basic creative potentials of the human imagination and its inherent capacity for creation - capabilities that have been squandered or left dormant by time wasted on "looking" and paying excessive attention only to the "visible". By exhibiting earlier works from his career, this exhibition sheds light on Kawaguchi's pioneering spirit that still wields considerable influence in our times. Lecture: June 15th (Sun) 14:00 [Image: "Relationship -Energy" (1972)]

William Morris (1834-1896) was the most prominent artist and thinker of the 19th-century England, and still has a great influence today. In this exhibition, approximately 90 works, including stained glass model, which became the basis of his career as a decoration artist, original wall paper, textiles, furniture and small rooms with interior accessories of his time, will be on display. -Special Talk by Harumi Tsuda This exhibition's editorial supervisor Tsuda Harumi will consider with her audience the artist's thoughts and dreams by tracking back his artistry and social climate of his time.

This digital technology workshop at ZAIM is conducted by experts and professional creators each in their respective fields, aimed at those who want to take their digital art skills to the next level. The workshop addresses the needs of various individuals, from beginners to professionals. Prices are reasonable and the quality of instruction is high, with small student numbers allowing maximum individual attention. Works created at this workshop will also be exhibited at the digital contents festival "Yokohama Eizone 2008", held from July 24th to 29th (http://www.y-eizone.jp). The workshop has as its ultimate goal the exhibition and projection of quality work in public space, hoping to promote not only learning, but also artistic production with a high level of awareness that allows much first-hand experience. For further details on each course and how to apply, please see the website below: http://za-im.jp/dws/

This exhibition is the 23rd installment of the "Second Stage at GG" series held at Guardian Garden. This March marked the 30th "Hitotsubo" exhibition (a platform for supporting the work of young artists that started in 1992), which attracted 688 applicants. Regardless of whether they won the grand prize at Hitotsubo, many among those applicants are artists who have already become active in each of their respective fields. This series was created to showcase the "second stage" of work of these art graduates after their participation in the Hitotsubo exhibition. This 23rd edition introduces the work of Shueisha Bunko's art director Koji Iyama, who has attracted much attention for his work on the Natsuichi campaign, among others. For this exhibition, Iyama has deconstructed the radicals of kanji characters and turned them into mobiles and hang downwards, prompting a reinspection of the meanings that these characters possess. Also on display will be posters that were made by photographing these kanji mobiles against various backgrounds and types of scenery. By releasing these characters from the flat, two-dimensional surface where they are usually found, and bringing them into a 3D sculptural space, what sort of spreading and transformation will we see? This is Iyama's first solo exhibition. Opening Party: June 30th (Mon) 18:30-20:00 Talk event: July 11th (Fri) 19:00-20:30 Free entry, reservation required: 03-5568-8818 Koji Iyama, Dai Nippon Type Association Now accepting reservations.

These three artists deal with physical and philosophical themes in their paintings. Ideas contained in their paintings are limitless as the universe. Gallery Talk by Artists: June 28th (Sat) 14:00 Symposium: July 12th (Sat) 13:00 [Image: Rieko Koyama "Night of Amethyst" (2008)]

Looking at the history of film of any country reveals an important connection between film and literature. In the more than 100 years of Japanese film history, we can see that many film directors and scriptwriters were influenced by various forms of literature. Coinciding with the new series of screenings, "Japanese Literature in Film," this exhibition explores how literature has influenced and been "interpreted" into film. Posters and still photographs from the NFC's collection are on display to introduce the cultural background behind this cross-disciplinary exchange. This is the first edition of the series, focusing mainly on works from the Meiji and Taisho periods. -Gallery talks are scheduled during the exhibition period. Details will be posted on their website soon. -"Japanese Literature in Film" Screenings: April 18th (Fri) - May 4th (Sun)

Michisei Kono (1895-1950), the genius of modern painting, is known for his strikingly realistic paintings with his fantastical imagination. Kono was part of Sodosha, a painters group based in Yoyogi. He created a number of landscape paintings of Yoyogi and Harajuku areas. This retrospective exhibition presents his oil paintings, drawings, illustrations, and copperplate prints, most of which were recently discovered. Talk Events -"Imaginative Drawings, Illustration and Cover Design" June 21st (Sat), 14:00 Lecturer: Shinichiro Iwagiri (professor of Tokyo Bunka Junior College) -"Michisei Kono, The Art of Line from Nagano and Sodosha Era" July 5th (Sat), 14:00 Lecturer: Hitoshi Yamamura (assistant director of Fuchu Art Museum) [Image: "Portrait of Koshi" (1916) Collection of Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art]

