“dialog()” Exhibition in August: 40 Artists Present Asian Culture

“dialog()”, a four-city exhibition of generative art connecting Tokyo, Taipei, Seoul, and Beijing, will be held at space EDGE in Shibuya, Tokyo, from August 9 (Friday) to 12 (Monday, national holiday).

The exhibition brings together works by a total of 40 artists from various regions to explore the possibilities of expression offered by algorithms. Starting with the exhibition in Tokyo, it will travel to Taipei, Seoul, and Beijing.

The Tokyo venue will feature a limited exhibition of works by Kazuki Takakura, an artist who works on the themes of rewriting the rules of contemporary art based on Eastern thought and pursuing new values in digital data, as well as a documentary screening and meet-up by Bright Moments A variety of special events will be held, including a documentary screening and meet-up event by Bright Moments at Shibuya Grill Dining & Music Bar STEREO, and a closing event with a live performance by Den-On Lab at Daikanyama SALOON. Official programs such as talk sessions and workshops with invited guests are also planned.

On the occasion of the exhibition, a statement and comments from the Tokyo exhibition organizer, media artist NIINOMI, were also released.

Art generated by computer algorithms, which began in the 1960s, eventually came to be known as generative art and formed an iconic scene during the rise of NFTs in 2021. “Generative” implies “generated,” highlighting the characteristic where artworks are created without direct human intervention through computer algorithms. While there is immense potential in this field, the influence of NFTs and generative AI has sometimes led to a focus solely on using these techniques for mass-producing patterns or finding fleeting enjoyment in the moment of creation. Moreover, many recent generative art pieces are written in JavaScript and released as flat artworks that operate within web browsers on online platforms.

If the essence of generative art lies in computer algorithms, its potential should not be confined solely to the web but should encompass diverse possibilities. Contemporary art is sometimes described as a kind of game shaped by Western rules. Similarly, in the evolution of technology, predominantly from Western origins, within generative art, artists may unconsciously choose to create within the frameworks of existing tools and prepared environments.

This exhibition aims to reassess the uniqueness of generative art and expand its possibilities. Therefore, we aim to present forms of generative art through our own interpretations while re-examining our respective cultures as residents of Asia.

Furthermore, this exhibition provides an opportunity to deepen our understanding of cultures across Asian countries. For example, in Japan, it is evident that unique cultures thrive in areas such as games, audiovisuals, film, and VR spaces, yet we may be surprisingly unaware of similarities and differences with neighboring Asian countries. Through communication with other countries, we become aware of language barriers and gaps in understanding cultural backgrounds. Broadcasting from Asia to the world through this exhibition, using art to seek understanding of each other’s cultures, holds significant meaning.

Against this backdrop, the exhibition named “dialog()” seeks to foster deeper understanding beyond language barriers and cultural backgrounds through repeated dialogue centered around art. The exhibition will feature works by a total of 40 artists from various cities, curated uniformly across four cities. It is our hope that through this initiative to explore differences and uniqueness, we can showcase forms of generative art that reflect the characteristics of Asian cultures to the world.

Let’s start with dialog().

Statement

This exhibition was originally conceived to highlight the distinct characteristics of Asia within an art scene heavily influenced by the West. However, through ongoing communication with members from each city, we have come to realize the surprisingly shallow understanding of each other’s cultures and the difficulty in achieving deep mutual understanding through different languages. We have reaffirmed the importance of such dialogue. In an era where we can connect with artists and communities worldwide through social media, we feel the need to engage in repeated dialogue and create opportunities to collaborate in order to deepen mutual understanding.

We are delighted to jointly host this exhibition in four cities across Asia with the cooperation of many individuals. Through this exhibition, we sincerely hope that dialogues mediated by art will become a new form of cultural exchange, contributing to richer mutual understanding and building a brighter future together.

NIINOMI (Media Artist / Director, NEORT Corporation)

”dialog() – Asian Generative Art Exhibition 2024”

Period: August 9, 2024 (Fri) – August 12, 2024 (Mon)
Open throughout the exhibition period
Venue: space EDGE
Address: Nomura Building 1F, 3-26-17 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Access: 5 min. walk from Hachiko Exit of JR Shibuya Station
Opening hours: 11:00 – 20:00

Artist:
【Tokyo】Misaki Nakano / Ayumu Nagamatsu / Saeko Ehara / Karyn Nakamura / Shunsuke Takawo / Kaoru Tanaka / px_periment / Kenichi Yoneda (kynd) / Okazz / Kitasenju Design
【Taipei】Natalie.J / Yi-Wen LIN / Newyellow / Che-Yu Wu / Alvis Lee / Jinyao Lin / PING SHENG WU / Chih-Yu Chen / Aluan Wang / eziraros
【Seoul 서울】 Nsyme / Yehwan Song / Choi Gunhyuk / Kohui / Kyuha Shim / SEOHYO / Yang, Minha / Sey Min / Youngkak Cho / oOps.50656
【Beijing】 Ellwood Chen / MOses li / Licia He / Samuel YAN / Arctic / DaDa (Qiuyan Da) / Random Combo / Reva Fan / Hexu Wang / Lucio Damiao

Admission fee
General Admission: 1,200 yen (Early Bird Discount: 1,000 yen)
University students / 600 yen (early bird discount 500 yen)
Free for high school students and younger

*Admission to the exhibition is by season ticket, which can be redeemed any number of times during the exhibition period.

Ticket sales website: Peatix
Peatix: https: //dialog-tokyo.peatix.com/
luma (English): lu .ma/u6owxfc5
Start of sales : July 4, 2024 (Thursday)

Official website : x.com/x.com/dialog
Official X : x.com/dialog_asia
Official Instagram : www.instagram.com/dialog.asia/

“Bright Moments Documentary Screening & Meetup”

We will co-host a special screening and meetup by Bright Moments, a digital art community that is gaining worldwide attention.
Through the screening of “Venice to Venice: a Bright Moments Documentary,” we will introduce their journey from Venice Beach, L.A. to the rest of the world. This screening will be an opportunity to reflect on the journey of Bright Moments and enjoy a moment of dialogue about the future and possibilities of the digital art scene.
www.brightmoments.io/home
Date & Time: Sunday, August 11, 18:00 – 22:00
Place: Grill Dining & Music Bar STEREO (Shibuya Sakura Stage 38F)
SHIBUYA TOWER, 1-1 Sakuragaoka-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo