Sado Island, sitting off the Japanese mainland close to the Niigata coast, has been holding an incredible art festival since August 8, 2021. The highlight of the event is a massive glowing sculpture, made as a collaboration between Koiwa Kanaami Co., Ltd. and the Nobuaki Furuya+Yuri Fujii Laboratory at Waseda University. The eye-catching installment is meant to honor the historical Sado gold mine, one of the largest in the country, and a designated National Historic Site of Japan.
The peak production period of the mine was 400 years ago, between 1615 to 1645. The mines on Sado produced over 400 kilograms of gold and nearly 38 tons of silver each year, making it one of the largest producers in the world at the time. The town of Aikawa, where the mine is located, is now filled with historical and tourist sites, with many buildings preserved and used as museums to teach visitors about mining technology over the years. A number of rail lines once ran around today’s Oma Port, carrying ore and other mining materials.
The Sato gold mine was developed by Takato Oshima, one of the most important engineers in Japanese history, and the man also responsible for creating the first blast furnace and Western-style gun in Japan.
Headlining the event, the ‘Scene Spinner’ installation consists of two spiral concepts: one, based on the spiral pumping machine used to drain water seeping into the mine, and the other inspired by the rail system around Oma Port. These spirals were made by using a wire mesh frame, which resembles the silhouette of the Sado gold mine. Each piece shown at the Galaxy Art Festival is meant to express the remaining historical importance of this often-overlooked area.
The exhibition site, the former Oma Port, marks the location where materials were brought from the mines, and where the remains of the modern mining industry remain today. Oma Port, which has served as the gateway between Sado Island and the mainland, seems the perfect spot to hold this inspiring event, asking visitors to look around and think about the history made on this beautiful island.
Information
Sado Island Galaxy Art Festival
Running Until October 2, 2021
Address: Aikawa, Oma Terminal (16 Aikawa Shibamachi, Sado City)
The Tokyo-based girl artists and creators' collective bala has finally launched for real! The group will release its first single barla on March 8.
bala consists of MANON, SUNNY ONLY 1, DAN, and KANO, each with their own global background. The project aims to resonate with Gen Z youth culture and to be a collective of artists that connects hybrid Japanese pop culture with audiences around the world.
The debut song barla was produced by Shinichi Osawa, who has numerous hits under the name Mondo Grosso. It was co-written by Kenmochi Hidefumi from Wednesday Campanella. With Y2K culture making a comeback around the world, the track features the house sound popular in the late 90s which is showing signs of becoming the next musical trend yet again. The groovy dance tune is a perfect theme song for these girls who will lead the next generation of pop culture.
<Comment from Shinichi Osawa>
“I’m honored to be involved in bala’s debut. The members are super unique, and collaborating with Kenmochi-san for the first time was a dream come true.”
<Comment from Kenmochi Hidefumi>
“I’m happy to be able to work with the members of bala and Shinichi Osawa. Everyone is so uniquely talented, and this song is filled with everyone's energy and excitement inspired by their long-awaited debut!”
Art collective TeamLab has redesigned two exhibitions at Marina Bay Sands Singapore. The world’s first permanent exhibition from the creators, Future World: Where Art Meets Science, was opened in 2016 at the Museum of Art and Science. Guests can now enjoy three new works along with the Digital Light Canvas, a huge, interactive space inviting guests to share their own pieces of art.
Drawing Flight
Visitors can immerse themselves in these impressive new works while experiencing a complex, three-dimensional world. They can also create new worlds with others!
Future World
The Drawing Flight, part of the Amusement Park of the Future series, is based on the concept of co-creation, allowing visitors to not only draw an airplane that will fly but also allowing them to operate it from a pilot's point of view using a tablet. Whether visitors draw a butterfly or a hawk, they’ll see the world from the perspective of each creature and enter a world constructed by the creature's unique perceptions.
Aerial Climbing through a Flock of Colored Birds
In Aerial Climbing through a Flock of Colored Birds, guests are asked to perceive the world with their entire bodies. Visitors cross a space with sticks floating three-dimensionally in the air.
Autonomous Abstraction, Continuous Phenomena from the Universe to the Self
Autonomous Abstraction, Continuous Phenomena from the Universe to the Self offers a new and abstract concept. As people touch the dots, the rhythm of the dots flickers and their hue changes and disintegrates. The picture will then change dramatically, and despite these changes, the beauty remains.
