ART | The Media Arts Festival is Finally Opening! Held Simultaneously at The National Art Center, Tokyo and Tokyo Midtown Gallery
Gallery

ART | The Media Arts Festival is Finally Opening! Held Simultaneously at The National Art Center, Tokyo and Tokyo Midtown Gallery

14th Japan Media Arts Festival Official Poster<br "/>Top left: Art Division Grand Prize | "Cycloid-E" (Installation) <strong>Michel DÉCOSTERD・André DÉCOSTERD (Cod.Act)<>, Bottom left: Manga Division Grand Prize | "Histories" (Story Manga) <strong>Hitoshi IWAAKI</strong>, Top right: Animation Division Grand Prize | "The Tatami Galaxy" (TV Animation) <strong>Masaaki YUASA</strong>, Bottom right: Entertainment Division Grand Prize | "IS Parade" (Web) <strong>Tomohiko HAYASHI, Kensuke CHIBO, Tomohiko KOYAMA</strong>
Art Division Grand Prize | "Cycloid-E" (Installation) Michel DÉCOSTERD・André DÉCOSTERD (Cod.Act)<br "/>A sound sculpture where five horizontally linked tubes rotate while emitting sound from their tips. The tubes, moved like pendulums by motors, are metal pipes equipped with sound sources and measuring instruments. Sound reverberates according to their rotational motion. While the trajectory of each pendulum is precise, the whole exhibits an unexpected, almost hypnotic movement, producing complex sounds. ©Cod.Act
Art Division Excellence Prize | "The Tenth Sentiment (Points, Lines, Surfaces)" (Interactive) Ryota KUWAKUBO<br "/>A model train with a light source slowly moves among everyday objects arranged on the floor, casting their shadows. The shadows of objects projected onto the room's walls, floor, and ceiling transform like scenery viewed from a train, enveloping the viewer. This creates alternating experiences of immersion and bird's-eye view, of familiarity and unfamiliarity. Viewers will sharpen their senses and discuss their experiences. ©Ryota KUWAKUBO
Art Division Excellence Prize | "The EyeWriter" (Interactive) Zach LIEBERMAN・Evan ROTH・James POWDERLY・Theo WATSON・Chris SURGUE・Tony TEMPT1<br "/>A project born from the wish of TEMPT1, a graffiti writer paralyzed by ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), to "draw again." Through the collaboration of many people, including artists and engineers, a device was co-developed that allows drawing solely with eye movements. The eye-tracking device and software are inexpensive to produce and are released as open source. ©Tempt1, Evan Roth, Chris Sugrue, Zach Lieberman, Theo Watson and James Powderly
Art Division Excellence Prize | "NIGHT LESS" (Film) Yuichi TAMURA<br "/>A road movie composed entirely of Google Street View images. Set in Nebraska, Chiba, Alaska, Portugal, and Marseille, the story unfolds across countries. Night never falls here. The first half features narration by the artist, while the latter half uses audio from YouTube. Can a film made without shooting be called a "film"? (11 min 36 sec). ©Yuichi Tamura
Art Division Excellence Prize | "The Men In Grey" (Other) The Men In Grey<br "/>Two mysterious men in gray suits, carrying briefcases packed with hardware and software. They use open wireless networks to collect and publicize the invisible information that surrounds us, then disappear without a trace. They dismantle and analyze network devices and capabilities, sounding a warning against our dependence on and absolute trust in networks. ©The Men In Grey
Art Division Encouragement Prize | "Succubus" (Other) Peter TILG<br "/>Steel plates processed into strips sway, tremble, and make sounds as if alive. Each ring appears to move according to a rule, but when they form a collective, they become an unpredictable organic entity. External stimuli are sent to each component only through computer code and electromagnetic force, breathing life into the structure. The length is approximately 1.7m. ©Peter Tilg
Entertainment Division Grand Prize | "IS Parade" (Web) Tomohiko HAYASHI, Kensuke CHIBO, Tomohiko KOYAMA<br "/>A generator that can be enjoyed on Twitter. Registering a Twitter ID turns followers into characters who parade. Released on April 30, 2010, as a promotion for au smartphones, it had generated 13.5 million parades by November 15. Tweeted by international celebrities including Twitter co-founder Biz Stone, the grand parade continues worldwide. ©KDDI Corporation
Entertainment Division Excellence Prize | "Echochrome II" (Game) Ken SUZUTA, Jun FUJIKI, Tatsuya SUZUKI<br "/>An action puzzle game for PlayStation(R)Move, themed around light and shadow. Using the PS Move motion controller as a flashlight, players can freely manipulate the shapes of shadows cast on the game screen. Using imagination to alter shadow forms, players guide the protagonist, who walks on shadows, to the goal while discovering various mechanisms and "shadow art." A nostalgic yet new shadow play experience. ©2010 Sony Computer Entertainment Inc