Mt. Fuji is a familiar icon, often seen as a subject of worship, which appears in various stories and as a motif in art. How was this collective image of Mt. Fuji developed over time? Since the old times, Mt. Fuji has been employed in painting, but especially since the late Edo period, artists began to embrace a more modernized view of the mountain, in addition to its traditional image. In the Meiji period, various crafts were exported overseas and many of them depicted Mt. Fuji as a symbol of Japan. From the Taisho to Showa period, the image of Mt. Fuji was used to represent the idea of national polity, frequently appearing on posters in the mass media. However, in the postwar era, Mt. Fuji began to portray an antithesis of tradition, a meaningless motif, undermining Japan's complicated history. Throughout different time periods, Mt. Fuji always appeared in various art forms. This exhibition presents various ways Mt. Fuji has been depicted in modern and contemporary contexts through paintings, crafts, and everyday items. Related Events -Opening Event: Mt. Fuji in the Bathhouse: Live Painting! Mt. Fuji is often painted on the walls of bathhouses in Japan. Live painting by Kiyoto Maruyama. Date: June 7th (Sat) 13:30 Location: Museum entrance, Gallery Echo (No reservation required, free) -Lecture "Art of Mt. Fuji" by Akira Hirabayashi, Sachiko Wada (museum curators) Date: June 29th (Sun) 14:30 Location: Lecture room (No reservation required, free) -Gallery Talk by Museum Curator Dates: June 8th (Sun) 14:30, July 12th (Sat) 14:00 Location: gallery (No reservation required, exhibition ticket required to enter) -Silver Art Lecture Date: July 12th (Sat) 13:00-13:30 Location: Lecture room (No reservation required, free) -Lecture for Junior High School Students Date: June 28th (Sat) 10:00-11:30 Reservation: June 11th - 18th -Come and Join! Art Adventure For 4th to 6th grade elementary school students Date: July 5th (Sat) 10:00-11:30 Reservation: June 18th - 25th -Art Lecture for Parents and Children For 1st to 3rd grade elementary school students and their parents Date: July 5th (Sat) 14:00-14:30 Reservation: June 18th - 25th [Image: Tiger Tateishi "Micro Fuji" (1984) Mori Art Museum]

Photographer Eikoh Hosoe's life is a reflection of the path taken by postwar Japanese photographic history. Hosoe has consistently made work that channels artistic concepts originating in Europe and America and bringing a certain intensity of expression and strength of vision to Japanese photography. Hosoe bought his first camera when he was 15, in 1948. While still a teenager, he mingled with artists like Eikyu, Masuo Ikeda, Masa Kato, Toru Takemitsu and On Kawara, while being strongly influenced by the work of Teijiro Kubo, Shuzo Takiguchi and Shikanosuke Oka. Upon graduation from the photography department of the Tokyo Photography College (now Tokyo Polytechnic University) at 21, Hosoe decided to work as a freelance photographer right away. In 1959, Hosoe formed the Vivo group (disbanded in 1961) along with Kikuji Kawada, Akira Sato, Akira Tanno, Shomei Tomatsu and Ikko Narahara, producing their own work and establishing an economic base for their activities. The same year that Vivo was founded, Hosoe became friends with Anraku Butoh founder Tatsumi Hijikata and saw the "Kinshoku" performance at the Dai-ichi Seimei Hall in Tokyo which left a deep impression on him. Like Hosoe, Hijikata was born in Akita in the Tohoku region of Japan. At the age of 21, when Hosoe decided to become a photographer, Hijikata was inspired by Kazuo Ono's butoh performance in Kanda, Tokyo and entered the world of life as a butoh performer. The encounter between these two artists flowered forth after the photo collection "Kamaitachi" was published in 1969 by Gendai Shisousha. Although Hijikata passed away in 1986 at the age of 57, his spirit seems to live on in Hosoe, who produced an Eros-inspired color work entitled "Shunpon: Ukiyo-e Urushi," shot at HIjikata's former training ground, the Asbestos-kan in Meguro, Tokyo (closed 2003), where Hosoe shot photographs of butoh artists (and Hijikata disciples) whose bodies had been painted white and on whom images of ukiyo-e were projected. Following this, Hosoe used digital technology in conjunction with Japanese folding screens, hanging scrolls and other traditional arts in pursuit of a new photographic style. This solo exhibition by Hosoe at Epsite is a manifestation of this fusion of the fundamental components of both technology and Japanese culture. Gallery Talk by the artist July 5th (Sat) 15:00-16:00

This is a retrospective exhibition of representative Yo-ga painter Hiroshi Okutani. Okutani was born in Shukumo City in Kochi prefecture in 1934. He studied oil painting at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts & Music, exploring representational painting while the trend of the time was abstract painting. After graduating, he began working as an assistant at the school, creating fresco painting. While doing this, he began to incorporate the technique of using thin layers of paint. His work began to be known in public in 1967, and Okutani took a chance to go to France with government sponsorship. After absorbing various expressions found in western painting, Okutani returned to Japan, but decided to go back to France in 1971. Living there for three years, he expanded his interest and established his original style of vividly composing images and colors. Okutani has received a number of awards, including the "Person of Cultural Merits" award last year. This exhibition showcases 57 paintings as well as drawings he created since the age of 20, introducing his career, which spans half a century. Related Events (1) Hiroshi Okutani x Museum Director Ichikawa Gallery Talk Dates: June 18th (Wed) & July 5th (Sat) 13:30-14:30 Exhibition ticket required. (2) Gallery Talk Date: July 19th (Sat) 13:30-14:30 Exhibition ticket required. (3) Night Time Gallery Talk by Museum Curators Dates: June 13th (Fri), June 20th (Fri), June 27th (Fri), July 4th (Fri), July 11th (Fri), July 18th (Fri) 18:00-18:20 Exhibition ticket required. [Image: "Budda's Head" (1998) Private collection]

