To Members of the PRESS
April 2,2019
Roppongi Art Night Executive Committee

May 25 (Sat) 10:00 – May 26 (Sun) 18:00, 2019
Roppongi Art Night 2019: An art festival staged across Roppongi
An all-night experience showcasing the indescribable power of art to move and delight

Our main artist this year isChoi Jeong Hwa, one of the biggest names in Contemporary Asian Art!
A giant red ball? In Roppongi? RedBall Project coming to Japan for the first time!
From May 25 (Sat) to 26 (Sun), 2019, Tokyo’s Roppongi district will become the stage of Roppongi Art Night 2019, a one-night-only event
organized by the Roppongi Art Night Executive Committee.
Works of diverse artistic disciplines – contemporary art, design, music, video, performance – will appear all over town, and give audience anextraordinary experience. This marks the tenth installment of Roppongi Art Night, which was first held in March 2009. Previous installments havefeatured some of the most important names in contemporary Japanese art, including Kenji Yanobe, Yayoi Kusama, Mika Ninagawa, and Kohei
Nawa. Roppongi Art Night continues to evolve with every installment as Tokyo’s premier celebration of art.
This year’s theme is “Night Journey, Daydream”. The key visual has been designed by groovisions, a design studio that works in graphic design,
motion graphics, and numerous other fields.
For our main artist this year, we invite Choi Jeong Hwa – our first overseas headliner - whose dazzlingand joyous art is sure to make the night a dreamlike event. As shown by the success of his national-scale
undertaking at the Seoul Olympic Stadium, Choi has sought throughout his career to show that art andculture are for everyone to enjoy, not just the privileged few. His colorful artistic world will be awaiting yourvisit.
Roppongi Art Night will feature many other installations and performances that will be staged all acrossthe Roppongi area. More artists and programs will be announced in the run-up to the event, so stay tuned!

Roppongi Art Night 2019 Theme: “Night Journey, Daydream”
Contemporary art, performances, video works, music – various kinds of art can be found scatteredaround the streets of Roppongi. So why not set out on a one-night journey through art? The artworks
adorn the city, creating a timeless, out-of-this-world experience. What dreams await you at the end of
this journey? There are a red ball popping up in the district, a giant balloon, a glowing bird, and afloating stone – a total of some 50 installations and performances from around the world, together
comprising the experience that is “Night Journey, Daydream”.
Roppongi Art Night 2019 Main visualArea-Wide Programs ｜ Choi Jeong Hwa
Choi will present installation works that will connect Roppongi Hills Arena, Tokyo Midtown,
and the National Art Center, Tokyo.
His Fruit Tree – a colorful balloon sculpture composed of fruits and vegetables – will bedisplayed in the Roppongi Hills Arena, turning the venue, which will be hosting a variety ofevents over the festival, into a vibrant space reminiscent of a banquet hall.
■Message from Choi Jeong Hwa:
HAPPY TOGETHER* The above image is for illustrative purposes only.

Photo: Kim Dowon(Profile)
Choi Jeong Hwa was born 1961 in Seoul,
South Korea, where he is also based
today. Besides representing South Korea
at Venice Biennale 2005, he has participatedin art festivals worldwide, including atLiverpool, Sydney, Taiwan, and Lyon. He also
served as art director on the opening andclosing ceremonies ofthe 2018 WinterParalympics in Pyeong Chang, and continues
to broaden his creative horizons.

Everything shines.
Some things shine quietly.
Others shine like stars.
Useless but beautiful things too.
I shine, you shine, cats and old vessels too.
Everything that fills the world dazzles us simply through their existence.
You and I gather and weave those lights together,
So that we can create a bigger and more radiant light.
Not only does art belong to artists,
But rather, art is like capillaries that are seeped into the tissues of our daily life.
Insignificant everyday objects: one fruit, one plate
It is through the existence and expansion of a greater cosmos inherent in each of theseobjects that we shall encounter with one another.
During this night in Roppongi,
I wish that you would encounter the transient moment,
In which light, color, air, and energy will vibrate with life.

