Tag: ‘Art’

Gallery of fantastic creatures

06 Jul 2006

Fantastic specimens

Gensou Hyouhon Hakubutsukan ("Museum of Fantastic Specimens") is an online collection of creatures "curated" by Hajime Emoto. The three-story virtual museum consists of 9 rooms chock full of water- and land-dwelling monstrosities from all corners of the globe. (Navigating the virtual museum may be a bit difficult if you cannot read Japanese, so try the links below if you get lost.)

- 1st Floor: Room 1, Room 2, Room 3

- 2nd Floor: Room 4, Room 5, Room 6, Room 7

- 3rd Floor: Room 8, Room 9

- Basement: Shop, Cafeteria

Each specimen has a clickable thumbnail that links to additional photos and historical and background information (in Japanese). The basement contains a bookshop and a cafeteria serving dishes prepared with some of the beasts featured in the museum (such as umiushi sashimi, served fresh from the tank and wriggling on your plate, with a balsamic vinegar sauce).

All of the creatures showcased in the museum are sculpted from paper, modeling paste and bamboo and are completely imaginary, claims Emoto -- perhaps a disappointment for hunters of the legendary tsuchinoko (center photo above) in search of an actual specimen, but an amazing collection of critters nonetheless.

[Link: Museum of Fantastic Specimens]

Daily photos of Japanese intersections

03 Jul 2006

Osaka intersectionAs writer and photographer Chizon-san (from Slow Ahead) wanders the back streets of Japan, he does what most of us do when the sign (and the paint on the road) at an intersection says "stop" -- he stops. But before continuing on his way, he pauses long enough to snap photos capturing the subdued mystery and desolate squalor of Japan's back street intersections in all their mundane glory. He then posts the photos online.

The scenes and moods vary from shot to shot, but all of the photos share a similar foreground featuring the kanji character for "stop" (tomare) in paint on asphalt. With a new photo posted daily and many more stops to make before reaching his goal of 365, there is no telling what might turn up.

[Link]

Warhol endorses TDK

23 Jun 2006

Andy Warhol's TDK videotape commercial (1983), on YouTube.

Things in danger of vanishing…

22 Mar 2006

Things in danger of vanishing because of the Electric Appliance and Materials Law

Nanzuka Underground (Shibuya, Tokyo) has put together an exhibit entitled "Things That Are In Danger Of Vanishing Because Of [the] Electric Appliance And Materials Law." The law, which is set to take effect on April 1, has been widely criticized for its expected impact on the secondhand electronics industry, particularly with respect to musical equipment. Though METI appears to have done some backpedaling to ease the restrictions on certain "vintage" electronics, the concerns remain.

Organized to raise consumer awareness about "the crisis we are facing now," the exhibit features a display of products provided by TURBO SONIC (a secondhand electronics store specializing in products from the 70s and 80s), as well as art work made from numerous parts that belong to the store.

From the press release: "If there is anyone who feels even slightly uncomfortable about the law, we want you to visit the exhibition and hear your voice."

The exhibit runs from March 24 to April 9. Admission is free.

Read the in-depth Nanzuka Underground press release (English/Japanese) for more information.

Electrical Fantasista: Hip technology you can feel

27 Feb 2006

Cutting-edge technology meets art at Electrical Fantasista, an exhibit and series of events held at BankART Studio NYK in Yokohama (Feb 24 ? Mar 14). The exhibit is divided into four zones that explore the future of modern lifestyle.

ZONE 1: Positive Living
Artists and scientists from Japan have created robots and machines that rely on IT to bring comfort to people. The works in this zone fuse art with the latest in technology to evoke true delight, providing a glimpse into the future of relaxation.

ZONE 1 works
- Tabby: Communicative healing IT interior that reacts to voice and touch
- PARO: Interactive seal robot with therapeutic powers recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records
- Co-animation table: Table that anyone can enjoy to create animation
- Mutant Critter: "Skins" that transform things into furry creatures
- Mr. Jones Watches: Series of retro-futuristic watches with a variety of unique functions
- Katazukue: Tidy table that forces slobs to clean up

PARO
PARO, the healing seal robot

ZONE 2: Game Is Life
The "games" in Zone 2 are the stuff that fuels the development of games. But beware, these works of art from Germany and Japan venture dangerously into realms ordinary games only dream to go, which explains why gamers and developers from across the globe are dying to try them out.

ZONE 2 works
- PainStation: Arcade game that exposes the loser to electric heat/shock and lashings
(Note: Due to the possibility of physical harm, play is limited to those who agree to bear full responsibility for any injury incurred.)
- Through the looking glass: Air hockey game that pits you against your mirror image
- MisLeading MisReading: Artificial intelligence message game that uses advanced speech recognition and machine translation technology to translate your spoken words

PainStation
PainStation

ZONE 3: Electrical Lounge

MorphoTowerZone 3 explores new types of experience in optics. Relying on the latest in optic technology, such as LED and sensors, the works in this zone go beyond the flashing of lights to magically stimulate all the senses. Here, visitors experience new forms of comfort and stimulation.

ZONE 3 works
- Kaze-no-michi: Light sculpture that transforms the beauty of wind into light that illuminates the floor
- MorphoTower: Living sculpture of magnetic fluid that continuously morphs into magical shapes
- Fuwa Pica: Sofas that change color when you sit -- soft on the eyes, soft to the touch

ZONE 4: Flash Fantasista
Zone 4 features a selection of interactive art chosen the curators. See http://www.shift.jp.org for details.

(Map to BankART Studio NYK)

[Source: Creative Cluster]

World’s largest jaguar relief unearthed

11 Jan 2006

A giant jaguar relief over 2.8 meters in height was unearthed from the remains of a temple at Huaca Partida in Northern Peru. The temple dates from about 750 BC.


Yoshida and the jaguar relief

The team of archaeologists that made the discovery is led by Koichiro Toshida, 33, an Andean archaeology research fellow with the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. "This is the largest known relief from the ancient Andean civilization, whose ruins commonly feature depictions of animals," Toshida says. The discovery may come to be regarded as a key to unraveling the mysterious origins of Andean civilization.

The Huaca Partida ruins are located on the coast about 400 kilometers north of Lima, the capital of Peru. The temple where the relief was discovered stretches more than 25 meters from north to south, and is over 9 meters in height. The temple consists of a three-tiered platform, on top of which is a cloister and a courtyard adorned with eight columns. Two jaguar reliefs were discovered on the south face of the uppermost platform, and the one on the west side was extremely well preserved. The jaguar relief features a head 1.6 meters in height and a maximum engraving depth of approximately 50 centimeters.

The ancient civilizations of Central and South America revered the jaguar as a symbol of royalty and supernatural power. The jaguar motif of this discovery is consistent with other mythological depictions.

According to Yoshio Onuki, Tokyo University professor emeritus and expert in ancient Andean civilization, "The discovery of a temple in a coastal area that features this degree of embellishment is highly unusual. This discovery calls for a review of the relationship between ruins in mountainous areas and ruins in coastal areas, and will help in understanding how ancient Andean civilization originated."

[Source: Yomiuri Shimbun]