After succeeding in becoming the latest craze, Kayo Ume (aka Ume-chan) is coming back to Little More Chika! Theme of this exhibition is "Mr. Granpa". When Ume started taking photos as a high school student, her first subject was her granpa sitting right in front of her. Growing up in snow-filled former Yanagida Village (Ishikawa prefecture) with her parents and grandparents, Ume still visits her granpa in her hometown and records his life whenever time allows. Celebrating the launch of her photo book with the same title, this exhibition showcases portraits of Ume family. Related events -Artist Talk -Kayo Ume × Shin Sobue (designer) Date & Time: July 4th (Fri) 19:30 (doors open at 19:00) -Slide Show & Autograph Session Date & Time: July 18th (Fri) 19:30 (doors open at 19:00) Fee: ¥500 Capacity: 40 people (reservation required) Reservation starts on June 10th (Tue) Contact: 03-3401-1042 (Little More Chica) Weekdays 10:00-18:00 Please visit the venue website for more details.

During the late Edo period, Jonin Mokujiki traveled on foot all over Japan and carved numerous Buddha figures. Born in 1718 in the village of Kai county (present Yamanashi prefecture), Mokujiki became a priest at age 22. When he was 56, Mokujiki began his religious pilgrimage, and after turning 60, finally started making Buddha statues. He is said to have created more than 1000 figures as traveling throughout Japan. During these years of vigorous activity, he cultivated unconventional style of his own. Since many of his Buddhas have a slight smile on their lips, they became known as "smiling Buddha" among pious people. Celebrating the 290 anniversary of Mokujiki's birth, the Sogo Museum of Art is holding large-scale retrospective for the first time in a decade, showcasing approximately 130 Buddha statues as well as about 30 documents. It will be a great opportunity for viewers to encounter a vast collection of his work brought together from around the country. -Special Talk "Mokujiki Discovered by Muneyoshi Yanagi" Date & Time: July 6th (Sun) 14:00 Capacity: 80 people Fee: Free *Numbered tickets will be distributed from 10:00 on July 6th at the entrance of the museum. -Gallery Talk The museum's curator gives commentaries on exhibited work. Date & Time: Every Saturday 14:00 [Image: "Amitabha Tathagata" Kosho-in collection (Kanagawa prefecture)]

An artist's talk will be held Wednesday, July 2nd, 17:30-18:30

This summer at Nadiff sees the art historian Yuji Yamashita giving a series of lectures on Japanese art, its market, environment and future at Bunkamura in Shibuya. 1st lecture: June 28th. The Current Situation in the Japanese Art Boom 2nd lecture: July 5th. Pros and Cons of the Art Bubble 3rd lecture: July 19th. The Subtle Relationship between Art and Media 4th lecture: July 26th. Open Suggestions to Museums Each lecture runs from 17:00-19:00 Fee: Single entry ¥3500, All 4 lectures ¥12000 Limited to 25 participants per session Venue: Bunkamura B1 Meeting Room

Taro Izumi creates humorous drawings, video and 3D works out of everyday products and introduces them in the form of an installation. In this exhibition entitled "Jungle Book", Izumi presents exploratory work that artfully utilizes a house as an exhibition space. Nowadays, with the rapid growth of the Japanese art market, there have been more and more platforms for exposure and fields of opportunity provided for the benefit of aspiring young artists. In this context, Izumi's use of an alternative exhibition venue has especial resonance. For artists, "alternative spaces", "galleries" and "museums" are not merely sites that enable them to climb the creative ladder, so to speak; they function equally as necessary spaces for them to balance their various creative activities. As more and more artists begin to present their works in different locales, viewers will start experiencing different ways of approaching and appreciating their works as well. Izumi's work springs from his own apartment room and its vicinity. The weaknesses and earnest efforts of people living there, their honesty that comes out of both good and bad intentions, their means of bettering their daily lives... such are the messages embedded in Izumi's work, leaving precious impressions on viewers' minds. -Reception: July 5th (Sat) 18:00-20:00 -Talk Show by the Artist: July 20th (Sun) 15:00

Susumu Shimonishi is a 31 year old video artist with a unique sense of humor. In these bird's eye views of large traffic intersections in the city, throngs of people come and go each time the traffic light changes. Although this is a common sight, Shimonishi captures it using an offbeat, unexpected perspective, as if one were riding a balloon floating overhead and looking down at the scene, giving audiences the luxury of savoring the spectacle in a relaxed manner, while the people below with their sincere expressions become aware of eyes (Shimonishi's) watching from above. Then, as the traffic light turns red, the image suddenly draws near to Shimonishi's hand with a violent shake and tremor, as if he were reeling in a fish caught in his net. In an instant Shimonishi's face appears before us, the cars come and go, and the short sightseeing flight comes to an end. With their dynamic viewpoints, the sense of speed in the little more than one minute that the light flashes green, the sense of crisis in the frenetic coming and going of vehicles, the work induces by turns loss, disorientation, surprise and alarm in the viewer, with a harrowing sense of drama and subsequent relief as one "returns" to earth safe and sound with a cathartic smile. Artist Talk: July 1st (Tue) 18:00-19:00

