Tanegashima Light Festival 2024

Yasuhiro Chida (Japan)

Active in various places around the world, especially in Europe. Produces spaces which appeal to somatic sensations with familiar materials and large amounts of manual labor. Has participated in approximately 200 exhibitions, mainly at the largest art festivals and light festivals in various countries. Leads the world of light art by touring Europe with large retrospective exhibitions such as Artdex's "9 Brilliant Light Artists of the World (2019)," the U.S. optical magazine OPTICA's "8 Artists Inspired by Light (2022)" and Fete des lumieres (2021).

Anni Laukka (Finland)

A visual artist who works in various forms of art. Dedicated to producing sculptures and installations using unconventional materials and pieces which create special shadows. Currently working on an art project which addresses the distress of children during war.

Ailo atelier (France)

Anna-Eva Berge (France): Visual Artist
Founder of the A.I.L.O. art group. Her sculpture-like installations using precisely controlled light, sunlight, mirrors, glass and steel produce contrasts between strength and fragility and between opacity and profundity to envelop the viewers and lead them into another world.

FABRICE LEROUX (France)
After working as an actor and director, studied photography, video, sound and digital technology. Always seeking new mediums. Continues to learn on his own. Produces his own sound works while providing technologies in many areas. Has been in charge of sound design and digital technology since the foundation of A.I.L.O.

Onionlab (Spain)

Onionlab is a composite studio. It directs and produces audiovisual installations and exhibitions. Based in Barcelona, the studio is active worldwide. Aesthetic attention to detail and technical innovation are at the core of the studio. This studio also excels at fusing space and content.

YANGBANS (South Korea)

Yangbans is a music band consisting of Lee Jihoon (keyboard), Nugi (bass), Jun Bum Sun (vocals), Ddalgi (drums), Yoon Sungho (guitar) and Hak (visuals). Transcending genres, the band embodies the elegance which symbolizes the harmony between nature and the universe; that is, the Korean spiritual tradition which reflects the rhythm of the universe. Like the wind and the stars, their music crosses boundaries and flows freely. The band blends tradition and innovation to explore the meaning of human's existence in an infinite universe.

Jun Kosaka (Japan)

1990: Graduated from the School of Architectural Engineering at Osaka University
1992: Completed a course in the Department of Architecture in the School of Fine Arts at the Graduate School of the Tokyo University of the Arts
1994 to 2000: Responsible for the cover illustrations of SF Magazine (Hayakawa Publishing)
2004 to 2014: Permanently exhibited the "Moving Blocks" interactive piece at Okinawa Wonder Museum
2006: Permanently exhibited four pieces at Sony ExploraScience (Beijing) and participated in the production of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's "DIAGRAM OF OUR UNIVERSE 2007" piece
2007: Won the Bronze Award at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2007 (winning piece: "4D2U Navigator")
2010: Published "10 Lessons to Fall in Love with the Universe" through Tokyo Shoseki
2009 to 2023: Serialized visuals in the Asahi Shimbun's editorial column
2011: Participated in the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum's "Adventures in Photography Vol. 4: How to See the World Which Cannot Be Seen" with his "VIT2.0" exhibition piece being included in the collection
2013: Participated in the production of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan's "DIAGRAM OF OUR UNIVERSE 2013"
2014: Participated in the production of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan's "THE SOLAR SYSTEM MAP 2014"
2015: Participated in the production of the "THE LIGHT MAP 2015" and also produced "DIAGRAM OF OUR UNIVERSE @Online" this year
2017: Participated in the Tanegashima Light Festival
2020: "Echolalia II," a joint work with Asako Miyaki, was selected and screened at the Society for Arts and Technology (Canada)
2022: Held his Kyo-tai solo exhibition (Ryogoku Monten Hall)
2024: Participated in the production of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan's "DIAGRAM OF OUR UNIVERSE 2024" and "THE SOLAR SYSTEM MAP 2024"

FLIGHTGRAF (Japan)

