# Nouns x Origami Art: Dissolving Borders from Japan to the United Nations HQ (Ver.2)

**tl;dr Funding $42,339 to place Nouns within universities and hospitals as a larger part of a United Nations initiative. We are pursuing additional funding including Art Council in Japan, which could considerably reduce this budget proposed by 50%+**

*Launching this April — we’re running out of time!*

> **Note:** This proposal is **Version 2 of prop920**.
> This is a resubmission that reflects the feedback we received from the previous round.

![IMG_9030 2](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/HyjflIVrWg.jpg)

# Key Updates in This Resubmission

## ▼ Marketing Element (Listening to Children’s Voices)

As part of strengthening the long-term impact of this project, we will conduct a simple survey with the children who joined the origami project by asking:

- Where would you like your origami art to be exhibited?   
- Who would you like to see your artwork? 

We will use these insights to guide our future outreach and exhibition planning.
This project is not intended to be a one-time event — we are building something that can continue and grow over time.

![Untitled - 2026-02-03 12.45.07](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/SyD5yZkwZg.png)

## ▼ What Matters More Than a Museum Exhibition

More important than exhibiting in a prestigious museum is bringing this work to places like children’s hospitals and elementary schools — where real encounters, learning moments, and opportunities can happen.

In France, we are also planning to present this project at an academic institution.

Our goal is not a one-time event.
We want to create something that stays in the hearts of children with illnesses or disabilities, their families, and medical professionals — and continues into the future.

We believe it is our mission to share with the world, and with the next generation, the **joy of living** and the **role that culture can play**.

We have been continuously involved in children’s hospital exhibitions for the past **[12 years](https://farcaster.xyz/tagawamakoto/0x7c6d280b)**.

## ▼ About Tokyo Tower (World Autism Awareness Day)

On April 2nd, for World Autism Awareness Day, Tokyo Tower will be lit up in blue, and this Origami Project will take place at the same time.

If this proposal is approved, it will be a meaningful opportunity to install **Blue Noggles** simultaneously at both:

- the United Nations Headquarters in Manhattan, and   
- Tokyo Tower in Japan. 

We have been involved in this blue art initiative every year for the past **[10 years](https://farcaster.xyz/tagawamakoto/0xe71e8060)**.

---

# 1. The Mission: United Nations HQ & France 2026

Our goal is to take a grassroots movement born in a local Japanese community and scale it onto the most significant stages in the world. We are carrying the dreams and "proofs of existence" of children in Shizuoka to:

1. **The United Nations HQ (NYC):** A large-scale exhibition to prove that Nouns is a symbol of global peace, inclusivity, and the power of individual voices. 
2. **France (Paris/Poitiers):** Collaborative workshops in European Univercity and [gallery](https://maps.app.goo.gl/gjURVpoSQrXpMKY88?g_st=ipc) communities, expanding our circle of co-creation across the continent. 

![IMG_9032-2](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/H1aDe84rbg.jpg)

# 2. Our Method: Breaking "Boundaries" through Origami Art

To achieve this mission, we use a unique form of "Origami Art." This is not about the traditional craft of folding paper; it is about using 15cm square papers as canvases where individuals draw their dreams, messages, and identities. We then connect thousands of these individual squares to create a massive, unified mosaic artwork.

**The Impact of Our Method:**

- **Children's Hospital (Kirara Class):** We collaborate with children in hospital schools who are physically isolated due to long-term illness. When their art, adorned with Noggles (Nouns glasses), is integrated into a global mosaic, it becomes their "wings" to fly beyond the hospital walls. 
- **Elementary Schools & Global Friends:** Last year, a Costa Rican artist joined students at Denbo Elementary School in Fuji City. Despite the language barrier, they created art together on these small squares, naturally dissolving the psychological walls between "local" and "global." 

We want to tell these children: **"No matter where you are or what your condition is, you can connect with the world if you have friends."**

![１Untitled-design 2](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/ByC9-LVr-g.jpg)

Article of Newspaper [https://news.at-s.com/article/1811168](https://news.at-s.com/article/1811168)

# 3. The Origin: A Challenge Born from a Small Studio

This mission is rooted in a journey that began during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a small studio in Shizuoka, while the physical world was locked down, we discovered the pioneering power of the internet and Web3 (Nouns) to nurture encounters across borders.