Entertainment Division Excellence Prize | "ArukuaRound / Sakanaction" (Film (MV)) Kazuaki SEKI<br "/>The camera follows Ichiro Yamaguchi (vocals) as he walks. Typographic objects appear one after another in his path, forming the lyrics he sings... The walking speed and the appearance of the lyrical objects synchronize with exquisite timing. By spatially visualizing the lyrics with an analog feel, the song's world, which explores the self through constant deconstruction and reconstruction, is expressed (4 min 47 sec). ©Victor Entertainment, Inc. / HIP LAND MUSIC CORPORATION
Entertainment Division Excellence Prize | "Waiting for Summer / amazarashi" (Film (MV)) YKBX<br "/>amazarashi, a band centered around Hiromu AKITA from Aomori Prefecture. The teru teru bozu character, their symbol, walks through a drab, colorful town surrounded by utility poles. The teru teru bozu's face transforms into octopus legs, a TV, an antenna, and speakers in sync with the song's melody. The interplay of strong and weak lines, drawn like pen strokes, and 3D screen effects creates an unsettling atmosphere (5 min 54 sec). ©Sony Music Associated Records
Entertainment Division Excellence Prize | "Tabio Slide Show" (Web) Yuichi KODAMA, Koichiro NAKA, Ryuta MOGIDEKI, Minoru SAI<br "/>A promotional site for the sock specialty store Tabio, reviving the joy of sliding in socks that everyone has experienced. A girl wearing various socks slides comfortably around her house. Users advance the story by "sliding" through catalog information about the socks that occasionally appear in the movie. A new sensation movie catalog combining video, music, and interaction. ©Tabio Corporation & Projector
Entertainment Division Encouragement Prize | "iPad magic" (Other) Shinya UCHIDA<br "/>A performance video released online on May 28, 2010, the day the multi-touch device iPad was launched in Japan. Against the backdrop of the Ginza Apple Store, a man talks about the "past and future of communication" while performing magic tricks with the iPad. This presentation, timed and located to capture a pivotal moment in media history, was delivered. ©Shinya Uchida
Animation Division Grand Prize | "The Tatami Galaxy" (TV Animation) Masaaki YUASA<br "/>The protagonist, a proud third-year university student dreaming of a "rose-tinted campus life," is tossed about by his wicked friend Ozu and the enigmatic free spirit Higuchi-sensei, and struggles to get closer to the aloof maiden Akashi. If only he had chosen a different path back then...? Directed by Masaaki Yuasa with astonishing visual magic, scripted by Makoto UEDA, and featuring a lineup of popular creators, this is a tale of fruitless endeavors and foolishness on a journey through a bizarre world (23 min, 11 episodes). ©The Tatami Galaxy Production Committee
Animation Division Excellence Prize | "Colorful" (Theatrical Animation) Keiichi HARA<br "/>An anime adaptation of Eto Mori's novel. A soul, "Boku," who was drifting between heaven and earth, is given a second chance at life by inhabiting the body of a middle school student, Makoto Kobayashi, who has committed suicide, guided by a mysterious being like an angel named Puru Puru. As "Boku" learns the reason for Makoto's death and experiences his life, he begins to contemplate the meaning of this second chance and starts to realize "something." (2 hours 6 min). ©2010 Eto Mori / "Colorful" Production Committee
Animation Division Excellence Prize | "Mai Mai Miracle" (Theatrical Animation) Sunao KATABUCHI<br "/>An animated film adaptation of the novel "Mai Mai Shinko" by Akutagawa Prize winner Nobuko Takagi, based on her childhood memories. Set in Hofu City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, in the 1950s, it depicts the story of Shinko, a sensitive third-grade girl, as she lives each day earnestly amidst abundant nature, cherishing thoughts of the town a thousand years ago, and slowly grows with her friends through experiences that are sometimes sharp and bitter. (1 hour 34 min). ©2009 Nobuko Takagi, Magazine House / "Mai Mai Shinko" Production Committee
Animation Division Excellence Prize | "Confession of Fumiko" (Short Animation) Yasuyuki ISHIDA<br "/>Fumiko confesses her feelings to Takashi, but is unceremoniously rejected. Crying out, Fumiko runs off. Like a gale, she dashes through the town, tumbles down steep stairs, falls off a cliff, and flies through the sky above the shopping street. Where does Fumiko end up...? A determined confession animation by a pure-hearted high school girl, featuring unique camera angles and speedy action (2 min 22 sec). ©Yasuyuki Ishida