Profile
FLIGHTGRAF is an Audio-Visual Unit based in Tokyo.
Since 2013 it has been creating installation artworks by making full use of pictures, sound and light, and its purpose is to let the audience experience a highly vicarious world of installation.
It won the grand prize in 1minute Projection Mapping in 2013, and after that, received numerous awards in international competitions such as Cercle of Light in Russia, Genius Loci Weimar in Germany, and iMAPP in Rumania. Not only in the field of projection mapping but also in the world of CM, MV, stage and music concert on the global stage has it been rolling out its activity.
Our team consists of two members:
Kento Tomiyoshi, who is the director and design-visual artist, and Makoto Shozu, who is the sound designer.
Achievements
2023, created Projection Mapping for Signal Festival 2023 in Prague.
2022, created Projection Mapping for Soccer game Qatar 2022 opening event in Qatar.
2022, created Projection Mapping for Noor Riyadh Festival 2022 in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
2022, created Projection Mapping for Constellations de Metz 2022 in France.
2022, created Immersive Permanent exhibition for The Lighthouse of Digital Art in Berlin.
2022, created Projection Mapping for iMapp Bucharest in Romania.
2022, created Projection Mapping for Future21 in Germany.
2021, awarded the Grand Prize in Genius Loci Weimar 2021 in Germany.
2019, created Projection Mapping for Makao light festival in Macau.
2019, created Installation art for SHISEIDO GLOBAL INNOVATION CENTER in S/PARK.
2019, created Projection Mapping for Pokemon company in Yokohama.

NIL

No one knows where or when NIL came from and what is inside NIL. A free-spirited Earthwalker. Began art activities to communicate with humans. Held first solo exhibition called "SPACE" in Maru to Shikaku in Shiga Prefecture in September 2023.

Gokko (Japan)

A contemporary circus company launched by Kai Taniguchi in 2021. Taking the playfulness and imagination possessed by everyone when they were children as the starting point of creations, incorporates "Kakko" and "Tatami" original objects into her circus pieces to create pieces with a unique perspective. In recent years, he has also been focusing on creating pieces with cyr wheels and aerial art together with Aimi Hasegawa.

Aimi Hasegawa
Born in Kagawa Prefecture. Devoted herself to rhythmic gymnastics and classical ballet since she was a child. Completed a short-term course at the conservatoire national superieur musique et danse Lyon in France. Studies aerial art at the Aerial Art Dance Project. Currently, widely active both in Japan and overseas as a circus artist in stage performances, concerts, theme parks and street performance festivals. Appeared in recent years in Yumi Matsutoya's live tour, the Japanese version of the Broadway musical PIPPIN and the contemporary circus piece Fierce 5 by the noted French artist Raphaëlle Boitel. Also serves as a member of the Utsushiomi unit with the juggler Yosuke Meguro and the Nagamekurashitsu contemporary circus company. An associate artist at the Setouchi Circus Factory.

Kai Taniguchi

Circus Artist
Main acts are handstands and the cyr wheels.

Born in Uji in Kyoto Prefecture in 1987. Ran around the mountains as a child. Experienced apparatus gymnastics in elementary and high school. Began street performances with self-study in Osaka around the age of 20. After that, enrolled in the Sori International Circus School and studies acrobatics and juggling for three years. With an interest in the stage, enrolled in a performing arts school where Hiroshi Koike served as the President.

Encountered the former Pappa TARAHUMARA Makoto Matsushima and was stunned by his dancing. Became completely absorbed in the stage. Using his circus-like body, expanded his field of activities to include the street, stage and circus. Also provided instruction on handstands and acrobatics at the same time.

The pieces he has taken part in the past include the Koike Hiroshi Bridge Project "Kaze no Matasaburo" and the "Gensai Zenya: Mahabharata Yori" Asian tour. Appeared in "Circus" directed by Kaiji Moriyama. Also appeared in Nagamekurashitsu's "Ura no Ura Wa" and a piece by the contemporary circus director Johan Swartvagher. Appeared at various festivals in Japan and overseas as the contemporary circus unit White Asparagus with the juggler Takehiro Nagaoka as well. In recent years, presented "WONDER WATER" at art events. This is a collaborative piece with Kozue Hibino, Kosuke Kawase and White Asparagus.

