In the network society-fully saturated with media technology where instantaneous connectivity with multiple others is made possible—imaginations that exceed spatiotemporal limitations and formulaic schemes of cultural fields emerge. Simultaneously, however, in such a society, there also exist imaginations that are rooted in individual, personal experiences and realities. In these new communities and movements formed by networks and artistic expressions that use technology as both their motifs and techniques— a display of their criticality against the medium itself—we can find clues to understand the social complexities and the information environments that surround us, as well as how to share individual identity and regionally specific cultures.
Focusing on the creative scenes in Asia that will surely continue to develop in exciting ways, ref:now, consisting of exhibitions, workshops, symposia, and performances, promotes exchange and collaboration among the next generation of Asian talent. By examining the new creativity that is dislodging modernistic conceptions of art, this initiative sets out to "reference" the "now" of our ever-changing globalized society.
This project in FY2017 , FY2018 and FY2019 is certified as beyond 2020 program.
FY2019
The 4th International Symposium for Media Art "Open Media Culture: Collaborations, Networks, Exchange"
Co-organized with NTT InterCommunication Center [ICC], the 4th International Symposium for Media Art was held in conjunction with the exhibition "Open Possibilities: There is not only one neat way to imagine our futures."
Art Exhibition Open Possibilities: There is not only one neat way to imagine our futures
We held an exhibition in Singapore and Japan, jointly curated by curators in Southeast Asia and co-organized with the NTT InterCommunication Center [ICC], a leading institution in Japan for new media art.
[Video]
Open Possibilities: There is not only one neat way to imagine our futures (YouTube)
Photo courtesy: NTT InterCommunication Center [ICC]
Live Music Concert "Imaginary Line"
Musicians, filmmakers and artists from different cities gathered to work on three music videos released online, followed by a live concert in Tokyo.
[Music videos]
- PARKGOLF (Japan) and Reinhard Samuel Maychaelson Gunawan (Indonesia)
PARKGOLF "Leap (feat. Mantra Vutura & similarobjects)" (YouTube) - Tohji (Japan) and AntiAntiArt (Vietnam)
Tohji "HI-CHEW"（YouTube） - similarobjects (Philippines) and SUGANUMA Gensho
similarobjects "Someone"（YouTube）
[Review / Asia Hundreds]
Bordering Practice and Imaginary Line――The Intersecting Scenes of Electronic Music in Asia
FY2018
The 3rd International symposium for Media Art "Formation of Culture in the Post-Internet Era: Creation, Production, and Network"
Co-organized with the Arts Council Tokyo (Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture), this international symposium presented these processes of forming culture through three sequential themes: creation, production, and network.
Partner Program with Indonesian Netaudio Festival 2018
Art Exhibition Internet of (No)Things: Ubiquitous Networking and Artistic Intervention and Music Program
We presented a special exhibition and music program in association with Indonesian Netaudio Festival 2018.
Photo courtesy: Indonesian Netaudio Festival
Music Program "Bordering Practice 2019"
Japanese, Filipino, and Indonesian artists took part in a residency in Jakarta where they produced work together, followed by a live performance tour to Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh City, and Hanoi.
[Video]
Bordering Practice 2019―Live performance tour to Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi (YouTube)
[Interview / Asia Hundreds]
"tomad, similarobjects, and Rezky Prathama Nugraha――The Intersecting Electronic Music Scenes in Asia"
FY2017
Partner Program with WSK AXIS 2017
Art Exhibition INTERSTICES: Manifolds of the In-between and Music Showcase "x-pol: Buwan Buwan and Maltine"
We presented a special exhibition and music program in association with WSK―Festival of the Recently Possible which has been held in Manila since 2009.
MeCA | Media Culture in Asia: A Transnational Platform
Co-organized with the TodaysArt JAPAN / AACTOKYO, we presented Media Culture in Asia: A Transnational Platform (MeCA), a comprehensive showcase of new media and digital culture in Asia through an art exhibition, music program, workshops, talks, and an international symposium.
Art Exhibition self-reflexivity: Thinking Media and Digital Articulations
Music Programs "Alternative SOUND + VISION" (WWW) and "Bordering Practice" (WWWX)
Workshop "BioCamp: Gardens as 'Biotechnik'"
We organized an open-call workshop bringing together participants from Japan and all over the world on the theme of art, biotechnology, and culture.
[Report]
「BioCamp: Gardens as 'Biotechnik'」Report
The 2nd International Symposium for Media Art "Art & Technology: Creativity, Education and Archive Environments"
Following the first symposium in 2016, Arts Council Tokyo (Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture) and the Japan Foundation Asia Center organized an international art and technology symposium to provide a forum for networking and disseminating the latest information in the fields of new media art and digital creativity.
Educational Workshops
A program of related events comprising educational workshops offered participants opportunities to experience firsthand the contents of the second International Symposium for Media Art.
- Workshop #1 "Eye2Eye"
Workshop Leaders: SUGANUMA Kiyoshi (Educator, Yamaguchi Center for Arts and Media [YCAM]), YAMAOKA Daichi (Educator, Yamaguchi Center for Arts and Media [YCAM]) - Workshop #2 "Kotoba Shintai" (Language and Body)
Workshop Leaders: SUGANUMA Kiyoshi (Educator, Yamaguchi Center for Arts and Media [YCAM]), YAMAOKA Daichi (Educator, Yamaguchi Center for Arts and Media [YCAM]) - Workshop #3 "Genki Groove: Make a DIY Record Player"
Workshop Leader: Franchesca Casauay (Co-director, WSK: Festival of the Recently Possible) - Workshop #4 "Glitchtape (v. 0.3): Glitch DIY Video Synthesizer"
Workshop Leaders: Andreas Siagian (Artist, Engineer / Lifepatch), Nur Akbar Arofatullah (Scientific Researcher / Lifepatch)
FY2016
International Symposium for Media Art "Art & Technology: Changing Times, Contemporary Trends, Future Platforms"
Co-organized with the Arts Council Tokyo (Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture), this international symposium introduced historical shifts in media art and case studies of contemporary practices.
Art Exhibition Media Conscious' in Asia: Lifepatch Rumah (House) and Halaman (Yard)
Co-organized with NTT InterCommunication Center [ICC], this exhibition examined the cultures in Indonesian communities and applications of technology through the work of the Yogyakarta-based collective Lifepatch.
[Interview / Asia Hundreds]
"Lifepatch: The Natural Affinity between Indonesian Culture and Global Peer-to-Peer Culture"
Music Showcase "Neo Asian Pop Showcase" and Talk Event "Liquid Asian Pop Scene"
This live music event showcased the diverse pop culture of Asia with guest artists from Japan, the Philippines, and the United States. The event also included a talk introducing each region's music scene and community as well as their relationship with netlabels.
Workshop "Make & Play! Slime Synthesizer Sinfonia" and "Make & Play! Catch the Sound of Singapore"
This workshop, held during the 2016 Maker Faire Singapore, was led by two artists whose practices in auditory expressions are unbound by conventional tools and means.
Workshop "Hack the World with Creativity Utilizing Democratized Technologies"
Co-organized with the Institute of Advanced Media Arts and Sciences [IAMAS], this weeklong intensive workshop featured thirteen participants from ten countries.
Official website: https://www.iamas.ac.jp/hack_the_world/
