A room of wonder | Tokyo. Artist : Koh Sato

佐藤晃（パフォーミングアーティスト、ヴィジュアルアーティスト）

Koh Sato (Performing artist, Visual artist)

⑧ (NOT)Dissolving Mood

[Description]

A video maker, drawer, visual and performance artist. As chosen moment, a personal family tragedy. A loss that has endured and become the source, the unsolved situation and the core of his recent art practice. The Tsunami that took away his mother’s life, but which left, standing amidst total destruction, a tall tree. Devastation and hope. This cheerful young man, totally engaged to the project decided to chat and to have the participants draw their beloved ones and dissolve in water the copies of their figures. A conversational piece, between eminent loss and love for what the present still offers as shared presence.

[Artist Statement]

There are hardships in human life. So, also in my life, in your life.

I experienced it in three steps.

It starts on an ordinary day.

Next step is the loss of someone you love.

The end is the finding hope to live.

I want people to love the lost, before it will be lost. After the lost, I wish you have the hope to live, and smile.

[Biography]

Koh Sato is a mixed media artist living in Tokyo, Japan. He was born in 1988, Iwate, Japan. In 2011, He graduated with B.A in Art Temple University Japan campus, Tyler School of Art Program. He works in variety of media including: painting, photography and film. On March 11th 2011, his mother passed away in the devastating earthquake and Tsunami in Tohoku region of Japan. Based on the experience, he made a short film "In The Sea fog". He has exhibited his video in Switzerland, Japan, Australia, Thailand, and Philippine. Also he makes collaboration art works with musicians and performers from various countries.

© Tokyo Wonder Site | photos : Masahiro Nagata

Tokyo Experimental Festival, November 15, 16, 17th, 2013. TWS Shibuya.

A room of wonder | Tokyo. Artist : Takumi Kitada

北田匠（ヴィジュアルアーティスト、彫刻家）

Takumi Kitada (Visual artist, Sculptor)

⑦ 納得したんか？

 　 Are you satisfied?

[Description]

My father, when he was alive, taught me how to grind knives before he was going to undergo a big surgery. I was so impressed to see his movement to show me the instruction that I almost forgot to breath but kept staring at him. Followed by him I tired and showed him my knife, but he said “Not enough.” I tried again and showed him, his answer was “Not yet.” I tried once more, he said “No.” I kept grinding, and I noticed he wouldn’t say yes if I showed it in a hurry, so that I grinded the knife until I got to the point where I reached my best, even though I wasn’t quite sure where it was. Then I showed it to my father, he asked me, before looking at the knife, “Are you satisfied?” I said I was, then he said “Yes.” and moved on to next step.

Takumi Kitada

[Artist Statement]

My art works are based on my interest in the cognition of existence. Humans can perceive the surrounding phenomena through the sensory organs, but I think there is a gap between the physical reality and our consciousness. I believe that visualizing and emphasizing the subtle relationship between humans and their environment can open a new perceptive experience. I aim to mediate this process through the making of my works.

[Biography]

Born in Osaka in 1989, as first son of a sculptor Yoshimasa Kitada. He decided to be a sculptor when he was 11 years old. After graduating from Tokyo University of the Arts, Department of Sculpture, he enrolled in the Master's Graduate School of Tokyo University of the Arts, Department of Sculpture.

© Tokyo Wonder Site | photos : Masahiro Nagata

Tokyo Experimental Festival, November 15, 16, 17th, 2013. TWS Shibuya.

A room of wonder | Tokyo. Artist : Ryo Fujii

藤井龍（ヴィジュアルアーティスト、彫刻家）

Ryo Fujii (Visual artist, Sculptor)

⑥ すべてあいつのせい

 　 All Your Fault

[作品について｜Description]

In childhood, I vaguely thought that no one had consciousness except me. Although it does not mean that I felt superior then, I remember that my friends looked like robots because I could totally expect how they would react and say. Nowadays I don't doubt it any longer, but I still have a habit of taking too much objective view of anything as I did at that time. Sometimes I realize that I am talking about myself but sounds like talking about someone else, for instance. “All Your Fault” is a kind of performance which has a simple structure and I think when you get an objective view of the unreasonable situation and system, you can find the charm of this work.

Ryo Fujii

[ステートメント｜Artist Statement]

My work is based on observation of my daily things. In order to consider things in alternative aspects and write a new world over daily life, I express ideas by various media such as video, photograph, installation, and performance.

[略歴｜Biography]

Born in Okayama, Japan. Currently enrolled in Tokyo University of the Arts, Inter Media Arts as a research student. Graduated from the university, M.F.A., Sculpture in 2013. Royal Academy Schools(London)(Exchange student program) in 2011.

Exhibitions:

solo show (Gallery&Zakka Gigi, Kanagawa) in Jan 2014, “KOSHIKI ART PROJECT” (Kagoshima) in 2013, etc.

Residence:

The Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park (Shiga) in 2013.

BankART Studio NYK Artist in Residence (Yokohama) in 2013.

© Tokyo Wonder Site | Photos : Masahiro Nagata
Tokyo Experimental Festival, November 15, 16, 17th, 2013. TWS Shibuya.

A room of wonder | Tokyo. Artist: Kae Ishimoto

石本華江（ダンサー）

Kae Ishimoto (Dancer)

⑤ I am here to be with you

[Description]

A piece set in a slightly dark room with just one chair and one bed. When you enter, there’s someone on the bed. You sit down and hold hands with him/her. After a short time, she goes away. It's your turn to lie down on the bed. Another visitor comes in and sits on the chair. A certain amount of time for each visitor. A simple experience between caring and being cared, about being in presence for someone. A situation designed to feel presence.