Pursues the possibilities of a circus body using his unique ideas without being constrained by the field. Moved his base to Kagawa Prefecture in 2020. Also works as an associate artist at the Setouchi Circus Factory. Launched the contemporary circus company Gokko under his management in 2021. Continues to energetically present creations incorporating tatami, stones and original equipment into his circus performances.

Kosei Yamashita / Hiroki Imafuku (Japan)

A production unit by Kosei Yamashita and Hiroki Imafuku. Kosei Yamashita is an industrial designer involved mainly in the space industry. Hiroki Imafuku (Representative of YAADinc) is a creator who moves freely between culture and business. They graduated from Tama Art University. They are bike buddies on a regular basis.

KAHO ISHIKAWA (Japan)

Producer
Highlight is the beautiful and spectacular playing which contains various music melodies. These are mainly ambient, electronica and house, and also include electronic and techno. Catchphrase is "enchant the listener with music." The music unfolds as though you are listening to a story or watching a movie. The feature of it is the playing which makes you feel this way to captivate the listener. Made a surprise debut at WOMB and began activities in October 2022. Has been active at WOMB, BAIA, ZERO TOKYO, OPPA-LA and elsewhere. Made her outdoor debut at the LAB / Matricaria festival in May 2022. Performed on the Wonderfruit Festival polygon Stage held in Thailand in December 2023.


General Spatial Director
Launched a space-themed party called Æther (AETHER) in March 2023. After holding the party in WOMB, BAIA and other clubs in Tokyo, held it in the JAXA Space Center in conjunction with the Tanegashima Light Festival.

Ryusuke Kurokawa (Japan)

Poet
Born in Kawasaki in Kanagawa Prefecture. Contributes to Bungeishunju and serialized in Magazine House's POPEYE and POPEYE Web, and Tower Records' Mikiki. Involved in a wide range of activities: readings at the Asakusa France-za Theater and music festivals and a residency production at ANA meets art com. Also writes advertising copy. Currently appearing on tvk's "Iikoto!"

Hideki Yoshimoto (Japan)

Born in Wakayama Prefecture in 1985. Completed a master's course in aerospace engineering at the University of Tokyo Graduate School in 2010. Completed a doctoral course (PhD in Design Engineering) in IDE at the Royal College of Art in the United Kingdom in 2016.

Established the Tangent design studio in London in 2015. Co-founded the Advanced Art Design Department at the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology in the University of Tokyo in 2020 to expand the scope of his activities further based on London and Tokyo. Specializing in the developmental fusion of design and engineering, provides many designs and concepts to global luxury brands. In addition, is active in a wide range of fields from technology-driven new business development to urban development.

Founded Craft x Tech in recent years. This is an international initiative to connect traditional Japanese crafts and cutting-edge technologies.

Moreover, he is also engaged in the evolution and continuation of Japanese culture as an individual. For example, he proactively presents art pieces through collaborations with traditional crafts.

Has won numerous awards in both the fields of design and engineers. These awards include the Excellence Award from the National Convention of the Japanese Society for Artificial Intelligence, Super Creator certification in the IPA Exploratory Software Program, Wakayama Prefecture Cultural Encouragement Award, Lexus Design Award and Reddot Design Concept Best of the Best.

Takayuki Ohira (Japan)

Representative Director of Ohira Tech. Has been working on own planetarium pieces since elementary school. Succeeded in developing a lens-projection planetarium said to be impossible to produce on his own when a junior in college. Presented MEGASTAR, which projects more than 100 times the number of stars than before, in 1998. Installed in the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, MEGASTAR-II cosmos was certified by the Guinness World Records in 2004. In addition to developing and installing projectors, active in a variety of fields including collaborations with those in the fields of music, art and sports. Has won the Science and Technology Award at the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Awards and the IPS Technology & Innovation Award 2018.