Greenery and water are essential for life not only for humans, but also various other living beings. These vital resources have however been damaged over time due to the exacerbation of global warming. This exhibition showcases photographs by Shuichi Endo, representative commissioner of Tuvalu Overview, an environmental NGO that has attempted to grapple with such issues, as well as alpinist Ken Noguchi, alongside works by notable nature photographers. Works by these nature photographers convey powerful yet alluring images of greenery and water, life-giving elements that constantly breathe new life into the earth even in a time of dire climate change and global warming. Other photographer whose main focus is on environmental problems will also exhibit works with images like "Tsubaru Country", a country consisting of 9 small islands in the South Pacific Ocean which is about to sink into the ocean due to the rise in sea level. It is hoped that this exhibition will give viewers an opportunity to become more conscious about our environment and to feel the need to protect our greenery and water, vital resources for life itself. Concurrently, this exhibition will cooperate with the "Our Earth to Protect" project promoted by the NPO Gaia Initiative Tomoyo Nonaka. An "Our Earth to Protect" photo contest will also be held. Taking the title of the project as its theme, photos taken mainly using mobile phones will be submitted, and prize-winning works will be exhibited at Fujifilm Square. Moreover, these photos will be available for view from all over the world. Please visit the exhibition website for more details.

The season for Ginza Graphic Gallery's annual ADC (Art Directors' Club) Exhibition has arrived! From over 10,000 works in various genres such as posters, advertisements for newspapers and magazines, editorials, CI marks & logos, TV commercials and more, the ADC award, which is the most prestigious prize to be awarded to advertisement or design work, has been selected after careful screening by 84 ADC members. Since its inauguration in 1952, the ADC has been active as a crucial force powering the advertising and design industries. Prior to the launch of ADC Yearbook (scheduled to be published at the end of November by Bijutsu Shuppansha), this exhibition introduces prize-winning work from this year as well as other exceptional works at two sites: members' work at the Ginza Graphic Gallery and non-members' work at Creation Gallery G8. Gallery talks with ADC award winners and production staff will take place at each site as well. Please inquire at the galleries for talk schedules and guest lineups (reservation required, admission free). Locations and schedule -"Members' work": Ginza Graphic Gallery July 4th (Fri)-30th (Wed), 11:00-19:00 (until 18:00 on Sat), closed on Sundays & holidays. -"Non-members' work": Creation Gallery G8 July 7th (Mon)-August 1st (Fri), 11:00-19:00 (until 20:30 on Wed), closed on Saturdays, Sundays & holidays. Opening Party: July 7th (Mon) Ginza Graphic Gallery 17:30－19:00, Creation Gallery G8 19:00－20:30

Born in 1953 in Isezaki City (previously known as Sakai Town), Gunma Prefecture, pioneering wood furniture designer Fumitaka Tomita studied abroad at Carl Malmsten Centre for Wood Technology and Design, founded by representative Swedish furniture designer Carl Malmsten. In 1982, Tomita came back to Japan and established his own studio, producing there various creative furniture such as chairs, tables and cabinets. Generated from his abundant mental picture, Tomita's work brings out the beauty of wood, while it also carries representational power reflecting his brilliant artistry. -Artist Talk Date & Time: June 28th (Sat) 14:00-15:00 *Reservation not required. Please purchase an exhibition ticket and visit Exhibition Room 5. -Symposium "Vision for Wood Furniture" Date & Time: July 12th (Sat) 14:00-16:00 Location: Museum of Modern Art, Gunma 2F Auditorium Fee: Free Panelists: Fumitaka Tomita, Michael Hurwitz (furniture designer), Kenji Suda (wood craftsman), Masanori Moroyama (the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo senior researcher) *Please make a reservation via phone or fax. (limited seating of 200) Contact: Museum of Modern Art, Gunma Tel 027-346-5560, Fax 027-346-4064 [Image: "Chair -Exaltation V" (2007) Japanese zelkova, wipe-lacquering]

The 9th exhibition at Gallery Bauhaus is devoted to the work of photographer Hiroshi Yoda, who works mostly in fashion but is active in a variety of fields. After graduating from high school and studying photography at art school in England, Yoda studied with the famous English photographer David Montgomery. After going freelance in 1966, Yoda founded Hiroshi Studio in London. He would go on to work for major magazines like Harper's Bazaar and Queen, Vanity Fair, as well as Japanese fashion brand Jun and Rope. Yoda shifted his base from London to Tokyo in 1972 and did advertising work for Shiseido, Hanae Mori, Suntory, Seibu department store, as well as magazines anan Elle Japon. This exhibition traces Yoda's career from the London period onward, in fashion and portraiture. Around 40 works both in monochrome and color will be on display. -Dialogue: Hiroshi Yoda and Yamato Shiine In conjunction with this photo exhibition, a dialogue event between Yoda and former editor for magazine company Popeye, Yamato Shiine, will be held. Date and time: June 13th (Fri), 19:00-21:00 (gallery closes on 18:00) Fee: ¥2000 To attend, please apply on the website.

