Venue Guidebook

Future Theater[Higashi 1-chome Theater]

2124 –Where the Future Begins–

2124 –Where the Future Begins–

Time Travel
If you were asked to imagine the future, how far into the future would you
go? While tomorrow is also technically the future, the future explored at
the Future Theater extends beyond a century. How did people from 100
years ago imagine our “present”? Imagine the future from the present day

Welcome to the Future Theater.

which is linked to the past. Our time travel journey begins here.

Sapporo International Art Festival has renamed the long-standing Higashi 1-chome Theater(former Hokkaido Shiki Theatre) as the “Future Theater,” a hub for the art festival to experience,contemplate, and act on the future through art.
Formerly a space for theatrical productions, the entire facility including the backstage, dressing rooms,
and seating area will become an elaborate stage for the exhibition “2124 –Where the Future Begins–.”
Let us begin our journey into the future.
How will we navigate this world over the next century? Participants will first be guided througha long corridor leading to the stage, traveling into a world 100 years in the future through thesounds of “Time Travel.” Beyond the corridor, the “Landscape of the Future” unfolds across thestage. In 2124, how do we coexist with a new version of nature that has become interwoven
with technology? Will it still be the same regular world, remaining unchanged after 100 years?

Time Tunnel Through Sounds

ukouk
A sound installation in the corridor welcomes you the moment you
step foot in the Future Theater. With dozens of speakers arranged
geometrically on wires stretching throughout the space, a mosaic ofsounds transforms intricately and reverberates towards the exit. Thisart piece focuses on movement and time, establishing the entrance
as the present and the exit as the future. Moving through the corridor
takes time, and every visitor proceeds at their own pace. Fast or slow,
or even standing still - there is no correct answer. Enjoy your journey tothe future through the Time Tunnel at your own pace.

In the stage basement, participants can experience the “Alchemy of Time and Space.” Portrayedby six artists and themed around the future of humanity, “Tales from 100 Years' Time” will be
unveiled backstage.
We will then return to the present.
We are living in the midst of a global climate crisis. The stage “Crisis Now” explores fragments of

KOMAKUSKOMAKUS started his activities in 2019 to explore acoustic
environments, branching from WHITELIGHT, which is known
for its sound design in commercial spaces, concerts, theater,
and the works of musician SUZUKI Akio, poet YOSHIMASU
Gozo, and noise musician TONE Yasunao. KOMAKUS’s work
is rooted in creating decentralized acoustic spaces.

1/10 scale model of the exhibition space

the situation we are facing internationally and the future of Sapporo centered around the life cycleof snow.
Awaiting at the end is the opportunity to take action for the sake of our future at the “Mirai Lab.”

SIAF NFT Stamp Rally ― Beyond Time and Space(Mirai means “future” in Japanese.) By completing this journey at the Future Theater, participants

An interactive art project that invites visitors to encounter a “beyond
time and space” experience through a stamp rally that delves into
getting to know the exhibition artists at the Future Theater. This
project combines the power of art with NFT technology that isoften referred to as “semi-permanent.” It’s very easy to participate―
simply start by scanning a QR code next to each artwork withyour smartphone, and collect NFTs by following the steps. Artist
interviews and additional information are accessible from the NFTs.
You can also browse them after you return home to remember theexcitement of viewing the exhibits. There may even be a secretbonus if you complete the stamp rally......!?

transform into “actors” for the future in this “lab” which was once a seating area.
“Snow crystals are letters sent from heaven.”
NAKAYA Ukichiro
Going forward, how will we receive and respond tosnow, a metaphorical “letter” addressed to us thatconnects the past and future? We believe that themore participants the Future Theater has, the more

SHII Taihei

action will be taken to secure our future. We hope that
Image of NFT Stamp Rally that transcends timeand space at SIAF

the snow falling throughout the festival will set the
backdrop for “where the future begins” for each andevery visitor.

Maru-san by OGAWA Emiko

Join the Stamp Rally andGet to Know the Artists!

Taihei SHII is a contemporary artist and entrepreneur who
started creating works under the theme of art about theInternet Age in 2001. In 2014, while still a graduate student
at the University of Tokyo, SHII founded Startbahn, a company
providing infrastructure to ensure the reliability of artworks
and support the inheritance of their value. In recent years, hehas organized exhibitions in Tokyo, including SIZELESSTWIN(2022) and Moon Art Night Shimokitazawa (2022/2023) while
also working as an artist

Landscape of the Future

Alchemy of Time and SpaceIn the fictional world of novels and anime, multiple versions of the future have been

In the past, alchemists attempted to create gold from other materials through chemical

portrayed, ranging from progressive and bright futures to dark futures where people
struggle to survive in harsh environments. The common theme these diverse ideas allprocesses. Many of the discoveries made along the way formed the foundation of thetechnologies of the present. At times, artists create never-before-seen landscapes

share is “coexistence with technology.” Will robots and machines gain their own will

and phenomena from once familiar materials. Behind this lies continuous pursuit andand autonomy, breaking free from human and electrical dependencies? And how will
the world unfold around us? What will humanity look like?

refinement, intricately entwined with leading contemporary philosophical views andtechnology. They are just like modern alchemists. What does an alchemy of time andspace that remains unchanged after a century look like?

The room beyond the staircase going down to thetheater basement. Upon entering, images of people
walking emerge. Upon closer look, we find that theimages are created by light bouncing off a rotatingmesh-like 3D object. Some people take steps towards
multiple directions, while others exchange places as
they walk. The exhibition room features various works
on display. We have been making history by constantly
taking the “first step” to open new paths and continuing
to move and travel. Encapsulated here are the stories
and time passage that have been passed down.
Amidst an extremely diverse and complex present
time, where are we heading?

Exhibition image Photo: Timothée LAMBRECQ

GOTO Akinori

Where Are We Heading?

Mechanical Creature
Guarding Circulation

In motion

Born in 1984 in Gifu Prefecture, GOTO combines
various techniques ranging from traditional
media and materials to contemporary
technology. His work explores movement,
time, and sense of vitality.

The Invisible Force of Life
Custos Cavum 2011

starting from light coming back to light and othercourtesy of the artist

Custos Cavum
Infinite HoleI want to wither beautifully, with you.

Primitive forms of life such as slime molds, viruses, cells, and pollen
are visualized using intricate glass techniques. Artist AOKI Mika
encountered glass as a material for her work when she was an art
student. Glass turns soft when heated and further into liquid at higher
temperatures. While being transparent itself, it has a unique property ofreflecting light and the surrounding scenery. AOKI found these qualities
of glass to befit her exploration in “what lies between the visible and theinvisible.” With a profound respect for nature, AOKI uses glass to convey
the continuum of life beginning with the birth of the Earth.

Three artworks by CHOE U-Ram, each presenting its own movement,
together create a single installation space. Custos Cavum expands andcontracts as if it were breathing. The mechanical piece from CHOE’s wellknown anima-machine series moves like a living creature. According to
the artist, Custos Cavum is the only conscious presence in the space,watching over a circulatory activity. From the above, petals flutter down
to the floor like falling snow, transform into water, flow into an endlesshole, and eventually rise back into the air. What kind of scenery do you
see in the space?

Commentary From Director OGAWA
The first thing that came to mind when I imagined
the “Future Landscape” was Choe’s work. He
is one of South Korea’s leading artists who has
mentioned Japanese anime as one of the great
influences on his work. The charm of his work
lies in the delicately crafted machines. His latest
creation is the suspended petal art piece. Having
been inspired by the venue, the creation of Red,
set in the audience seats, was proposed by Choehimself. A future landscape where mechanicalcreatures with a soul move autonomously...Will
humans be there? His work will surely lead us intosuch a “Future Landscape.”
Illustration by SAKAMOTO NaoAOKI Mika
her songs are floating 2007

CHOE U-Ram

Photo:KIM Young Jun

Born in 1970 in Seoul, South Korea. CHOE studied at Chung-Ang
University’s Department of Sculpture. He graduated in 1992 andreceived a master’s degree in 1999. Active since the early 1990s,
CHOE became the first Korean artist to hold a solo exhibition at
the Mori Art Museum in 2006. He designs and builds his own
mechanical elements to operate his kinetic works, which question
the meaning of human existence and symbiosis with technology.
CHOE’s meticulously designed works have gained acclaim in
Korea and abroad. He has held numerous exhibitions around theglobe, including in Korea, the United States, Australia, and Turkey.

Photo by KOMAKI Yoshisato

Born in 1981 in Tokyo, raised in Hokkaido, and graduated fromMusashino Art University’s Department of Craft and Industrial Design
Glass Course in 2006, AOKI completed her Master’s degree at theRoyal College of Art in London in 2013. She portrays primitive life
forms using glass, showcasing the invisible force of life. She passed
away in 2022.

Commentary From Director OGAWA
It’s hard to forget the impact when I saw GOTO-san’s masterpiece, thetoki- series, for the first time. Each frame of the animation is 3D-printed
as one interlocked object. The “object” holds time within it when asingle beam of light is projected on it. It’s a simple mechanism, butdoesn’t it look magical? Alchemy is a technique that has existed before

art and science were classified. I think it’s a creative technology uniqueto humans that embodies dreams and desires. I entrusted GOTOsan and AOKI-san with the theme of alchemy as the core essence ofhumanity.

Tales from 100 Years’ Time

What If We Were to Let AI
Manage the Earth?

The world we live in today was shaped by the countless imaginations of those who

Asunder

lived in the past. If the imaginations of 2024 were to create the world of 2124, whatkind of narrative would pave the way for the possibilities of the future? How will
humanity dress and eat, and where will they live? How will they be born and how will
they die? How and with whom will they communicate, what will they use for transport
and to where? What will they believe in, what communities will they belong to, andwhat intelligence will govern their world? Let us unravel the stories of 100 years’ timefrom now told by six artists.

What Should We Leave Behind
After Our Bodies Are Gone?

Asunder Photo: Luca GIRARDINI, CC NC-SA 4.0.

Exhibition views from the The Eternal Network, transmediale 2020.

Echoes From the Valley of Existence

Exhibition image

KARLE’s work is focused on the relationship between
technology and humanity, particularly how technology andbiotechnology impact health, humanity, society, and thefuture. Her artworks offer a glimpse into the potential oftechnology to shape the future and are exhibited in major
museums globally. She was an Artist Diplomat through the
U.S. Department of State, and in 2019, she was named one ofBBC’s 100 Most Inspiring and Influential Women in the World.
She is also involved in a project that launches artworks to theMoon to build a multifaceted archive of life.

Amy KARLE

Artist Amy KARLE combines ultra-contemporary art
with digital technologies such as artificial intelligenceand scientific knowledge, including biology andquantum physics, to probe the ephemeral natureof human existence in a technologically enhanced
future. This new work imagines a future 100 years
from now when the convergence of digital andbiotechnological advancements helps to extend ourlives and offers possibilities to live on in virtual realms
after physical death. Inspired by a solar eclipse, thisinteractive work actively responds to movements,
input, and weather, enabling participants to witness
their bio-digital echoes, where one’s essence beyond
physical departure through technological realms.
Participants also have the opportunity to contributetext and their DNA. Images, text, data, and DNA input
from the artwork will form a multi-faceted archivethat is intended to be launched into outer space andembedded on the Moon in 2026. The work inspires
us to contemplate what we should leave for future
generations when our digital and DNA remains liveon after our bodies disappear.

Tega BRAIN +Creative technology solutions and sound design developed incollaboration with Bartosz Wyszynski and Sefa Sagir, Sponsorshipfrom LifeShip, Support from the Goethe-Institut Irland as part of
the Studio Quantum residency 2023, and all those who made thisproject possible through their generous support, time, knowledge
and contributions.

Fashion designer NAKAZATO Yuima visited a landfill in
Kenya in 2022. Witnessing the massive piles of clothing
lying amongst a variety of debris evoked a sense of despairin him. He also caught a glimpse of the remarkable cycleof life as the focus shifted to the animals scavenging forfood at the landfill. Later, while exploring shell mounds
in Hokkaido, he discovered that people in the Jomon
Period perceived waste differently―they viewed it as away to “mourn life,” burying both the consumer and theconsumed in the same place without prejudice. This
artwork raises questions about our systems of food,clothing, and shelter through a reflection on humanity’s
waste in 100 years.

6 Questions
For the “Tales from 100 Years’ Time” section of the exhibition, I selected six artists toportray a specific theme in 100 years’ time. Enjoy these six different short tales told bysix different artists.

More Information
Commentary on “Tales from 100 Years’ Time” based on keywords and the
Text by SANO Kazuya Supervisor: KUBOTA Akihiro
history of ideas is available online.

・ Amy KARLE, Life and Death・ Xin LIU, Moving and Exploring Space・ Superflux, Communication
・ Tega BRAIN, Artificial Intelligence and GovernanceJulian OLIVER + Bengt SJÖLÉNTega BRAIN is an Australian-born artist and environmental engineer. She exhibits work internationallyand is an Industry Associate Professor of Integrated Design and Media at New York University.
Julian OLIVER is a Critical Engineer, educator, artist, and activist. He has participated in many
events worldwide, including the Japan Media Arts Festival. He received the Golden Nica at Prix
Ars Electronica in Austria in 2011. Bengt SJÖLÉN is a software and hardware designer, hacker, andartist based in Stockholm and Berlin. His work has been presented at various venues, including Ars
Electronica and NTT InterCommunication Center [ICC].

