Forest of Media Arts
Venue Guidebook

Sapporo Art MuseumWelcome to the“Forest of Media Arts”

Maywa Denki NONSENSE MACHINE in Sapporo
The Sapporo Art Museum will be hosting two exhibitions withthe theme of the “Forest of Media Arts” as part of the Sapporo
International Art Festival 2024 (SIAF2024) experimental zones for

The “Nonsense Machine,” developed by Maywa Denki, consists offuture winters.

unique shapes and fascinating mechanisms. An overview of theVisitors can experience and play with a variety of amusing Nonsenseexhibition focusing on four of their major series can be found below.

Machines at the “Maywa Denki NONSENSE MACHINE in Sapporo”
exhibition. This is a unique opportunity to witness the talent of thenumber one entertainer in media arts, from the conception to theINTRODUCTION

development of a new future that transcends common sense.

In May 1993, TOSA Novmichi and his older brother Masamichi formed theartistic unit Maywa Denki. With their signature blue workwear look, Maywa Denki

While the verdant city of Sapporo may seem irrelevant to the fields ofcreates various Nonsense Machine products, showcasing them in livemedia arts and technology, there is in fact a deep connection between

performances and exhibitions both locally and internationally. Novmichi

them. The exhibition “Did you know that Sapporo is a UNESCO Media

succeeded former president Masamichi as CEO of the company upon hisArts City?” unravels the synergy between the city and media arts,

retirement in April 2001. In March 2019, they opened their first official store,

shedding light on technology and creative industries in Sapporo.
Join us on a journey through an enchanted forest filled with art,

“Maywa Denki Akihabara.” The company celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2023.
Photo: MITSUHASHI Juntechnology, and music.

VOICE MECHANICS Series

About Sapporo Art Museum

The “functionality” and “magicness” of voices

The Sapporo Art Museum is built in a cultural complex, the Sapporo Art Park, nestled in thegreen hills of southern Sapporo. As a vital center for promoting cultural and artistic activities inDespite their simple structure, vocal cords function as a unique instrument

the creative city of Sapporo, the museum engages in various projects that contribute toproducing a wide range of pitch and vocalization. Voices possess an

nourishing people’s imagination and creativity alongside the well-being of the city.

element of magicness that stirs emotion, much like how hearing a joyful
voice makes you feel happy. The origin of the VOICE MECHANICS Series
lies in the ventriloquist doll Savao. Savao later evolved into Seamoons, asinging machine with an artificial vocal cord. Building on Seamoons
technology, best-selling creations such as Otamatone, Wahha Go Go, whichmimics laughter, and Dingo, which reproduces dog barks, were born.

Seamoons, 2004TSUKUBA Series
An electric musicalinstrument of substance,
not information
As the internet advances, music has moved away fromsubstance (=musical instruments) and is now treated asdigital information. The TSUKUBA Series, in contrast, uses
a 100V electric current to physically produce soundthrough electromagnets and motors. Examples include
Pachi-Moku, where a switch moves the drumstick to play
the mokugyo (fish-shaped wooden drum), and Koi-beat,
Guitar-la (now naming), 1994

where a switch generates electronic rhythm patterns.
Numerous manual and automatic Nonsense Instruments
have been developed from these two instruments. Livestage performances have also been a perfect medium toPachi-Moku, 1993

showcase these instruments in action.

Maywa Denki’s Concept of “Nonsense”
Nonsense is the exploration of the world driven by questions and curiosity, discovering a new common sense
within. TOSA Novmichi demonstrates nonsense through meticulous research and numerous sketches, convertingthem into Nonsense Machines.

Discovering the Seeds of “Nonsense” The Nonsense Way of Thinking
The nonsense way of thinking is an idea based on the “nonsensicalproduction process” of Maywa Denki. Join us in exploring the feelingthat sparks nonsensical ideas within you.
1

Write in B two things you touched since you woke up this morning.

What am I?

2

Add “nonsense” twice in A .

3

Write down two words in C describing what you imagine when combining “nonsense”＋ B .

4

Draw in D a “nonsense” image of what you imagined from the two words written in C .

“What am I?” TOSA Novmichi was confronted with this meaningful question asa student. Delving into his nightmares about fish in his childhood, TOSA drew
books about fish, studied biology, and researched tools associated withanimism to engage with this question from an artistic, scientific, and religious

Nonsense Idea Drawing Boardperspective. The NAKI Series is in actuality the reason that Maywa Denki wasformed. The lineup ultimately produced 26 products, and products such asA

Na-Cord were mass-produced from the NAKI Series.

Yumi-Na 1-go, 1992

EDELWEISS Series
What is Femininity?
“What is femininity? What are the behaviors of biological males and females?” Thesequestions drove TOSA Novmichi to express his emotional inspiration using flowers as
a symbol, exploring keywords related to women such as the uterus, genes, surfacelayer, fashion, eros, and maternity. Based on these emotions, TOSA wrote the fairy tale
“EDELWEISS PROGRAM,” adding illustrations and creating Nonsense Machines fromthose images. The Nonsense Machines are part of an on-going project linked to thesix scenes of the narrative.
Crying Sheep Clock, 2007

TOYS

LIBRARY

Nonsense Machines, designed for everyone to enjoy, will be

The original sketches behind the inspiration of Nonsense

available at the gift shop along with original merchandise

Machines will be on display. Visitors will get a glimpse intofrom Maywa Denki.

the creative process of how their ideas come to life.

Otamatone

Image of past exhibition

DBC

Photo: MITSUHASHI Jun

NAKI SeriesFour Creators Connected to Sapporo

Did you know that Sapporo is a UNESCO Media Arts City?
SNOW MIKU (CRYPTON FUTURE MEDIA, INC.)

What is a “City of Media Arts”?