With a history of winning many national and international awards including the Pritzker Prize, Australian architect Glenn Murcutt is a representative master in the contemporary architectural world. After establishing his own office in 1969, he has taken the stance of doing all design-related tasks himself, employing neither staff nor secretary, and not relying on computers. Including unbuilt projects, he has undertaken about 500 designs, focused on private houses. These works pay constant attention to the climate of Australia, and are exemplified by a group of houses emphasizing sustainability, in an admirable resonance and unity with their environment. Without relying on mechanical equipment such as air conditioning, achieving natural ventilation through space planning and aperture layout, skillfully controlling light, shadow, wind, and insect damage through openings comprising three layers of precisely movable louvers, screen doors, and glass doors, with rainspouts and rainwater tanks in order to mitigate water shortages, built with recyclable materials allowing repeated extensions and alterations… Throughout the details of Murcutt’s architecture there are devices that confront the natural environment and make maximum use of its endowments. This exhibition will be Japan’s first broad introduction to the architecture of Glenn Murcutt. In addition, on June 12, the opening day of the exhibition, Murcutt will give a lecture on the occasion of his first visit to Japan. Introducing the charm of the architectural works of a man who says, “I have always believed in the act of discovery rather than creativity. We do not create the work. I believe we, in fact, are discoverers. I see architecture as a path of discovery and that is very important for me,” not to mention a personage worthy of respect, please do not miss this exhibition and lecture. Lecture on June 12th, 2008 in English *Simultaneous interpretation from English into Japanese will be available. Admission free Doors open at 17:30, starts at 18:30 Apply here: http://www.toto.co.jp/gallerma/ex080612/sympsm_e.htm Venue: Yomiuri Hall In front of the Exit for ‘Tokyo International Forum’ at JR ‘Yurakucho’ Station, Directly to the Hall, please take the Exit-D4, D6 of ‘Yurakucho’ Station on the Yurakucho-line or ‘Hibiya’ Station on the Mita-line, 3 min from the Exit-A2 of ‘Hibiya’ Station on the Chiyoda-line, 5 min from the Exit-C9 of ‘Ginza’ Station on the Ginza, or Chiyoda-line

Yoshiaki Kaihatsu creates installations using everyday materials, transforming them into something completely unexpected. His humorous and ironic works include an outdoor food stand and tearoom made out of expanded polystyrene, an installation covering an entire room with dust, and a diary consisting of receipts from daily purchases. This time, Kaihatsu has embarked on his new project, called "Funny-ture," his own twisted version of "furniture." Combining useless items found in daily life with cardboard boxes and modifying them with plastic wrap, the result is a playful series of furniture. During his stay at the museum, he will present a space that anyone can enjoy and interact with. -Open Studio Schedule Saturdays and Sundays on May 28th (Wed), May 31st (Sat) through June 29th (Sun). 12:00-17:00 -Artist Talk "Here goes Yoshiaki Kaihatsu" July 12th (Sat) 14:00 at the lecture hall. Free. No reservation required. [Image: "Foam Garden in Winterthur" (2007) Winterthur, Switzerland]

Art Scope, a mécénat activity of Daimler Foundation in Japan, provides contemporary artists from Japan and Germany the chance to experience life in each other’s country. For the 2007/2008 year, Izumi Kato and Yuken Teruya were invited to reside in Berlin and Eve Teppe and Ascan Pinckernelle in Tokyo. The Hara Museum has been a partner in the Art Scope program since 2003, and as such will once again host an exhibition to showcase the results of this year’s artistic exchange. The methodologies used by the four featured artists range from painting, sculpture, installation, video and drawing. Izumi Kato creates paintings and sculptures that seem to touch upon the root of life and existence, using as his motif human figures with apparently fetal-like aspects. Yuken Teruya uses a variety of materials that include ready-made objects to make installations that speak to the workings of human society, the roots of human values and the sense of aesthetic beauty. The video artist Eva Teppe uses image media to explore the essence behind our sensory awareness and consciousness. In drawings of great detail and delicacy, Ascan Pinckernelle revisits the fundamentals of expression through the process of observation with the eye and representation with the hand. Different though these four artists may be in methodology and personality, their sensibilities, imagination and power of expression give rise to a shared ability to train their sights upon human existence and make us reconsider the ambiguous and complex properties that are fundamental to our lives as both discrete individuals and members of a larger whole. Through it all one might find a hint of the many possibilities that lie hidden in the act of creation and the experience of viewing. Artist Talk Date: June 28th (Sat) 15:00 - 17:00 (tentative) Place: The Hall at the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art For reservations, contact: info@haramuseum.or.jp or (Tel.) 03-3445-0669 Speakers (to be scheduled): Izumi Kato, Yuken Teruya, Eva Teppe, Ascan Pinckernelle, Dr. Renate Wiehager (Senior Manager, Corporate Art Department, Daimler AG), Atsuo Yasuda (Hara Museum of Contemporary Art) Fee: Regular ¥2000 (includes museum admission), Hara Museum Members and up to two guests ¥1000 Reservation required: info@haramuseum.or.jp, or Tel: 03-3445-0669 starting from June 10th (Tue) [Image: Eva Teppe, "The World Is Everything That Is The Case" (2003), video still, courtesy of the artist]

The world of colors is entering a new era. Thanks to the development of computers, LED and display technologies, we can now freely choose colors from an infinite selection with a single switch. Colors are generated from relationships between light, objects and our sense of sight. Techniques of color arrangement have developed mainly from the colors (pigments and dyes) of non-moving objects. But now that we can freely control light, we are encountering a new problem: how to show moving colors. Changes in our sense of color have a powerful influence in the fields of household goods, fashion and interior design. More people are not simply passively choosing colors but are doing so as a way of expressing themselves and conveying messages. Gathered under a single roof at this exhibit are works that lead a new generation of colors, such as interactive art, visual works and interior goods and lighting from advanced companies. -Talk Session "Where Colors Exist" Takayuki Fujimoto is a spatial designer & lighting artist. He produced the highly-acclaimed play, "True", which made dynamic use of LED lighting. Fujimoto will talk about lighting effects in this particular play and about his past productions. Tetsuya Osaki, chief editor of the Japanese-English bilingual website "Realtokyo" and "ART iT" magazine, will be the other guest at the talk. Date & Time: July 6th (Sun) 14:00-16:00 (Doors open at 13:30) Location: Skip City Sainokuni Visual Plaza 1F HD Studio Capacity: 70 people Admission: Free Contact: Eizo Museum 048-265-2500