Our planet faces many serious environmental
challenges, and yet, rather than address themwith urgency, we instead prioritize our daily lives,
our economic and political ambitions. What,then, if we were to give a powerful computer theability to solve such complex challenges for us,
and manage the health of our planet so we don’t
have to? In this re-imagined world, ASUNDER
presents solutions that would seem not only
impossible but also quite unacceptable andabsurd: relocating cities and rivers, combining
whole nations, moving forests, and straightening
coastlines. The work does this using state-ofthe-art climate and environmental simulation
technology, a supercomputer, and Machine
Learning image-making techniques. It reveals
what may happen if a supposedly neutral anddepoliticized AI “environmental manager ” were
given the authority to manage the health of
our planet. In doing so, ASUNDER questions
assumptions of computational neutrality, ourtendency toward technological-solutionism,and the ideological framing of the environment
as a system.
The project was commissioned by the MAK for the VIENNABIENNALE 2019.
This edition of Asunder was created with the support of the
Asia Digital Art Exhibition.

Envisioning Food, Clothing, and Shelterin 100 Years Through Modern Day
Waste and Jomon Period Shell
Middens Analogy

Garbage, or Mourning

・ NAKAZATO Yuima, Food, Clothing, and Shelter

Photo: NAKAZATO Yuima

NAKAZATO
Yuima

・ HASEGAWA Ai, Trust and Community
Technical cooperation: Seiko Epson Corporation

Fashion designer born in Tokyo in 1985. After graduating from theRoyal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp in Belgium, NAKAZATO founded
his own fashion label “YUIMA NAKAZATO.” In 2016, he became thesecond Japanese designer in history since MORI Hanae to be selected
as an official guest designer at Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week.
He continues to present collections in Paris, proposing a fusion oftechnology and craftmanship in clothing design. In recent years,
NAKAZATO has also presented a collection of upcycled garments
created from used clothes brought to Kenia from around the world.

Tales from 100 Years’ Time

From Female Body to SpaceAn Adventure on Human /InhumanMultiple Futures

Multiple Futures 2023
3D data CC:River Otter - FW6091 by Oregon State University Ecampus

HASEGAWA Ai
Born in Shizuoka. Artist, designer, and associate professor at Keio
University. Applying practices like BioArt, speculative design, and design
fiction, HASEGAWA delves into contemporary societal issues using
biological issues and scientific and technological advancements as
motifs in her globally exhibited works. Publications include Revolutionary
20XX― Lecture on Speculative Design (BNN Inc., 2020).

The year is 2124, in the city of Sapporo. The forest
ecosystem has drastically changed, and snowfall
only happens once every 2-3 years. Participants
can embark on an adventure as characters throughVR. Perspectives and values around “what itmeans to be human” have evolved in this realm,
and humans have formed communities to worshipanimals that are now extinct. After experiencing anadventure in a world where inhuman values of life
have permeated society, what meaning would corehuman concepts like free will and identity hold once
you remove the VR glasses?
Production cooperation: KYOTO Design Lab, Center for the Possible Futures,
Kyoto Institute of Technology (MIZUNO Daijiro and ONOZATO Taku) and Schoolof Integrated Design Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University

Living in Urban Ruins

The Mothership 2023

Gleaming Bodies
Xin LIU creates an immersive exhibition space resembling awomb-like environment. It references the female womb asa cosmic creator, contemplating the perpetuation of life andthe fantastical possibilities that technology may offer beyond
human existence. Central to the room, which has illuminatedwhite floors that glow from beneath, sits a piece titled The
Mothership that explores humanity’s inherent drive to sustain
and propagate our species. The work is inspired by biologicaland medical innovations such as cryonics and egg freezing, as
well as seed banks where seeds are stored to preserve genetic
diversity for the future. Within the piece, a cooling mechanism isincorporated, causing a delicate layer of frost to emerge on its
surface. This element references scientific research conductedin subglacial lakes in Antarctica and the ice-covered oceansof Jupiter and Saturn’s moons, where exploratory instruments
search for signs of ancient and enigmatic life forms.
Cooperation: MAKE ROOM

Xin LIU

Photo:
Zhaoyin WANG

Born in 1991 in Xinjiang, China. Xin LIU is an artist and engineer. She
graduated from MIT Media Lab with a master’s degree in Media Arts
and Sciences and currently serves as the Arts Curator in the Space
Exploration Initiative at the Lab. She is also an artist-in-residence
at SETI Institute, a not-for-profit research organization focused on
exploring extraterrestrial life. Her recent research and interest centeraround the metabolism of our planet and how it has been affectedby technological infrastructures in the past few decades.