Morio Shinoda (Japan)

Born in Tokyo in 1931. Professor Emeritus at the University of Tsukuba and sculptor. Creates strange and mysterious spaces through metal sculptures known for their tension and compression (TC) in which lumps of metal are fixed in mid-air with the tension and compression of steel wires.
◆ Participated in the Japan International Art Exhibition, the Ube City Contemporary Sculpture Exhibition and other events
◆ Participated in the 1966 Venice Biennale and won the 9th Takamura Kotaro Award
◆ Won numerous awards including the Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Art Award at the 1st International Sculpture Competition, the 2nd Hakone Open-air Museum Award and the 4th Asakura Fumio Award
◆First Asian to win the Outstanding Sculpture Educator Award from the International Sculpture Center (ISC) in 2000

Analemma

Everything exists in a space. However, we cannot see or touch this space itself. This piece brings the space close to a perceptible existence and explores the relationship between the space and physical sensations through innumerable points of light flying about the space.

Yasuhiro Chida (Japan)

Aftereal

The viewer enjoys an experience as though being surrounded by a sea of blue light. However, the entire piece vibrates at high speed. Everything which seems to be there is an afterimage remaining on our eyes and brain. What we see is not reality; rather, it is simply one image of the world captured by our senses.

Yasuhiro Chida (Japan)

The Waves of This Generation

"The Waves of This Generation" is a sculpture of shadows made with marine debris collected from the coast of Tanegashima by the Finnish artist Anni Laukka. This locally made piece pays respect to the local residents who gave up their time to clean the coast. The sculpture casts two shadows. One is of a child rescuing a turtle entangled in plastic. The other is a women picking up garbage on the coast. This installation is located in the welfare center of Minamitane Town. It is a powerful reminder of our shared responsibility toward the environment.

Anni Laukka (Finland)

Wave of light

An installation in a special place called Shinko-ji Temple. This is a project inspired by various sources. The sea and the waves surrounding the island. The sky and the stars which rule over us. The earth and our beliefs… The essential substance of light traverses through the temple as if nothing can stop it. Based on this desire to enter into dialogue and question our senses, the mirrors on the floor capture the light to create a wave-like sensation beneath our feet. Four thin and transparent lines of fabric connect the sky and the earth to exude lightness and depth. While looking to integrate the piece and the venue, the sound design gives substance to the air which envelops us and gives a soul to the venue and the light.

Ailo atelier (France)

f(p)

Lines, circles, radials and spheres can be expressed with simple numerical formulas using algorithms in the world of mathematics. Expanding these formulas produces astonishing shapes like buildings at certain times and the earth or planets at other times. The formation of the natural world is reminiscent of an extension of the world of numerical formulas generated in real-time in response to the operation of a game controller. This image is like a universe created by the hands of a god. We can see the connections between technology and space here.

Jun Kosaka (Japan)

DIAGRAM OF OUR UNIVERSE

The "DIAGRAM OF OUR UNIVERSE" is a poster produced since 2007 by the One Map of the Universe for Every Family Production Committee. The latest version was produced in 2024 with philosophical contents added to it. You can download a low-resolution version of the "DIAGRAM OF OUR UNIVERSE 2024" for free on the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's One for Every Family website.

Jun Kosaka (Japan)

Æther

The Æther project is produced by a comprehensive spatial performance company which approaches the senses of sights, hearing and smell based on the concept of "forgetting the hustle and bustle of everyday life in an extraordinary space with all people enjoying music and love beyond boundary lines." The company mainly organizes festivals and music-focused projects such as streaming by artists on YouTube. When hosting festivals, the company creates designs and spaces which utilize the locations and facilities where the event is being held. It is engaged in decorations and stories on themes including planets, nebula and galaxy clusters in space. This creates pieces which allow the participants to enjoy the fusion of the mysteries of space and music.

KAHO ISHIKAWA (Japan)

KURUKURU: A Circus Taking a Journey to the Unknown

Two circus performers.
They have come to Tanegashima in the search for unknown encounters.
The two of them sneak into the Space center.
Is this a chair? A desk? Let's take a quick break.
A large ring KURUKURU spinning on the ground.
A small ring KURUKURU spinning in the air.
Is up down and down up? Which is which?
Is this a circus.
It is the KURUKURU Circus.
The earth we live on also spins.
The stars spin as well.
We have come a long way before even realizing it.
Encounters with the unknown are full of surprises.
Will we be able to encounter the unknown again tomorrow?

Gokko (Japan)