Art Frontier: Creators Forge New Paths into the Future

Core Kyoto.

This digital art display projects the world view of Zen Buddhism.

Video data of temple buildings and gardens is reconfigured into 3D images through a technique known as photogrammetry.

Accompanied by music, the images fill screens with points and waves in response to visitor movement and sound.

A Zen temple collaborated in the creation of this artistic work to forward the spiritual world which can be achieved through meditation, or Zazen.

We begin to note subtle changes around us
and then realize that we too are changing.

Zazen blurs the lines that usually separate us
from the garden, the interior from the exterior.

Zazen confers the state of mind
to see ourselves as part of nature, but for some this takes time
and can be difficult.

The changes are expressed visually with
musical accompaniment to immerse visitors.

Produced in collaboration with a Tokyo-based company, the work was unveiled at a major digital art event, garnering significant attention.

Using art as a doorway allows us
to capture the interest of more people.

Kyoto is experiencing a transformation through art.

The former capital is recreating its identity as a city deeply rooted in the arts.

Core Kyoto explores how artists are trailblazing a new future for the city.

Kyoto's traditional beauty is communicated using cutting-edge technology.

Artist and professor Tosa Naoko settled in Kyoto after a long sojourn abroad.

She produces digital videos that share the stories and culture accumulated throughout history in this ancient capital.

Her masterpieces focus on creating ikebana through video art, bypassing actual flowers.

Tosa dribbles a paint and glue mixture, and alum beads on plastic film spread over audio speakers.

3, 2, 1, 0!

A high-speed camera captures the images of the paint colors leaping skyward at 2000 frames per second.

3, 2, 1, 0!

This formative art invisible to the naked eye unfolds in three seconds, propelled by a blast of sound Tosa calls "The Sound of Ikebana."

The rule of ikebana is to create a scalene
triangle of humans, heaven, and earth.

We constructed a similar triangle
using the vibrations of sound and liquid, which jumps around
creating an image of a flower.

Tosa discovered the aesthetics of shapes through technology.

Manipulating time, her works capture once-in-a-lifetime encounters with beauty.

The Sound of Ikebana has drawn acclaim both domestically and abroad.

In 2017, it was projected onto 60 outdoor screens for a month in New York's Times Square.

Through the ages, culture and the arts have
always incorporated forefront technology.

Choosing the right form of technology
to capture and express the existence - of new Japanese beauty is foremost to me,
and a theme I feel compelled to embrace.

Tosa reinterprets Japanese culture through the lens of advanced technology.

1, 2!

An air gun is used to strike flowers frozen in liquid nitrogen, that moment is preserved with a high-speed camera.

The work is likened to the spirit of ikebana as it echoes the majesty of life and the transience of beauty through decaying flowers.

Learning from a template, and daring to break away - this, in fact, is how Kyoto's early artists came to invent their own forms of beauty.

Kennin-ji was constructed over 800 years ago.

The Zen temple owns the masterpiece "Wind God and Thunder God" by 17th-century Kyoto painter Tawaraya Soutatsu.

In 2016, Tosa also presented artwork to Kennin-ji.

One is a artwork made to resemble an Indian-ink painting without the use of a single brush stroke.

It uses 1,000 aerial photographs of clouds digitally processed into a single work.

The piece mimics the landscape of an earthly paradise filled with mountains and rivers.

The second is a photo of the 200-year-old tree that once thrived in the temple garden.

This tree originally had a brace,
of course.

Once I erased it using computer graphics,
the feeling of tension was heightened.

To me, the tree stood with great effort,
like a wise old man with his cane.

I added emphasis to this strength.

Only an aged tree, which had survived many a year, could possess such an overwhelming life force, reminiscent of Kyoto's own legacy of beauty both shared and preserved.

When the community first saw "The Wind God
and Thunder God" screens at Kennin-ji centuries ago, they no doubt wondered about a Zen temple
sanctifying such a glittery item.

Yet 400 years later, the artwork
was designated a national treasure.

This unparalleled work was painted by the unparalleled
Sotatsu, using the most sophisticated skills.

Tosa also used cutting-edge
technology in her creations.

In 400 or 500 years' time, they too
might become designated cultural assets.

Art is meaningless without
a universality that transcends history.

