The Tokyo Olympics are about to open, and people from all over the world are eagerly anticipating this long-delayed sporting event. The Japanese authorities are also taking this event very seriously, not only ensuring that the competition venues, transportation, and athletes’ village are well-prepared, but also putting a lot of effort into the immigration experience!
The Japan Cultural Agency invited MOMA’s senior curator Paola Antonelli, along with eight Japanese artists, to create a series of installation art and video works on the theme of “VISION GATE.” They are located at major airports in Japan and the Tokyo International Cruise Terminal, welcoming visitors from all angles and guiding them to a deeper understanding of Japanese culture through each piece!
“Crowd Cloud” is one of the most prominent large-scale art installations, created by artist and experience designer Suzuki Yuri, along with sound artist and composer Hosoi Miyu. They believe that sound serves as a bridge to fill gaps and can alleviate the sense of unfamiliarity for foreign visitors. The piece uses Japanese sounds to create a unique musical composition. When the horns converse with each other, the sounds resemble a musical performance, welcoming the visiting guests.
“The Theme Park Tokyo” is created by the Japanese manga artist Acky Bright. Brigh’s works are mostly black and white, yet they have a dynamic style similar to graffiti. The artist uses modern manga techniques to draw city images of Tokyo waiting for passengers outside the airport. Tokyo transforms into a theme park, welcoming travelers from around the world.
Artist Kodama Sachiko, with a background in physics, elegantly showcases liquid in his work, where precise geometric rotations mesmerize viewers. In this image, he dyes dark-toned solvents with red fluorescent paint, making moving objects appear as if coated with lacquer, demonstrating the fusion of traditional Japanese lacquer and science.
Hitoshobu (One Shot) created by Jun Inoue. Inoue began learning traditional Japanese calligraphy from a young age, later developing a love for hip-hop and graffiti in the city. Although both involve using wrist strength to create, the expression shifted from calligraphy to graffiti, from scrolls to walls. The artist feels that live graffiti awakens the self within. In this visual piece, his powerful brushwork interprets a tense relationship between the past and the present.
PARTY is a creative advertising company that successfully combines technology and imagination to showcase the Earth’s plight through visual effects. The images in the video appear as if they were taken by a satellite of the Earth’s surface, with layers of colors overlaying each other, creating an effect similar to the traditional Japanese “Golden Repair” technique, where damaged parts of ceramics are decorated with gold powder, allowing the beautiful object to continue. By displaying melting Antarctic glaciers due to global warming and forests disappearing due to wildfires, the artists express hope that human willpower can also repair the damaged Earth.
This work was created by Mogi Monika, combining elements of the artist’s fascination with otherworldly realms, Japanese natural landscapes, and the idealization of women. Shot on location at the famous Oowakudani in Hakone and the Kiyosumi Teien in Gunma, the entire film was captured using a handheld 16mm film camera. The video features a full moon, traditional musical instruments, women in kimono, and young girls wearing Western-style dresses made from modified kimono fabric, all of which subtly hint at the artist’s observations on the transformation of traditional female imagery.
This work transforms scenes from the classic Japanese historical text “Kojiki” into digital illustrations. The people in the video are performing purification rituals around water, a practice that goes beyond just physical cleansing in today’s world where disinfection has become normalized. “Purification” in this context also refers to the removal of spiritual impurities, a concept highly valued in Shinto rituals, tea ceremonies, and other traditional cultural practices. Mariko’s work often incorporates Japanese traditional customs into her diverse creations, projecting the essence of Japanese culture through innovative visual imagery.
The works exhibited at “VISION GATE” not only showcase the charm of contemporary art, but also lead the audience to explore the traditional and trendy culture of Japan. “VISION GATE” made its debut in February this year, riding on the wave of people brought by the Tokyo Olympics, allowing more people to feel the charm of Japanese culture as soon as they arrive in Tokyo. However, welcoming the Tokyo Olympics is just the beginning. Let’s take this opportunity to appreciate the rich content of Japan in literature, visual arts, music, and design beyond sports!
Source: Japan Cultural Department