Original teaching materials at the Meguro Museum of Art called the "Drawer Museum of Art Tools and Materials" are divided into four themes - art tools, wood, paper and metals - and are made up of a total of 81 drawers that are widely used during exhibitions and workshops. This exhibition focuses mainly on these drawers, in addition to workshop resources and works from the collection that have been gradually acquired and built up. Photos that offer a look back at the 20 year history of the workshop, its progression and results, are also on display. These workshops, organized from the point of view of museums and their relationship to education, include "Adventure Plaza for the Hands and Eyes," "Natural History Magazine of Colors," and the "Body Workshop" and "Architecture Classroom" in recent years. Related workshops will also be held.

This exhibition is part of a special "Dialogue with Materials" series at the Tatebayashi Museum in Gunma Prefecture. Taking paper as its theme in 2002 and wood in 2004, the exhibition series introduced audiences to notions of shape and form through ancient relics, daily household goods, toys and works of contemporary art that made potent use of properties unique to each material. The museum also provided a space for a wide range of people to engage first-hand with the art, organizing a variety of events that included creative workshops for parents and children and sessions for getting up and close with artists and their process of creation. This exhibition is the 3rd installment in the series, taking earth as its theme. This material has been instrumental in the cultivation of crops and fields since ancient times, also effectively acting as a convenient and malleable tool for artistic production, occupying a central role in the life and work of humans. The unique appeal and qualities of this material will be on display over 2 sections: "The Relationship between Man and Earth" puts on display a wide range of materials such as Jomon era clay vessels, tiles, earthen pipes and clay dolls, while "The Colors, Sounds and Shapes of Earth" focuses on works by contemporary artists that use this material as either their medium or subject. In addition, a space for visitors to become more closely acquainted with the museum will be set up - a space where events such as artist talks and workshops conducted by contemporary artists and creative DIY "ateliers" and corners will be set up. See the museum website for more details on the schedule of events.

Commemorating the 10th anniversary of the museum, this exhibition sheds light on Taro Okamoto's "Tower of the Sun," a monument created for the Japan World Exposition held in 1970. The work symbolizes "the progress and harmony of human beings." Okamoto wanted to build something extremely "absurd" that stood out in the expo crowded with modernist pavilions. This idea of a "festival" transcending any nationality, race, or language barriers was prominent in the monument. The tower contains "Tree of Life" which illustrates the growth of humanity. Also, the internal space is divided into parts, each of which represent the past, present, and future, unfolding the dynamism of life, which has always existed around us. The monument is an ultimate compilation of Okamoto's philosophy and theory of art. This exhibition introduces everything about the "Tower of the Sun" through video documentation, along with Okamoto's sketches and writings. Please see the museum website for more details.

TWS Shibuya is hosting two up-and-coming artists' exhibitions "TEAM 13 Yosuke Amemiya -Whiplash Neuron" and "TEAM 14 Kei Takemura -Apart a Part" starting from June 28th. Yosuke Amemiya has introduced video installation works with which viewers can go back and forth between reality and fiction. In his multilayered space with mirror-like structure, motifs like flogs, plants, apples, which all have repetitively showed up in his work before, are arranged in a way that they intricately intermingle with each other. Once stepping into the space, viewers experience a sensation that they can't figure out where they are and what they just underwent, starting to reconsider what is reality and what is not. Kei Takemura is based in Berlin, Germany. After observing his friends' daily activities and rooms closely, Takemura reenacts their living using media like embroidery, drawing and performance. Such a method seems to evoke a sense that the fragments of intimate feelings and memories toward certain spaces and people are layered one after another. In this exhibition entitled "Apart a part", Takemura introduces his new series which reconstructs his friend's everyday life in a space where embroidered organdie cloth is displayed, while in another series, he restores broken cups and plates. By deciphering and radicating touchable yet ungraspable phenomena on transparent organdie and in gaps between the lines depicted on tracing papers, Takemura awakens memories and senses of viewers. -Opening Reception: June 28th (Sat) 18:00-20:00 -Other related events Open House with Yosuke Amemiya & Kei Takemura: June 14th (Sat) 16:00-17:00 @ TWS Aoyama Gallery Talk by Yosuke Amemiya & Kei Takemura: June 29th (Sun) 16:00-17:00 @ TWS Shibuya Performance by Kei Takemura: July 6th (Sun) 16:00 @ TWS Shibuya [Image: Yosuke Amemiya "Knowledge" (2006-2007) Oil paint, plastic cast, wood]

The Setagaya Art Museum conducts art appreciation workshops for students of the elementary and junior high schools of Setagaya. The volunteers who have acted as guides in this program will choose artworks that children like from the museum collection, based on ten years of experience. This selection includes the paintings of Henri Rousseau and Camille Bombois. There is also a special display of work by Kitaoji Rosanjin.