Animation Division Excellence Prize | "The Pig Who Doesn't Understand" (Short Animation) Jun WADA<br "/>There is a pig in front of the house. There are people in the house. Everyone knows about the pig, and the pig notices everyone, but no one knows how much or in what way they know each other. Mother doesn't understand Father... Drawn with a 0.3mm pencil on half-cut paper. The texture of the paper and the unevenness of the lines create a unique sensibility (10 min 10 sec). ©Jun Wada / Tokyo University of the Arts
Animation Division Encouragement Prize | "The Wonder Hospital" (Short Animation) Beomsik Shimbe SHIM<br "/>A girl visits a mysterious hospital. Seeking an ideal "after" through cosmetic surgery, she encounters the bizarre actions of strange creatures within the hospital. What "beauty" does she attain after her surreal wandering...? This imaginative work, depicted through 3D and puppet animation, offers a surreal experience in a mysterious hospital that will change one's perspective on physical beauty (11 min 24 sec). ©Beomsik Shimbe Shim, all rights reserved
Manga Division Grand Prize | "Histories" (Story Manga) Hitoshi IWAAKI<br "/>The setting is ancient times. Eumenes, who grew up in the city-state of Cardia without knowing he was of Scythian origin, is one day orphaned and reduced to slavery. That marks the beginning of his long journey... This historical epic depicts the turbulent life of Eumenes, who would later become Alexander the Great's scribe. This is a story Hitoshi Iwaaki, who shook the world with "Parasyte," had nurtured since before his manga debut. ©Hitoshi Iwaaki / Kodansha
Manga Division Excellence Prize | "The Lone Wolf" (Story Manga) Shinichi SAKAMOTO, based on the novel by Jiro NIITA<br "/>The mountaineering novel masterpiece "The Lone Wolf" is reborn in a modern setting. The lonely young man Fumiotaro MORI encounters climbing and, seeking the feeling of "being alive" he had never felt before in extreme mountaineering, aims for the unclimbed East Face of K2. However, Fumiotaro faces various difficulties in both his daily life and on the mountain. Despite these challenges, Fumiotaro moves forward, step by step, towards his goal. ©Shinichi Sakamoto / based on the novel "The Lone Wolf" by Jiro Niita / Shueisha
Manga Division Excellence Prize | "The Men of Turbulent Times: The Bakumatsu Era" (Story Manga) Taro MINAMOTO<br "/>Sakamoto Ryoma, a prominent figure of the late Edo period. To unravel his life, this sequel to the epic "The Men of Turbulent Times," which traces history back to the Battle of Sekigahara and depicts the unification of Japan by Tokugawa Ieyasu, begins. The setting is the turbulent Bakumatsu era. Many historical figures who shaped history are depicted with the author's unique perspective, blending historical accuracy with gags. This work can be called a masterpiece of historical epic gag manga. ©Taro Minamoto / Leed Publishing Co., Ltd.
Manga Division Excellence Prize | "Bokurano" (Story Manga) Mohiro KITOH<br "/>One summer vacation. Fourteen first-year junior high school students and one fourth-grader come to a depopulated village for a nature school. Lured by a mysterious man calling himself Kokopelli, whom they meet in a seaside cave, they contract to fight giant robots called "Zearth" to protect the Earth. The pilots of these robots will die as a price. However, if they don't fight, the Earth will be destroyed—!! ©Mohiro Kitoh / Shogakukan IKKI
Manga Division Excellence Prize | "Red" (Story Manga) Naoki YAMAMOTO<br "/>The story is set in Japan between 1969 and 1972. Against the backdrop of social distortions brought about by rapid economic growth, such as the Vietnam War and pollution issues, ordinary young people who casually participated in student movements eventually throw themselves into radical revolutionary activities to "overthrow the contradictory national system." The work coolly depicts their path and its ultimate destination. It is a coming-of-age story of young revolutionaries. ©Naoki Yamamoto / Kodansha
Manga Division Encouragement Prize | "What About My Wife?" (4-Panel Manga) Shigeyuki FUKUMITSU<br "/>"I," a timid manga artist, and my "wife," who is beautiful but short-tempered. This is a four-panel essay-style manga that casually depicts the amusing daily events, a mixture of reality and fantasy, impatience and capability. The protagonist's (i.e., the author's) struggles and anxieties over small, everyday occurrences resonate strangely. A child is born in volume 3. This manga is made of the protagonist's (the author's) complaints, envy, and love for his wife and child. ©Shigeyuki Fukumitsu / Futabasha

ART | Japan Media Arts Festival Opens! Simultaneously held at The National Art Center, Tokyo and Tokyo Midtown Gallery