(Written by Gustavo Ciríaco and Kae Ishimoto)

[Artist Statement]

What I want to create is “confusion”. My performance is based on contemporary and Butoh dance techniques, but I’m interested in non-genre performance. I prefer art where many elements are unified and blend together. Normally people think having a specialty is a good thing but I view it as a limitation. I always try to get performers to try many approaches and techniques. For me, dance is a way of communication, so I always create dance using relationships with others as a base.

[Biography]

Since 2002 Kae Ishimoto has been working with Yukio Waguri. In 2011, she performed “Transformation Girl” in 7 countries choreographed using the Hijikata method of butoh. She is attempting to construct an original, genre-less expression that synthesizes various elements and traditions of dance.

In 2004 she co-created a performance company with 8 musicians called Wangnin Bunmei ("Fool’s Civilization"). She and her company have been invited to 13 countries in Asia, Europe and US.

© Tokyo Wonder Site | photos : Masahiro Nagata
Tokyo Experimental Festival, November 15, 16, 17th, 2013. TWS Shibuya.

A room of wonder | Tokyo. Artist: Yoi Kawakubo

川久保ジョイ（写真家、ヴィジュアルアーティスト）

Yoi Kawakubo (Photographer, Visual artist)

④ 明るい闇(2012)

 　 The bright side of the dark (2012)

[Description]

Three years ago, I went to shoot the ruins of Dartmoor National Park in England. Covered in fog all year round, Dartmoor National Park is a national park bigger than Metropolitan Tokyo. To photograph some dolmens and stone circles, I left the car, and went into the fog relying on a map and a compass. During the shooting, I lost the way back to my car and started to wander the wetlands, while the night began to fall. I put a flashlight trying to avoid the looming darkness, but a cold fear was amplified further in the night fog. As the darkness become deeper and deeper and I lost the way back, and a cold anxiousness began to sting my mind and I slowly started to panic. Suddenly, a wild sheep appeared in front of me. Because of the fog and the darkness I wasn't able to realize of its presence until it was surprisingly near. I was frozen and my tension reached its peak. That moment, I remembered some old words, and I turned off the flashlight. By devoting oneself to the darkness, one become part of the night, and then the darkness becomes the light. I stood in silence staring at the darkness. As my eyes started to adapt to the darkness I noticed that the surroundings looked like a seabed of ultramarine blue with pale hazy fog. When I realized, the sheep was gone. As I listened, the wind flowing in the distance could be heard. My fear was gone, and slowly a slightly shivering silence started to calmly flood my brain. It was a very beautiful moment. 

Yoi Kawakubo

[Artist Statement]

What I always have in mind when making my works is the concept of time, meta-reality and coincidence. In my photographic works I deal with time, a dimension that is easily manipulated through photography, and look for the metaphysical state of the landscape. In my installation works I use sounds, light, words and video to try to get a new perception of the world and some times to find the meta-view of the environment in which we live or the works are presented, sometimes showing some alternative realities through the five senses. I always try to capture a metaphysical side or the essence of the physical world we live in, the world outside time.

[Biography]

Born in 1979 in Toledo, Spain. He bases his works on landscape photography and in installation works based in conceptual themes regarding the ontology of photography and the light itself. He has held numerous solo shows in Tokyo:　"The Colossus drive and the black sun" at hpgrp GALLERY TOKYO (Nov. 2012), "Before night falls" at Shinseido-Hatanaka, Tokyo (June 2012), "Speak the Unspeakable" at Tokyo Wonder Site Hongo, Tokyo (May 2012), among others. Group exhibitions: "Sovereign Asian Art Prize 2012-2013 " (Espace Louis Vuitton Singapore), "TOKYO WONDERWALL 2011", Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo (June 2011), "Images on twelve minds", Museum of Modern Art, Saitama (Apr. 2011), "Air" Space Womb Contemporary Art, New York (Dec. 2010), "Photo Taipei 2009"，Taipei (Dec. 2009). Winner of various awards, including TAGBOAT Summer award Grand Prix in 2009, and finalist in the Sovereing Art Foundation Asia Award 2012.

© Tokyo Wonder Site | photos: Masahiro Nagata

A room of wonder | Tokyo. Artist: Kento Nito

二藤建人（彫刻家、パフォーミングアーティスト）

Kento Nito (Sculptor, Performing artist)

③ Soft Impact

[Description]

It was summer when I was a high school student, I tripped over during working in a high altitude. It was 6m high, the ground was asphalt. It was less than a moment until the fall, but my brain predict the huge impact that would occur to my body.

…and next moment…

(Written by Kento Nito)

[Artist Statement]

I am a sculptor who makes art by using my body as a tool and material. My work starts from thinking about system to make a thing with my emotional and simple action. Quite often I record my creative activities in video clip or other visual media, so that others can watch them. Not only the final form of work but also the making process is one of my important expressions. So I don’t want to divide my work and my action. For that reason, I appear in many of my own works. And sometimes it becomes like performing art. I want to get physical feeling at the moment of the creation, and point out the possibility of contacts with our bodies with all of the things and happenings.

[Biography]

Born in Saitama in 1986. Graduated from Master in sculpture at Tokyo University of the Arts.

"top of heap / root of absence" (2013/ florist_gallery N/ Aichi)

"Tokyo Story 2013 part1 'NOW HERE'" (2013/ TWS Hongo/ Tokyo)

The Opening Exhibition of MOAO “Noted treasures associated with Ome” (2012/ The National Museum of Okutrama/ Tokyo)

"red porcupines" (2012/ Gallery Terra Tokyo/ Tokyo)

“Throwing for the Unforeseen” (2012/ TWS Hongo/ Tokyo)

© Tokyo Wonder Site | photos : Masahiro Nagata
Tokyo Experimental Festival, November 15, 16, 17th, 2013. TWS Shibuya.