Digital Light Canvas
Graffiti Nature - Red List Digital Light Canvas
Digital Light Canvas is a space consisting of a 15-meter-diameter circular link of light and a 20-meter-high cylinder of light made up of a collection of light dots. Team Lab's interactive artwork, which changes depending on how many people are around, is on permanent display.
Yoshitaka Amano, known by international fans as the artist behind the legendary Final Fantasy video game series, is celebrating his 70th birthday with a unique art project from November 23 until December 8 at Myoshin-ji in Kyoto. On the first day of the event, the venue, decorated with autumn leaves, was crowded with visitors including foreign tourists, who marveled at the fantastic space filled harmoniously with gold and blue. The exhibition will be held at Myoshin-ji, the head temple of the associated branch of Rinzai Zen Buddhism. This collection of works was designed to question visitors’ sensibilities and provide a new kind of art exhibition for fans to enjoy.After the exhibition, the main art piece by Yoshitaka himself will be converted to 3DCG, and a Virtual Golden World will be developed in collaboration with the Yoshitaka Amano VR Museum. By integrating traditional and modern art methods, guests will be able to engage more deeply in the art by enjoying digital works, the metaverse, and NFTs.Don't miss this curious exhibition!
The historic Nagoya Castle will hold a special nighttime viewing event for 14 days only, from November 25 until December 8, 2022. During this period, Honmaru Palace will be open to the public at night, and the Chrysanthemum Corridor inside will be open to visitors for the first time. The Ninomaru Garden will also be illuminated and will transport guests to a different place and time by showing a space only possible during dark hours.Inspired by the relationship between light and shadow, this event focuses on changes that occur over time and the creation and emergence of new ideas and things.Honmaru Palace, Typically Closed to the Public, to be Open at NightNagoya Castle’s Honmaru Palace was completed in 1615 and served as the primary residence of the Lord of the Owari Domain and as the Domain’s government office. The interior of the palace was lavishly decorated with paintings and other art pieces and was praised as a masterpiece. Sadly, it was destroyed by an air raid in 1945. Restoration work began in 2009 and was completed in 2018 with unparalleled accuracy. The Honmaru Palace gives off a completely different aura at night.
First Public Viewing of the Jodan-no-ma in the Joraku-den
The Joraku-den was added to Nagoya Castle to accommodate the third Shogun, Iemitsu, on his way to Kyoto. It is the most luxurious of all the Honmaru Palace buildings, and this event marks the first time that the Chrysanthemum Corridor on the north side will be open to the public. Visitors are welcome to admire the golden-blue paintings as they stroll through the historic site.
See Spectacular Paintings when Entering the Tsugi-no-ma Room
During this period, visitors can enter the Tsugi-no-ma room to view classical period paintings, giving a more clear idea of how people acted and dressed during this time in history.
[Ninomaru Garden Special Viewing]
~Witness a Never-Before-Seen Feudal Lord's Garden through a Spacial Presentation~Scenography for this unique show was provided by the creative label PERIMETRON. In order to show another side of the Ninomaru Garden at night, the company focused on light’s characteristics, from reflection and transmission to refraction and absorption. Light and shadow intertwine in various ways, and guests will be transfixed by this curious showing.
Yoshitaka Amano, known by international fans as the artist behind the legendary Final Fantasy video game series, is celebrating his 70th birthday with a unique art project in Kyoto. The exhibition will be held at Myoshin-ji, the head temple of the associated branch of Rinzai Zen Buddhism. Stepping into the temple, guests will be met with colorful autumn leaves and a sea of gold and blue art pieces. “I want people to enter this world of light and experience being part of it,” Amano said. “Rather than art being something flat on a wall, I want to present something new and unique.” This collection of works was designed to question visitors’ sensibilities and provide a new kind of art exhibition for fans to enjoy.The main art piece, newly painted by Amano himself, will be on display in the Dharma Hall, which was decorated by one of Kano Tan’yu’s masterpieces. Tan’yu was an Edo-period painter. The three meter tall column features Amano’s own interpretation of Hiten, part of Mount Meru, a part of Buddhism cosmology considered to be the centre of all the physical, metaphysical and spiritual universes. Four smaller pieces will be displayed on all four sides to create a three-dimensional mandala.