The ubiquity emerging
from individual creation - is both paramount and
what gives art its appeal,

allowing it to resonate
with others.

Spring, and downtown Kyoto is awash in artistic color.

Every March since 2018, the prefecture has jointly hosted a contemporary art fair.

The art show features works in galleries, temples, established kimono shops, major stores, and other locations all over town.

The creations are similarly varied to include paintings, 3D artworks, and video performances.

The fair's primary objective is to provide a platform for young artists.

Tsubaki Noboru serves as the fair's director.

He is an experienced and globally attuned modern artist, and also teaches at a university in Kyoto.

Tsubaki feels a sense of crisis in the fact that artists in Kyoto cannot make a living, with the exception of a select few.

I wish we could go back
a few hundred years, when the artist Jakuchu roamed
Nishiki Market and artwork abounded,

as did patrons of the arts.
The "halcyon days" of Kyoto.

Most of the participants are emerging artists introduced through recommendations or recruited through open application.

Works by almost 50 artists are shown and sold at two major venues.

Unlike most fairs in Japan, here the artists themselves offer visitors insights into the interpretation, background, and theme of their works.

- It creates facial images.
- Copyright-free material?

Yes, the images are
automatically generated.

The process encourages visitors to become proactive supporters of the artists.

It's a lake deep in the mountains
where you find limestone caves.

I heard she used a copying
technique that was new to me.

I'm lucky to have engaged
with the artist.

It was fascinating to hear concepts
and learn about the process, especially techniques
not obvious by appearance alone.

Art's not something you buy. It simply
serves as an interface for a story.

That is the most moving part
of the experience.

Conversation with the creator generates value,
so when you purchase a work, the artist's lifestyle and spirituality
accompany the work into your home.

Artist Shinagawa Ryo received a boost to his career after participating in the fair.

A graduate of a local art college, he focuses on painters who were active from the early 1600s to mid-1800s,

reinterpreting their works as modern art.

Shinagawa's work is grounded in gold tooling and other traditional techniques.

He uses acrylic paints and adds simplified images of flowers to bestow a modern aesthetic on Japanese-style paintings.

Now a popular and established artist, his works sell out during his solo exhibitions.

Two years ago, a long-cherished dream came true, he opened his own studio in Kyoto.

Studying in Kyoto left its mark on me.

All the painters I admired worked here,
so I feel "this" is where I must paint.

I want to get closer to them, so for me
working here in Kyoto is a must.

As long as art created here sells, I feel
more artists will decide to settle in Kyoto.

Huge galleries in the West aren't interested
in Japan, but they have an appetite for Kyoto.

For all creators worldwide,
this is "Our Kyoto."

I think Kyoto will succeed
if there is continuity.

If more people find our city awesome,
I'm sure it'll become a global city.

That's the city's mission.

The key issue is providing venues where young artists can shine.

Once that happens, they will bring a new allure to Kyoto.

Another project also supports artists in Kyoto.

The Kyoto Central Wholesale Market is located not far from Kyoto Station.

In 2019, a unique "art hotel" opened nearby.

Originally a warehouse and dormitory for market personnel, the 45-year-old building with five floors above ground and one below has been totally renovated.

The hotel is run on
the dual concept of - a residence where young
modern artists can live and work,

and a tourist hotel where guests
can meet those emerging artists.

It is tough for emerging artists to find lodgings with built-in studio space in downtown Kyoto.

However, as there are few residences in the vicinity of the market, artists can create 24 hours a day without fear of disturbing the neighbors.

Moreover, as the wholesale market is a transport hub, artistic materials and works can be moved in and out with ease.

Rent is comparable to that of a studio apartment.

Most of the nine artists currently residing on the dedicated floor of the hotel are fresh graduates of art colleges.

I felt uneasy about
being dropped into society - straight out of college as the
two environments are so different.

Living alone, I would have been lost
without mentors or colleagues nearby.

I'm fortunate living here.

Securing a place to work
saps their finances and energy, hindering them from immersing
themselves in their work.

Providing an affordable residence and
workspace conserves time and energy.

Ohgisawa, the force behind the art hotel, owns a real estate agency that specializes in arranging shared housing for craftspeople.

Rather than establishing a regular tourist hotel, he aims to make this a hub where resident artists can present their work to guests and the world.

