July 11, 2024
No.2024-011

The Japan Pavilion at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition,
La Biennale di Venezia“IN-BETWEEN – A Future with Generative AI”
To Be Curated by Jun Aoki
The Japan Foundation will organize the Japan Pavilion at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition, La
Biennale di Venezia, to be held in Venice, Italy, from Saturday, May 10, to Sunday, November 23, 2025.
The outline of the exhibition has been decided and is announced below.
■ Outline of the Japan Pavilion at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition—La Biennale di Venezia
Title: “IN-BETWEEN – A Future with Generative AI”
Organizer/Commissioner: The Japan Foundation
Curator: Jun Aoki (architect and Director of AS Co., Ltd.)
Curatorial Advisor: Tamayo Iemura (Independent Curator and Professor at Tama Art University)
Exhibitors: Asako Fujikura + Takahiro Ohmura
SUNAKI ( Toshikatsu Kiuchi and Taichi Sunayama)

Concept image of renovation of the Japan Pavilion in Venice ©Asako Fujikura + Takahiro Ohmura■ Overview of the 19th International Architecture Exhibition—La Biennale di Venezia
Dates: Saturday, May 10, to Sunday, November 23, 2025
Venues: Giardini, Arsenale, and other venues in Venice
Curator: Carlo Ratti
Theme: Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective.
Official Website: https://www.labiennale.org/en

Press inquiries :The Japan Foundation, Public Relations Department: Kumakura (Ms.), Ozutsumi (Ms.),
Tel: +81-(0)3-5369-6075 / Fax:+81-(0)3-5369-6044
E-mail: press@jpf.go.jp

July 11, 2024
No.2024-011■ Jun Aoki
Born in Yokohama, Japan, in 1956. Graduated from the Universityof Tokyo in 1982. After working with Arata Isozaki and Associates,
founded Jun Aoki & Associates (reorganized to AS in 2020).
Subsequent works have included <Mamihara Bridge>, <Fukushima
Lagoon Museum>, <Aomori Museum of Art> (Architectural Instituteof Japan Annual Award), <Louis Vuitton Nagoya Sakae>,<Omiyamae Sport Center>, <Miyoshi City Holl KIRIRI> and <Kyoto
Municipal Museum of Art (Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum)>(collaborated with Nishizawa Tezzo, Architectural Institute of Japan
Annual Award). Director of Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art (Kyoto
City KYOCERA Museum). Professor emeritus of Tokyo Universityof the Arts.
Photo: Kai Maetani■ Curator’s Statement
Amid exponential advances in digital technology, the whole world is currently gripped by fear that inthe very near future, generative AI will completely change the facets of our society, our environment,and even our own minds. In particular, it seems that with the proliferation of social media and otherdigital technology, Japan is heading straight toward a politically correct, one-size-fits-all, mediocre
society that is merely defined by a lack of mistakes or flaws.
It is true that generative AI gives the answer with the least error derived from the synthesis of existing
data, and we tend to perceive that as the “correct” answer. However, if we continue down that path,what awaits us is a society in which humans defer to generative AI and it, rather than humans, is thesubject.
Nonetheless, Japan has a history with the concept of ma or “in-between space.” Beyond its literalmeaning of a gap or interval, ma originally referred to the tension contained in the responses(dialogue) between two things and the concept of that tension potentially behaving as an imaginary
subject. If we follow that tradition, it may be worth taking a chance on predicating the imaginary “inbetween”, “dialogue” between humans and generative AI, rather than one or the other, as the subject,and putting such an attempt into practice is precisely what is proposed by the theme of the exhibition.
Humans make mistakes, but so does generative AI. Perhaps, interactions between those mistakes
will give birth to original “creation” belonging neither to humans nor to AI. The idea is to try establishingproductive ways of interacting with generative AI while it is still in its earliest stage and to apply themto directing its future evolution.
The Japan Pavilion itself will be the target of such an effort. Multiple components of the pavilion will
be placed under the influence of generative AI, and the Japan Pavilion will be both fictionally andactually “renovated” through the strained dialogue with it as an attempt to reveal subjectivity “inbetween” humans and generative AI.

Press inquiries :The Japan Foundation, Public Relations Department: Kumakura (Ms.), Ozutsumi (Ms.),
Tel: +81-(0)3-5369-6075 / Fax:+81-(0)3-5369-6044
E-mail: press@jpf.go.jp

July 11, 2024
No.2024-011■About the commissioner
The Japan Foundation (JF) is Japan's only institution dedicated to carrying out comprehensive
international cultural exchange programs throughout the world. The Japan Foundation wasestablished in October 1972 as a special legal entity supervised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. InOctober 2003, it was reorganized as an incorporated administrative agency. The Japan Foundationhas 26 overseas offices in 25 countries. To cultivate friendship and ties between Japan and the world,
the Japan Foundation creates global opportunities to foster friendship, trust, and mutual
understanding through culture, language, and dialogue. Since 1976, the Japan Foundation has beenorganizing the Japan Pavilion at both art and architecture exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia. On
the occasion of 70th anniversary of Japan’s official participation in the International Art Exhibition ofLa Biennale di Venezia, Japan at the Venice Biennale 1952-2022 is published by Electa.
■Images for press use of the Japan Pavilion at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition– La Biennale di Venezia
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For inquiries, please contact Ms. Kumakura or Ms. Ozutsumi at press@jpf.go.jp
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Asako Fujikura + Takahiro Ohmura,Fixing Garden, 2022-SUNAKI, Shodoshima House,2022 ©Kaori Yamane

Asako Fujikura + Takahiro Ohmura,Trans-prompt, 2023

SUNAKI, Shodoshima House,2022 ©Kaori Yamane

SUNAKI, Shodoshima House,2022 ©Kisshomaru Shimamura

Press inquiries :The Japan Foundation, Public Relations Department: Kumakura (Ms.), Ozutsumi (Ms.),
Tel: +81-(0)3-5369-6075 / Fax:+81-(0)3-5369-6044
E-mail: press@jpf.go.jp