AThe title City of Media Arts refers to cities that aremembers of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in thefield of Media Arts. The network comprises seven creative fields
like Gastronomy and Music. Sapporo was granted membershipin 2013 as the second city globally and the first in Asia to join thefield of Media Arts. Currently, 22 cities in 21 countries are part ofArt by KEI © Crypton Future Media, INC. www.piapro.net

the Media Arts network. The interpretation of Media Arts varies
amongst cities, for example, Lyon (France) focuses on art, York(UK) specializes in industry, and Linz (Austria) incorporates both
▲ “Sapporo Snow Festival 2023” SNOW MIKU Projection Mappingaspects comprehensively.

© Crypton Future Media, INC. www.piapro.net

Industry

ArtContemporaryArtTechnologyMediaArtMedia Arts(=Media Geijyutsu)(Agency for Cultural Affairs,Government of Japan)

What is “Media Arts”
in Sapporo?

APedestrianSpaceasone medium for expression.

ISHII Hiroshi, a Sapporo native and professor at
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT),has developed “Tangible Bits,” a technology thattransforms intangible digital information into
tangible user interfaces. He seeks to makeprocesses physically graspable in the often-elusive
digital world and aims to generate new interaction
among people.

The City of Sapporo believes that the ideas of the people
create the city. Since the “Sapporo ideas city” declarationin 2006, the City of Sapporo has focused on creative urban
development, attracting numerous companies in IT, information
media, and content industries. Sapporo’s designation as a City ofMedia Arts became a reality through furthering initiatives that
promote the spontaneous creativity of citizens in the field ofmedia content.

Photo: KIOKU Keizo
Photo Courtesy: IT media

Yukikaze Technology is a team of middle and highschool students based in Sapporo competing at
global robotics competitions. The students handle
everything from fundraising resources to PR andworkshops, even building and managing the teamthemselves. Maintaining the organization roots
them in the local community, providing opportunities
for science education through technology andserving as a learning platform for both robotics andorganizational management.

Super Teens Creating Robots and Organizations

UndergroundResearcher Connecting the Digital and the Human

theWhy is Sapporo a “City of Media Arts”?

Image of SIAF2014 exhibition at Chi-Ka-Ho ▶
(Sapporo Ekimae-dori Underground Pedestrian Square)
A.P.I., CIRCUMPOLAR-PHOENIX, 2014

Yukikaze Technology

ISHII Hiroshi + Tangible Media Group | MIT Media Lab

Recognizing familiar infrastructure like Odori Park

◀ The definition of Media Arts established by the City of Sapporo
is based on the Exploratory Research Survey on the Potential
Needs of Utilization of “Media Arts” in Industry and the Cultivationof Human Resources for Industry (2016).

A*German for “rascal, mischievous”**An audio-sharing service established in Germany

blending art with a wide range of fields

intersections of creativity, the entire city is seen asEntertainment

HATSUNE MIKU is a virtual singer developed by CryptonFuture Media (Sapporo). Since the release of thesoftware in 2007, numerous songs have been written byusers, sparking a global wave of creative works thattranscends various fields. SNOW MIKU was born fromthe creation of a pure white snow sculpture of HATSUNEMIKU during the 2010 Sapporo Snow Festival. SNOWMIKU has since become the centerpiece of the “SNOWMIKU” festival in Hokkaido. Costume designs for SNOWMIKU are chosen through a contest every year based ona theme, encouraging fan collaboration and ignitingexcitement for the winters of Hokkaido.

The City of Sapporo defines “Media Arts” assuch as industry, technology, and urban space.
and“Media Arts”
in Sapporo

LAUSBUB* is a New Wave/Techno-pop band thatformed in Sapporo during high school. Due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, they began producing andstreaming music that could be created from home.
“Telefon” was released in 2021 and ranked no. 1
on the global weekly charts on SoundCloud**.
Online platforms have empowered individual
creators to connect globally, enabling LAUSBUB tostream their music from Sapporo to the world.

Sounds of the Rascals that Crossed the Ocean

Captivating the World
Virtual Singer’s Voice3 Things to Know About Sapporo, City of Media Arts

LAUSBUB

Sapporo Art Museum | Venue Map

Exhibition Room

Exhibition
Room B

Entrance
Maywa Denki NONSENSE MACHINE in Sapporo

Did you know that Sapporo is a UNESCO Media Arts City?

Forest of Media Arts [Maywa Denki NONSENSE MACHINE in Sapporo / Did you know that Sapporo is a UNESCO Media Arts City?]
Venue:

Sapporo Art Museum (2-75, Geijutsunomori, Minami-ku, Sapporo)
Exhibition Room: Maywa Denki NONSENSE MACHINE in Sapporo / Exhibition Room B: Did you know that Sapporo is a UNESCO Media Arts City?

Exhibition period: Dec 16, 2023 (Sat) – Mar 3, 2024 (Sun)
Opening hours:

9:45 am – 5 pm (Last entry 30 mins prior to closing)

Closed:Mondays (Closed the following day when Monday falls on a public holiday or substitute holiday), Dec 29 (Fri) – Jan 3 (Wed)Organizers: Sapporo Art Museum (Sapporo Cultural Arts Foundation), Sapporo International Art Festival Executive Committee, City of Sapporo
Special cooperation: The Sapporo Television Broadcasting Co., Ltd. (Maywa Denki NONSENSE MACHINE in Sapporo)

Sapporo Art Museum
websiteSapporo International Art Festival Executive Committee Office
Sapporo Tokeidai Bldg, 10F, Kita 1-jo, Nishi 2-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, 060-0001, JAPAN@SIAF̲info@siaf2014info@siaf̲info

札幌国際芸術祭/SIAF

https://2024.siaf.jp
SIAF2024
official website