This Year's Theme: "Let's Meet on a Planet"

Held annually in Ebisu, Tokyo, the Yebisu Festival presents exhibitions, screenings, live performances, and events. For its seventh iteration, the theme is "Let's Meet on a Planet." Just as our own Earth can be seen as one of countless planets in the universe when viewed from a different perspective, the festival offers clues for confronting and rediscovering our multi-layered world.

Venues scattered throughout Ebisu will feature works by artists from Japan and abroad. Particularly noteworthy is Duncan Campbell, last year's recipient of the prestigious Turner Prize in the UK. His works "It for Others" and "Bernadett," which earned him the Turner Prize, will be screened, and his installation "Make it New John," a narrative centered on the DeLorean from "Back to the Future" as a time machine, will also be exhibited.

Also participating are Paweł Althamer, a contemporary artist from Poland with an international career, and Ryan Trecartin from the United States, showcasing a rich international selection of works. From Japan, "The X from Outer Space," for which Taro Okamoto provided color direction and designed the Pyra alien, will be screened with "explosive sound" on 35mm film.

Works by pioneers of Japanese video art, such as Fumiko Nakanishi and Nobuhiro Kawanaka from "Video Hi-roba," formed in 1972 to explore the artistic possibilities of video's role in social communication, will be introduced. The screening program will also feature three recent representative works by Ken Jacobs, a master of experimental film with a career spanning nearly 60 years.

Live programs by participating artists will also be held on weekends. The lineup includes captivating performances such as Noriko Yamaguchi's "KEITAI GIRL," Kanta Horio's exhibition constructed with DIY electronics, and a live set by Gil Kuno, who works primarily in the US and Japan, featuring techno artist KENISHI.

The present, future, and past come into view anew by shifting our perspective. By re-exploring the current world with a fresh viewpoint, much like visiting an unknown planet, the possibilities of art will continue to expand.