1Pre-Program ｜ RedBall Project
The RedBall Project will be hitting the streets of Roppongi as one ofRoppongi Art Night’s pre-festival programs* this year. A brainchild ofAmerican artist Kurt Perschke, the RedBall Project has been to 30
cities across the globe to date, and this is its first appearance inJapan.
Every day from May 20, five days before the main festival kicks off,
a 4.5-meter red ball will pop up in different locations in the Roppongiarea to the delight of city-goers. Wait to find out where the ball willappear!
Further details will be available on our website.
*Pre-Program: an art program exhibited or installed prior to the
opening of Roppongi Art Night 2019.

Installation shot at Chicago

Overview of Roppongi Art Night 2019
■Official Title: Roppongi Art Night 2019
■ Overview: Roppongi Art Night is an one-night art extravaganza staged in the district of Roppongi. The event proposes a pioneering model forurban development as well as a lifestyle that celebrates the enjoyment of art in our everyday lives. Presenting contemporary art,design, music, film, and performances, Roppongi Art Night offers an extraordinary experience. Launched in March 2009, the event isgrowing every year.
■Time & Date: May 25 (Sat), 10:00 – May 26 (Sun), 18:00, 2019
*There will also be “Pre-Programs” – art programs exhibited or installed prior to the opening of Roppongi Art Night 2019 – as well as year-round appraisals andevaluations of the project.

■ Venues:

Roppongi Hills; Mori Art Museum; Tokyo Midtown; Suntory Museum of Art; 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT; The National Art Center, Tokyo;

Roppongi Shopping District; other cooperating facilities and public spaces in the Roppongi area.
■ Admission: Free (however, fee is required for certain programs and museum events)■ Organizers: Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Arts Council Tokyo (Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture),
Minato City, Roppongi Art Night Executive Committee [The National Art Center, Tokyo; Suntory Museum of Art; Tokyo Midtown;■ Support:

21_21 DESIGN SIGHT; Mori Art Museum; Mori Building; Roppongi Shopping District Association]
The Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of JapanWEB:

http://www.roppongiartnight.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/RoppongiArtNight/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/r_artnight

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/roppongi_art_night_official/* Hashtag:#roppongiartnight2019, #ran2019*The content of all programs may change or be canceled.

Appendix: Key visual design by groovisions(Profile)
The design studio groovisions was founded in Kyoto in 1993, and has been based in Tokyo since 1997. Though focused primarily on graphic designand video production, the studio is involved in diverse fields including music, publishing, interior design, fashion and web content, as well as having
its own product line . Outside Japan, it has also participated in numerous fine art exhibitions. As exemplified by its design-your-own “chappie”
characters, which have been used by businesses and schools as mascots, groovisions has been gaining increasing attention for its ventures that are
not limited to one genre. http://groovisions.com/Media Inquiries
Public Relations and Promotion Office, Roppongi Art Night 2019 Executive Committee
Mr. MIKAMI, Ms. KOTANITEL︓03-5774-1420
FAX︓03-5774-1409
Mail︓ran2019@one-o.com

2Roppongi Art Night past events

2009: Kenji Yanobe
Adventures with Giant Torayan

2010: Noboru Tsubaki
Before Flower

2014: Yoshinari Nishio
People’s House: Skirt

2015: Seiichi Saito
Art Truck Project “Hal” “Akebono”

2012: Yayoi Kusama
Love Forever, The Future is Mine!

2016: Kohei Nawa / Seijun Nishihata / daisy Balloon
Main Program

2013: Katsuhiko Hibino
TRIP→Project

2017: Mika Ninagawa
Tokyo Followers1

2018:
Teppei Kaneuji Tower / Kengo Kito hanging colors, broken flowers / UJINO Dragonhead House* The 2011 event was cancelled due to the Great East Japan Earthquake.

Media Inquiries
Public Relations and Promotion Office, Roppongi Art Night 2019 Executive Committee
Mr. MIKAMI, Ms. KOTANITEL︓03-5774-1420
FAX︓03-5774-1409
Mail︓ran2019@one-o.com