Report following the conclusion of the project to invite overseas media creators to Japan 2010 “Animation Artist in Residence Tokyo 2010-2011” program.

The three artists invited to take part in the “Tokyo Artist in Residence 2010-2011” program, Chen Xi (China), Christophe Gautry (France), and Joseph Pierce (U.K.), arrived in Japan in the middle of January, 2011. As expected, during their stay in Tokyo they actively participated in various educational and exchange activities while working on their own individual projects before returning to their countries in the middle of March. The educational program included three meetings at which they received comments from their advisors, two visits to ateliers of animation artists, two visits to studios to see animation in production, two lectures at educational institutions, and screenings/presentations of their plans for their own works in Tokyo and Kyoto (one in each city). The cultural exchange program included participation in four events such as the Japan Media Arts Festival and the Yebisu International Festival for Art and Alternative Visions, and while screening their own works in progress and presenting their plans all of the invited artists deepened their level of interaction and friendship with Japanese animators, filmmakers, and others connected with the visual arts in Japan. The artists are expected to finish their works (“Grain coupon” by Chen Xi, “Memai” by Christophe Gautry, and “Pub” by Joseph Pierce) by the end of August and there are plans to present them to the general public once they have been completed. The advisors who worked with the artists during their stay were Mitsuko Okamoto (Graduate School of Film and New Media, Tokyo University of the Arts) and Taku Furukawa (Animation artist, president of the Japan Animation Association). The progress of this program is described below.

Three artists chosen to participate in “Animation Artist in Residence Tokyo 2010-2011” >>


Photographic record

Educational events
First educational event
January 18th (Tue.)
First meeting between the three selected artists and the selection committee members (Taku Furukawa and Mitsuko Okamoto).


Visit to Tomoyasu Murata’s atelier.
January 25th (Tue.)
The artists visited animator Tomoyasu Murata’s atelier and saw a production area where an animated music video was being made.


January 31st (Mon.)
Visit to Koji Yamamura’s atelier.
The participants visited animator Koji Yamamura’s atelier. They listened to an explanation of how his latest work, Muybridge’s Strings, was created.


February 1st (Tue.)
The Japan Media Arts Festival press preview
The artists attended the press preview and party for the 15th Japan Media Arts Festival which was held from Feb.2nd to 13th. On the right is Commissioner for Cultural Affairs Seiichi Kondo.


February 4th (Fri.)
Second educational event
Presentations on the progress of the three artists’ projects were given through an English translator. The artists received questions and advice from their advisors and exchanged opinions among themselves.


February 8th (Tue.)
Visit to Production I.G.
The artists visited the new office of Production I.G., a company that produces commercial animation for film and television. Francesco Scandolari (center) provided guidance in English.


February 9th (Wed.)
Visit to ROBOT.
The artists visited ROBOT, a company that not only produces animation for television but is also involved in other media such as live-action films for theatrical release. Tatsutoshi Nomura (left) showed them around the production site.


February 15th (Tue.)
Lecture at an Image Forum workshop
Screenings and production presentations were given as part of a one-year moving image production course run by Image Forum.


February 19th(Sat.)
Screenings and project presentation (Tokyo)
The first screenings of the three invited artists’ works with Japanese subtitles were held and they presented their projects with the aid of English and Chinese interpreters to about thirty people in the animation and visual media industries.


February 23rd (Wed.)
Cultural exchange with students at the Graduate School of Film and New Media, Tokyo University of the Arts
Project presentations and screenings of the three invited artists’ works were held for Mitsuko Okamoto’s twelve animation students followed by a question and answer session. The artists also took part in lively discussions with the students, viewing their works and exchanging opinions with them.


March 4th (Fri.)
Third educational event
Presentations were given on the progress of the three artists’ projects. They received questions and advice from their advisors.


March 5th (Sat.)
Screenings and project presentation (Kyoto)
In collaboration with Kyoto Seika University Video & Media Arts Course, twenty people from the Kansai area involved in visual media were invited to attend screenings of the three invited artists’ works/presentations on their works in progress. A discussion and exchange session was held after the works were presented.


Update on the works created by the invited artists during their stay in Japan as part of “Animation Artist in Residence Tokyo” (AAIR) 2010-2011” >>

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