In addition to showcasing the artists' works in its guest rooms, the hotel has a gallery in the basement

where hotel and cafe guests may enjoy the art free-of-charge.

The codes attached to each work link to artist profiles and related social media.

The hotel also archives information on artists who previously resided there.

We also share information on artists
who once lived here and introduce their work.

This system helps bring in more resident artists
and add works of art to our growing collection.

The fact that artists live and
work here is in itself valuable, and needs to be chronicled
within this building or by Kyoto.

Our Internet-linked society allows
us to preserve everything, so we made it our mission to witness
and archive these experiences.

Creating future possibilities for artists - that too is an artistic endeavor.

Collaborating with other artists who happen
to live here is also interesting.

Having a place where you can fully invest yourself
after graduation can transform an artist's life.

I can be an artist thanks to the
support of this residence.

Artists are also a minority.

The city rallying behind people committed
to a challenge adds to its appeal, and is something Kyoto is
uniquely positioned to do.

This major art museum opened in 1933.

Eager to give voice to contemporary art, the museum began sponsoring exhibitions by young artists in 2020.

Kyoto has a long history
and is deeply rooted in tradition.

On the other hand, there is also
tremendous enthusiasm for modern art.

This program is part of a series exploring
how modern and past traditions co-exist - for young artists with a "Kyoto connection."

The museum sponsored an exhibition by Kawato Aya.

Kawato, who spent her formative years in Kyoto, studied textiles at one of the city's art colleges.

At first glance, her works give the impression of being created digitally with computer graphics, but they are actually painted by hand.

Countless, individually rendered colored lines are superimposed in multiple layers in a lattice design.

They become optical illusions depending on the lighting, and the viewer's distance and angle from the work.

Put briefly, my work revolves
around control versus slippage.

When I studied dyeing
and weaving in Kyoto, I discovered that
even for the most proficient craftsman,

dye would run ever so slightly,
or threads would expand and contract, generating beauty
which surpassed human control.

I determined the most straightforward way
to communicate this was - a simple grid format upon which
I would paint layer upon layer.

Beauty emerges from slippage which inevitably occurs despite the artisan's precise handwork.

Kawato's most recent exhibition featured a digitally printed grid as a backdrop to her hand-painted work.

Viewed from afar, the works appear to be flat, generating a slightly odd effect.

On approaching them, viewers realize that the effect emerges from the artist's own brush.

During the exhibition, Kawato used a space facing out for the public to watch her complete work on an installation, as a way to explain the process.

The installation took about a month and a half to complete and covered three glass surfaces.

Kawato used a computer to design her detailed layout and color scheme.

The design was then painstakingly reproduced by hand onsite.

The blueprint included detailed notes, identifying colors and the order in which the lines were to be painted.

She used masking tape to isolate sections, referring to her computer-generated design to confirm color and order.

She carefully applies her brush, intent on keeping each line straight.

Like dyers and weavers, Kawato is engrossed in the repetitive task, persevering to achieve accurate results.

That effort ensures that her painting will express the same beauty reflected in textiles.

Traditional dyeing and weaving
are truly painstaking processes.

Looking at beautiful art created
through mind-boggling effort - might prompt you to consider
the process hopeless.

But it gives me the
self-discipline I need to create.

Kawato also learnt something from creating this installation.

I'm fascinated by the creation of
great depth from a single plane, as it brings in factors beyond my control
to create that ultimate depth,

and I hope to continue
creating from that standpoint.

The Sound of Ikebana artist, Tosa Naoko, announced the completion of her latest work in spring 2022.

The work's theme is the future Buddha, Miroku Bosatsu.

It is believed Miroku Bosatsu will appear in 5.67 billion years' time as our savior in Buddha's stead.

The images lined up before Miroku Bosatsu symbolize our future selves.

The Sound of Ikebana video-concept has been reconfigured, using gravitational pull, into 3D objects made of molten glass that was allowed to droop naturally.

There is a universal beauty
which we all feel.

These glass figures express
that fascination we have - as Miroku Bosatsu
watches over us.

Art continues to metamorphose as the years slip by...

...and individuals continue to create beauty in all its forms.

That timeless artistic spirit binds Kyoto's past to its present, and its future.