The Yayoi Museum houses a lot of shojo-ga (illustrations depicting girls), also known as lyric illustration, by various artists including Kasho Takabatake, Koji Fukiya, Masao Kato and Junichi Nakahara. Shojo-ga, which served as illustrations for girls' magazines during the Taisho and the early Showa periods, held a special allure for young women of the time, and were even worshipped as paragons of beauty, with an intensity usually reserved for religious icons like the Virgin Mary. With their large, teary eyes and lovely petal-like lips, these girls look fragile and dainty, at times glamorous. They continue to evoke a special glamor for stylish young women today. This exhibition introduces the appeal of these shojo-ga, a genre that began to flourish with the work of Yumeji Takehisa. The exhibition also attempts to analyze each work in terms of iconography, and in doing so, sheds light on these works by examining in parallel the social and cultural context of the time. Related events -Gallery Talk: August 10th (Sun) 14:00- -Talk Show & Autograph Session by Minori Kai Date & Time: August 23rd (Sat) 18:00-20:00 Location: Yayoi Museum 1F Exhibition Room Fee: ¥500 *Reservation required. Please make a reservation by phone and pay the fee at the museum itself. A numbered ticket will be distributed then.

What does "Japan" mean to you? Discussions surrounding what "Japan" and "Japanese" should be often take place nowadays. As a part of Asia, and the world, "Japan" or "Japanese" cannot be simply defined by the nationality, language, geography, history, religion or any of those vague conceptions. It is always important that all of us keep questioning what "Japan" means, and its possible answers to ourselves, thinking beyond stereotypes and generalization. "Japan Collage 2008" is an annual exhibition organized by Gallery K, aiming to create an occasion for people to be engaged in thinking, feeling, and expressing "Japan". Fourteen artists' works are collaged in the gallery space, revealing their own standpoints and complex nature of "Japaneseness". Gallery Live & Talk July 12th (Sat) 15:00-16:00 Live (video by Nobuhiko Uchiumi x sax by Teru Uchida) 16:00-17:30 Talk by Sociologist Kensuke Suzuki x Artist Nobuhiko Uchiumi

Kyodo Studio Program is a process-oriented workshop conducted by various creators who are active internationally, and aims to provide young creators from both Japan and abroad with the opportunity to work together on projects regardless of their genres or specialized fields. In the 3rd edition of this program, a week-long workshop on the theme of "environment" will be held for not only young generation who are involved with ecological and artistic activities but also general audience. This year again, professors from the University of the Arts London will be invited, while David Backlund, the representative of Cape Farewell, and other figures who have engaged in a variety of environmental activities will give lectures for this program. The goal of this workshop is to seek ways to approach environmental issues through different types of activities such as symposiums, lectures, workshops and art cafe, and ultimately to propose and present ideas in a form of "project". Some lectures and symposiums are open to non-participants for workshops. Reservation required. Please visit for more details. -Workshop Application Fee: Free Capacity: 20 people Applicant eligibility: Person who can attend for more than 5 days Contact/ Application: Tokyo Wonder Site Aoyama *Please write down your name, contact information (phone# & e-mail address), affiliation and field you are interested in, and send it via FAX or e-mail by July 3rd (Thur).

"Humor" is the language that artist Mad City uses in his video art aiming to achieve world peace. Depicting strangers and the artist himself in the video work, Mad City presents a world that exist somewhere between art and comedy. At this event, he will give a humorous talk on his own work.

This July, 2008, four photographers currently enjoying a wave of fervent attention will speak about the topic of holding an exhibition, one of the basic means for disseminating photographic work. Daido Moriyama, currently the subject of a retrospective at the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, is a dynamic artist also involved in publishing. Hiromi Tsuchida also held an exhibition entitled "Hiromi Tsuchida's Japan" at the same museum this year, receiving the Domon Ken Prize. Taishi Hirokawa is known for his consistent thematic of "time and relationality", expressing his concerns through fieldwork conducted on a global scale. Kazutake Sugawara is not only devoted to reviving the old " wet plate" photographic technique, but also displays his sketch-like paintings on the Internet, communicating in a plain, sincere way the unique appeal of photography. The moderator for the session is Naoko Ota, a curator with experience organizing exhibitions of each of these photographers. Date and time: July 8th (Tue), 16:00-17:30 Venue: Hotel Grand Pacific Le Daiba Atrium 3F Fee: ¥1000 (includes "Esprit de Paris" commemorative booklet) Limited to 100 persons (some standing room possible)