Commentary From Director OGAWA
In response to my inquiry about “transportation and space exploration in 100
years,” Xin LIU produced this work based on the theme of the journey of genes,
evoking the imagery of Noah’s Ark that traverses through outer space. How
would we humans travel in a future spaceship? When I first met LIU, she wasa student at the MIT Media Lab. The artist connects art and state-of-the-art
sciences, such as space science and bioscience, and delves into the questionof “what being human is” in her artistic work.

Superflux
Superflux is a London-based speculative art& design studio renowned for bringing poetic
nuance to the global challenge we face today.
Founded by Anab JAIN and Jon ARDERN
in 2009, the studio’s early work brought
experimental design approaches to new
audiences. Superflux’s provocative, immersive
works have been exhibited globally, including
Barbican, MoMA New York, V&A Museum, La
Biennale di Venezia, and more. The studio has
produced impactful futures work for clientslike Google AI, Cabinet Office UK, Gov. of UAE,
and IKEA. Superflux has received worldwide
recognition and won awards, including Dezeen’s
Design Studio of the Year Award in 2021.
Refuge for Resurgence is part of the CreaTures project (Creative
Practices for Transformational Futures) and has received
funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research andinnovation funding programme.

Refuge for Resurgence, Window View
Concept and artwork: Superflux. Video production: Cream Projects

Refuge for Resurgence, Window View
Look out to the city; much of the old world is now underwater, ruins of the everyday thatno longer exists. It’s a hotter, wetter, more organic city cohabited by all species. Despite
the dystopian origin of the world, if you look through this window and listen carefully tothe sounds that emerge from it, you will find clues that suggest that not only does hope
exist, but it is the foundation of resurgence. Window View from Superflux’s Refuge for
Resurgence is part of a larger installation—a multi-species banquet—that addresses
themes of ecological interdependence and a more-than-human future. It imagines a
new home built on humility, resourcefulness, and imagination. A home strong enoughto weather the storm, to rise from the flood, to endure the heat. Window View offers aview of a world where all species can reclaim their place.

Crisis Now
Poem about Home Composedby Two Poets

In 2023, the term “climate emergency” was used all over the globe, where even “mild”
Sapporo experienced a temperature of 36.3 °C (97.3 °F), marking its hottest day ever inrecorded history. Some experts describe the situation as the era of global boiling. While
humanity is the most recent addition to the Earth’s 4.6-billion-year history, our actions
have now been shown to have drastically impacted the Earth’s geological layers, whichhave undergone gradual change over billions of years. This geological epoch is referred

Kathy JETÑIL-KIJINER +to as the “Anthropocene.” How can we in this modern age perceive the Anthropocene?

Kathy JETÑIL-KIJINER is a poet of Marshallese
ancestry. She received international acclaim
through her performance at the opening of theUnited Nations Climate Summit in New York in
2014. She also founded a non-profit dedicated toempowering Marshallese youth to seek solutions
to climate change threatening their home island.
Aka NIVIÂNA is an Inuk writer. This is her on-screen
debut. She wishes to create conversations throughher poetries focused not only on climate change but
also on colonialism and indigenous people’s rights.

Aka NIVIÂNA

Conflict Between Protection
and Destruction

Rise: From One Island to Another

Rise: From One Island to AnotherIn this video work, Kathy JETÑIL-KIJINER, a poet with roots in the
Republic of the Marshall Islands in the Central Pacific Islands, and
Aka NIVIÂNA, an Inuk writer from Greenland located between the
Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic, recite a poem they created
together. Due to global warming, the Marshall Islands are in dangerof rising sea levels, while Greenland is losing land to melting glaciers.
During the Cold War, the U.S. conducted a total of 67 nuclear tests at
Bikini and Enewetak Atolls in the Marshall Islands, including that of

the infamous thermonuclear hydrogen bomb Bravo in 1954. Against
the backdrop of each country’s beautiful landscape, the artists callfor solidarity in confronting the crisis by reciting to each other apoem that conveys their sentiment for their ancestral lands. These
artists implore us to realize how the threat of climate change is not
the inevitable misfortune of people living in a distant place; it is achallenge that all of us must actively confront all over the planet.