Even while physically confined, we took a leap into the unknown. By continuously sharing our thoughts and artworks from our studio in Numazu and public spaces like [CCC](https://www.c-c-c.or.jp/en) (The Center for Creative Communications) in Shizuoka, we earned the trust and empathy of people across the ocean. The "Origami Art" that started in a local studio has now grown into this miraculous opportunity to exhibit at the United Nations.

# 4. Our Team: Multinational Solidarity Bound by "Aspiration"

This project is a testament to the fact that "aspiration" transcends ability and language. We are a team of friends who met through audio-based social spaces (X Spaces) and share a common dream.

- A translator in Kansai who supports us because we are not fluent in English. 
- Friends in the US, France, and Costa Rica who gather under the motto: "Let's share the same dream." 

Our teammates are more than "helpers"; they are core members who find joy in the act of co-creation. This multinational solidarity — transcending language, borders, and physical distance — is the very essence of what it means to be "Nounish."

# ５. Detailed Mission Budget (USDC)

To execute these large-scale international exhibitions and direct on-site workshops, we require the following operational budget (1 USD = 156.38 JPY).

- **Team Contribution:** We will allocate **0.4 stETH (approx. 1,300 USDC)** — a portion of the 1.03 stETH retro-grant received from [LilNouns](https://lilnouns.camp/proposals/352) for our previous mural production — directly into this project's budget. This demonstrates our commitment to maximizing the impact of this mission through reinvestment. 

## Phase 1: NYC & UN Exhibition Activation (26,181 USDC)

| Item                     | Details                                                           | Amount (USDC) |
| ------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------- |
| Global Mobilization      | Specialized team deployment from Japan to NYC (3 members)         | 4,220         |
| On-site Activation Base  | 11-day field operations, coordination, and installation residency | 4,923         |
| Intl. Logistics & Ops    | International art shipping (JP to NY) and on-site transport       | 1,918         |
| UN Exhibition Production | Display materials, printing, and Noggles mosaic art               | 2,558         |
| Project Execution        | Adjusted fee for 3 core members (Lead, Art, Strategy)             | 5,463         |
| Media Production & Dev   | Documentary filmmaking, exhibition website, and PR assets         | 5,755         |
| Mandatory Operations     | Insurance, administration, and essential processing fees          | 1,344         |
| Subtotal                 |                                                                   | 26,181        |

## Phase 2: France & Europe Collaboration (17,458 USDC)

| Item                    | Details                                                        | Amount (USDC) |
| ----------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------- |
| Global Mobilization     | Specialized team deployment from Japan to France (3 members)   | 4,220         |
| On-site Activation Base | 9-day field operations and regional residency (Paris/Poitiers) | 3,453         |
| Regional Logistics      | EU regional rail (TGV) and site-to-site art transport          | 1,279         |
| Workshop Production     | Professional materials and Noggles mosaic art                  | 1,279         |
| Project Execution       | Adjusted fee for 3 core members                                | 5,812         |
| Mandatory Operations    | Insurance, administration, and essential processing fees       | 1,415         |
| Subtotal                |                                                                | 17,458        |

**Total Request: 42,339 USDC**

![無題 - 2026年1月14日 15.19.18](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/Hk_0A9HBbe.png)

"ROADMAP" 

# 6. Conclusion: Turning Isolation into Pride

Through this project, we aim to transform "isolation" into "pride." When a child in a hospital bed sees their drawing at the United Nations, the world changes for them. By integrating Nouns into this journey, we establish Noggles as a global icon of hope and creativity.

![IMG_9033 2](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/HyT3xI4rWl.jpg)

**"Doing what we can, with those we trust." Join us in dissolving the borders of the world.**

![IMG_7921-2](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/SkLnS_vrWx.jpg)
![IMG_9197](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/HJKQbZpr-l.jpg)

Outcome: DEFEATED