In an age increasingly dominated by IT, what sort of role does media art play? Many media art specialists now work with their eyes firmly fixed on the future, in this new field that has yet to acquire a stable definition. Media art creators, compared with their counterparts in contemporary art with an intimate relationship to society and proposals for its problems, are perhaps more concerned with how the latest technology can interact with human emotion. For this TAB Talk, we are delighted to welcome Creative Cluster founder Tomohiro Okada, bit-generation creator Ryota Kuwakubo, and chief producer of internationally-active video unit WOW, Kazuhiko Kameda, for an evening of complete immersion in the world of media art. Who make up the "creative class" and the occupations contained within it? What is the route to a closer relationship between society and media art, often seen as aloof or difficult to approach? What sort of influence has YouTube exerted on media art? What sort of future is envisioned through the eyes of these creators who stand at the frontier of cutting-edge art and design? Right after, we'll have a short segment called the 30-second Pitch. Five members of the audience will be invited to introduce themselves to the audience, promote a recent project, or announce a new product, website or company in under 30 seconds. If you're interested, please give your name and contact info at the reception table. Then for another hour, we'll have drinks, chatting, and networking among guests and audience members. Light meals will also be available. TAB Talks are bilingual Japanese-English and start at 8:30pm, late enough for overworked designers like us. Limited seating of 90, come early. Profile Tomohiro Okada Writer, consultant, business planner and university lecturer, focusing on the development of innovative approaches to cutting-edge art and design. Head of Cool States Communication Research Institute. Founded the non-profit organization Creative Cluster in 2004 and now acts as chairperson and curator, coordinating platforms for unique approaches to art management, the development of society and buisness use, and the dissemination of artists and their work. Organized the Electrical Fantasista 2008 exhibition at ZAIM in Yokohama, which begins July 18th. Creative Cluster - http://creativecluster.jp Kazuhiko Kameda Chief producer of WOW, a video production company that works mainly on TV commercials. WOW handles not only client work, but is also highly acclaimed for its original self-commissioned video work that is exhibited annually both in Japan and abroad. WOW's book "WOW10" traces its 10 year creative trajectory and includes the work of Shigeki Hattori (graf), Yoshio Kubo, Gwenael Nicolas, Koichiro Tanaka (Projector Inc.), Artless and Masashi Ishiwata (Ikenobo). Participated in Tokyo Wonder in cooperation with Curiosity and Tonerico at the Milano Salone 2008 international furniture fair. Exhibited installation work created by Wowlab at the Cultural Typhoon 2008 in Sendai event at the Sendai Mediatheque in June this year. www.w0w.co.jp/ Ryota Kuwakubo Media artist. Started producing and exhibiting devices using electronics in 1998, based around the various phenomena that arise at the borders between digital and analog media, man and machine, and senders and recipients of information. Developed the "Bitman" mobile electrical bulletin board for Meiwa Denki and designed the Rimeikaburu T-shirt for Muji, collaborating with manufacturers on the development of numerous products. Exhibited work at the world's largest media art event, Ars Electronica, the "Roppongi Crossing" exhibition at the Mori Art Museum, and many other venues both in Japan and abroad. Received the grand prize at the 7th Media Art Festival in 2003, organized by Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs.

The guest for the first edition of the Intarajuku is Shingo Ono/Merce Death, who produced Cornelius' Remix site "Cornelius x Merce Death x polo-Really x Google Map x YouTube". Ono will speak about the web and video production. He is currently on a world tour to promote his music.

This is a talk event inviting artist Fuyuko Matsui, Akimitsu Naruyama of Naruyama Gallery, and Akio Nagasawa (fashion designer).

Pottery painting uses specialized pigments and implements to draw on ceramics. A glaze is applied and the piece is then fired in a kiln. This is a casual ceramics technique popular in Europe and the U.S. The finished pieces can be used to decorate homes or used as tableware. Anyone can make original pieces of pottery easily. Instructors will offer guidance so that you can make whatever you want. Please apply through the website.

This film program presents the work of up-and-coming director Ryota Kawabe, dealing consistently with the deaths of people who ought to be present in the story, but who are somehow stumbled upon in the end. In concrete terms, Kawabe's work examines the disappearance and subsequent search for missing people in public spaces and the unforeseen encounters that arise as a result, occupying the gap located somewhere between documentary, drama and performance that exposes the subjects and characters to scrutiny in curious positions. "Someone Somewhere" is a voyage in search of the "average face" arrived at in an arbitrary fashion, "Familial Scenery" sees Kawabe's own family putting in performances of themselves in the aftermath of the mother's fictional disappearance. Taking up the notion that the specific appeal of images lies in their ability to give form to the seen as well as unseen, Kawabe's films depict in a sense the drama of purely "imaged" characters. (Takashi Sawa) For full schedule and synopses, please see the venue website. Artist Talk (after each screening. Free entry with ticket stub) July 12th, 19:30, Ryota Kawabe July 13th, 14:00, Akio Miyazawa (playwright, author, chairman of Amusement Park Revival Association) and Ryota Kawabe, 16:00 Ryota Kawabe July 18th, 17:00 and 19:00 Ryota Kawabe July 19th 19:30 Ryota Kawabe

Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music Sculpture Department is holding an exhibition at the Ueno Royal Museum on the theme of "crossing" focusing on the relationship between sculpture and community. This is the 2nd edition of "Sculptural Landscape" exhibition which is part of researching projects conducted by the Ueno Town Art Museum since last year. Taito ward is the area where its culture has been nurtured through the encounter between traditions (historical legacy) and novelties. This exhibition aims to embody stimulating phenomena occurring at the crossing of the old and new, and interpret them through the form of sculpture. Location: Ueno Royal Museum Gallery -Gallery Talk Date & Time: July 20th (Sun) 14:00 Guests: 6 artists, Takeshi Hayashi, Mio Nakajima (art critic)

There will be an artist talk on Monday, August 4th,17:30-18:30

Please contact Jishingama (TEL: 042-501-1660) or visit to make reservations.

An artist talk will be held Tuesday, September 2nd, 17:30-18:30