Exhibition supervisor: Greg DVORAK Japanese translation of Rise: SUGA Keijiro Exhibition cooperation: Mayunkiki

Invisible Mountain 2021

Invisible MountainIn the Italian Alps, a project has been conducted since 2008 to slow
down the melting of glaciers. Using tarpaulin to cover the snow on
the mountains from May to June each year reduces snowmelt by up
to 60%. In 2020, 100,000 square meters of glaciers were covered.
Ironically, however, this protective fabric is made of environmentallyhazardous plastic and must be replaced every two years due todeterioration. In this exhibition by environmentally concernedarchitects Giovanni BETTI and Katharina FLECK, a piece of thistarpaulin is suspended from the stage ceiling to form a mountainridge line, indirectly conveying the presence of the disappearing
mountain. Also on display are digital graphics created based on
the colors of snow algae grown due to rising temperatures. As a
new way of representing the changing topography, the images take
into account the flow of melting snow. This installation is createdby the contradiction that actions to protect the environment lead toenvironmental destruction.
Supported by Italian Cultural Institute Tokyo

Life Cycle of a Giant Trees

Giovanni BETTI + Katharina FLECKA Berlin-based architects duo consisting of Giovanni BETTI
and Katharina FLECK. They create works that shed light on thesignificance of architecture as the lines between the natural andartificial are becoming blurred in the era of the Anthropocene whenhumanity is having a major impact on the global environment. They
have participated in international exhibitions, including appearancesat the Seoul Architecture Biennale and the Universität der Künste
Berlin, where BETTI serves as a Guest Professor. They presented
Invisible Mountain at the 17th Venice Architecture Biennale andcaptured the attention of audiences worldwide.

Commentary From Director OGAWA
I first saw this work at the Venice Biennale International
Architecture Exhibition in 2021. Climate change is posing
significant challenges to the Alps, as melting glaciers result in
landslides and avalanches. Efforts to prevent glaciers from melting
attest to the achievements of technological advancement, but theyalso carry a risk of detrimental impacts on the natural environment.
This project visualizes such contradictions and questions.

WORMHOLE
Giant trees in Hokkaido. This is a sculpture carved
from decaying logs over one meter in diameter, using a
chainsaw, field hatchet, chisels, and sanding tools. The
sounds echoing throughout this space evoke decaying
trees. KUNIMATSU Kineta, whose studio is located in
the Tobiu area of Shiraoi, carves images inspired bylandscapes that he encounters during his walks, suchas mountains, rocks, and caves. KUNIMATSU traveledaround Hokkaido in search of giant trees for thisexhibition. Coming across living trees that have stood in
the same place for centuries, decaying and regenerating,inspired him to create a piece built around the concept oftime. A “WORMHOLE” is a burrowed hole made by insects,
also symbolizing a passage between two separate areasof time and space. Actual woodworm holes in the artwork
are visible upon closer inspection. Try imagining thefuture while reflecting on the giant trees that have lived for
decades, if not centuries.

Creation of WORMHOLE at his studio in Tobiu, November 2023.

KUNIMATSU Kineta

Photo:SASAJIMA Yasuhito

Born in Sapporo City in 1977. KUNIMATSU creates paintings andinstallations alongside his main focus on sculptures based on thesilhouette (boundaries) of subjects such as horizons, mountain ranges,
and caves. After graduating from the Sculpture Department of theFaculty of Art and Design at Tama Art University, he has been basedin the Tobiu Art Community in Shiraoi Town since 2002. As part of the
Ayoro Laboratory activities, he continues his fieldwork primarily in theregion known as Ayoro.

Crisis Now

The Flower Stares in Silence

Remains: Vallée de Joux
Quayola has been creating ambitious works via
contemporary technologies inspired by the Western
traditions of landscape painting. The work on view is partof a project entitled Remains and documents the secluded
forests of Vallée de Joux in Switzerland. According to theartist, the project explores the hybridization between
the natural world blending harmoniously with newalgorithmic logics—simultaneously reflecting on pictorial
traditions while fostering contemporary computational
aesthetics and speculating new creative interactions
between man and machine. At first glance, the black-andwhite renderings of the landscape appear to be Indiaink paintings, but upon closer inspection, one realizes
they are composed of countless minuscule polygons
produced through digital processing. The artwork iscreated by capturing the actual landscape with lush
trees using a high-precision 3D laser scanner, resulting
in complex digital renderings printed in large format. The
artist takes the 19th-century painting process, in which
en plein air painters observed the natural landscapes with
their eyes, depicted them with their painting techniques,and pursued and sublimated them into new visualexpressions using today’s technologies.

Red Photo by Jihyun JUNGRed
A flower in bright red—the same color as the seats in the theater—slowly blossoms in full glory and quietly
closes and withers, repeating the process. In ancient mythology, red flowers were thought to represent newlife sprouting from the spilled blood of the gods, and the red flower has a strong presence as if exuding such
power. However, if you strain your ears while staring at the movement, you notice a whisper of somethingrubbing against each other. The petals of the chrysanthemum-inspired flower are made from Tyvek fibers
used to make the protective suits worn by medical professionals who provided support during the pandemic.
The flower is imbued with an image of life and death—belonging to each other and universally present
regardless of place or era—and their circulation.

CHOE U-Ram
See “Landscape of the Future”

The Future of Sapporo
in Numbers

Remains: Vallée de Joux 2018 Photo: Franz WAMHOFLAST SNOW

Prints Depicting Swiss Forests
Captured via 3D Laser Scanner
Exhibition image

Commentary From Director OGAWA
I have met Quayola many times at Ars Electronica, one of my bases of activities.
An artist always in search of new expressive methods, he utilizes leading-edge
technologies instead of paint brushes and paints. For this work depicting alandscape of a Swiss valley, he scanned the entire Alpine environment, which istransforming due to climate change, using a technology called point cloud. When we
think about the question of “how can we address the current crises,” Quayola’s use ofstate-of-the-art technology to illustrate the changing Earth in his work has the power
to convey things that elude human visual perception.

Quayola
Quayola employs technology as a lens to explore the tensions
and equilibriums between seemingly opposing forces: the real
and artificial, figurative and abstract, old and new. Landscapepainting, classical sculpture, and iconography are some ofthe historical aesthetics that serve as a point of departure for
Quayola’s hybrid compositions.
His work has been performed and exhibited in many
institutions worldwide, including the Japan Media Arts
Festival exhibition at the National Art Center, Tokyo. In 2013,
Quayola was awarded the Golden Nica at Ars Electronica.

Wabisabi
A design team formed in 1999 by KUDO “Wabi” Ryohei and NAKANISHI“Sabi” Kazushi, who work in art direction and graphic design. Basedin Sapporo, they work in various fields covering advertising, graphic
design, objet, filmmaking, fashion, and interior design. They have won
numerous awards in Japan and abroad, including the New York ADC
Annual Awards and the JAGDA New Designer Award. They have takenon the role of art director at the Sapporo International Art Festival in2020 and 2024, designing the logos and symbols.

Tasked with the art direction of SIAF2024, thedesign team Wabisabi has chosen snowflakes
or snow crystals as the main visual for thisyear’s theme, “Last Snow.” This exhibition room
connects snow crystals with the future. Featuring
the physicist Dr. NAKAYA Ukichiro (1900-1962),
known as the first person to produce artificial snow
crystals, the exhibition explores the science ofsnow. It further delves into the urban structure of
the snow-centric Sapporo and introduces advanced
research of the Institute of Low Temperature
Science at Hokkaido University, where Dr. NAKAYA
laid the groundwork for the current institution.
Supervisor: FURUKAWA Yoshinori(Director of Nakaya Ukichiro Museum of Snow and Ice)
Cooperation: Sapporo Science Center, Nakaya Ukichiro Foundation, Nakaya
Ukichiro Museum of Snow and Ice, Institute of Low Temperature Science at
Hokkaido University

Mirai Lab*Mirai means “future” in Japanese.

Our journey is coming to an end. This space would typically be filled with an audienceenjoying theatrical performances. It is a place where the crowd would normally looktowards the stage, but today, let us sit in these vibrant red seats that resemble flowers

Connecting through “Drawing”
and “Writing”

as “actors” who create the future. This lab allows participants to experience “tools
for the future” that they write, code, and envision themselves. In the continuous flowof time, actions from the past make ripples into the present, shaping the future. Your
actions after leaving this theater today will influence the world in 2124.

Last Ink

Exhibition image of Last Ink

WacomCo., LtdA leading pen tablet manufacturer founded in Saitama in 1983. Throughthe technology of digital pens, they bring to life various drawing/
writing experiences. Their products are widely valued by creators inover 150 countries and regions worldwide, including film productions
and industrial design studios, designers, and manga artists, as well as
those who enjoy illustration and photo editing as hobbies. In recent
years, their products have been applied in educational settings suchas schools and tutoring schools, in healthcare facilities for electronic
health records, in financial institutions for various application forms,
and for electronic signatures on credit cards. The company has
collaborated with Ars Electronica since 2020.

The foyer and a corner of the theater stage arewhere participants can freely draw and write. Using
crayons, colored pencils, or pen tablets with digitalpens, the space will be filled with their creations.
Drawing and writing―these acts of creation havebeen part of human activity for tens of thousandsof years. Wacom Co., Ltd has collaborated withpartners in conceiving this project with a sharedvision that the accumulation of daily drawings andwritings has shaped history. As one of the Initiative
Partners of SIAF 2024, Wacom invites you tocontemplate how the acts of “drawing” and “writing”
will connect to the future under the theme “Last Ink.”
Ecodesign Cooperation: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd
Cooperation: DSC (Digital Stationary Consortium), BELLSYSTEM24
HOLDINGS, INC., CELSYS, Inc., tamotsu ito architecture office

Snowflakes as You’ve
Never Seen Them Before Creating
Snowflakes through Programming

Write a Letter to the Future with Your AI Pen Pal

Create Your Own Snowflake, Snow FrameWRITING THE FUTURES
This is a web application installation where you can write a letter to “someone in
the future,” imagining what the future may bring by exchanging letters with an Al.
Participants first choose between “Write a Letter to the Future” and “Receive a Letterfrom the Future” on a tablet available at the venue. With the “Write a Letter to the
Future” option, participants can express their hopes and thoughts for the future in
the form of a letter to “Future Someone.” The “Receive a Letter from the Future”
option allows participants to receive an Al-generated letter and respond in return.
These letter exchanges are then transformed into animations and displayed at thevenue. Using a tool that generates “Future Tales” beyond the human imagination,
this exhibit encourages participants to imagine a future society where humanity cocreates with Al.

h.o (h dot o)An artist group based in Europe, Japan, and theU. S. Active since 2000, members come fromvarious backgrounds. With “Sense the Invisible”
as their main concept, h.o works on experimental
projects that bring to light the invisible phenomena
in tandem with the speed of technologicaladvancements. SIAF2024Director, OGAWA Hideaki,
is also a member.

The journey ends with the video art displayed at the venue
entrance. As you approach the screen, various snowflakes
elegantly dance in the world cast by your own shadow. A myriadof snowflakes, each with unique colors and shapes, was createdthrough workshops and open calls using a programming app,
“Create Your Own Snowflake.” Developed by the artist unit
Fujimori, this app allows even beginners to effortlessly designand code snowflakes by plotting dots on coordinates. The
creation of snowflakes was part of the “SIAF School” initiative
involving 11 elementary schools and one middle school in
Sapporo, with a total of 853 students and online participants.
Even the children who initially thought that “Programming looks
difficult” were able to create a one-of-a-kind snowflake, unseen
in nature, using computers.

Exhibition image

Fujimori
A Sapporo-based interactive artist unit formed by the husband-andwife duo FUJIKI Jun and FUJIKI Hiroko. They began their collaborative
work in 2014, naming themselves “Fujimori” in 2019. Each contributing
their unique concepts, Jun handles the interactive design while Hiroko
oversees the visual composition, and they focus on creating participatory
works. They have been active in the local art scene and displayed theirartworks at the Trick × Illusion! exhibition held at the Hokkaido Museumof Modern Art in 2023. Their creative practice extends beyond Hokkaido,
participating in numerous international exhibitions and projects.

Future Theater | Venue Map
Kathy JETÑIL-KIJINER + Aka NIVIÂNA
Superflux

HASEGAWA
Ai

Wabisabi
NAKAZATO

Yuima

Wacom
Co., LtdXin LIU

WacomCo., LtdKUNIMATSU
KinetaCHOE U-Ram

Tega BRAIN +Julian OLIVER +Bengt SJÖLÉNGiovanni BETTI +Katharina FLECK

QuayolaMirai Lab
Fujimori

Amy KARLE

Fujimori
CHOE U-Ram

Entrance
KOMAKUSSHII Taihei

AOKI Mika

GOTO Akinori

Schools in Sapporo City that participated in the SIAF School“Creative Experiments at Schools in Sapporo” project:
Ishiyama Midori Elementary School, Naebo Elementary School, Shinkawa Elementary
School, Shin-Kotoni Kita Junior High School, Shin-Kotoni Minami Elementary School,
Sumikawa Elementary School, Taihei Elementary School, Toyozono Elementary School,
Fushiko Elementary School, Fujino Minami Elementary School, Moiwa Minami Elementary
School, Tanaka Gakuen Ritsumeikan Keisho Elementary School

2124 –Where the Future Begins–
Venue

Future Theater [Higashi 1-chome Theater]

Opening Hours 10:00 – 19:00 (Admission by 16:30)

Dates

Sat, Jan 20 – Sun, Feb 25, 2024

Dates Closed No closures

Organizers: Sapporo International Art Festival Executive Committee, City of Sapporo

Sapporo International Art Festival Executive Committee Office
Sapporo Tokeidai Bldg, 10F, Kita 1-jo, Nishi 2-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, 060 -0001, JAPANSIAF2024
official website