ENDLESS IMAGINARY by Rhizomatiks × ELEVENPLAY × Young Creators

April 01, 2021

ENDLESS IMAGINARY short movie

An open forum for young artists to present their work in collaboration with Rhizomatiks and ELEVENPLAY.
The rapid evolution and commonization of digital content toolkits and software environments over recent years has encouraged more creators to experiment in the media technology field. Greater access to hardware such as VR devices and low-cost projectors has set the stage for a flourishing of imaginative immersive work.
“Endless Imaginary” was conceived as an extension of Rhizomatiks’ long-standing commitment to support the next generation of creative talent. In the spring of 2020, we held an open call for submissions from artists aged 25 and younger. Four artists between the ages of 20 and 24 were selected and offered an opportunity to exhibit their work at the Panasonic Center Tokyo, alongside a new large-scale projection mapping by Rhizomatiks spanning three large screens.
The works in “Endless Imaginary” drew on motion capture data from the dancers of ELEVENPLAY (the dance company led by director/choreographer MIKIKO) and were made viewable online around the world.
During the exhibition, a talk event brought Rhizomatiks into dialogue with young creators, facilitating a lively discussion on the next generation of creation.


Exhibition
-Panasonic Center(3-5-1 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo)
April 1st – April 4th, 2021
-Online venue
April 1st – April 8th, 2021 

Talk Session
Part 1
“On the future of visual expression, the coronavirus pandemic, and our work”
4/2 (Sat.) 7:00PM
Speakers: Daito Manabe, Satoshi Horii, Yudai Okuyama, Kosaku Namikawa, Tatsuya Hosono, Yuhu Liu, et al.
Moderator: Arina Tsukada

Part 2
“The power of imagination x future (inter)relations – through technology- (working title)”
4/2 (Sat.) 8:30PM
Speakers: Shouyu Inoue, Takayuki Kashiwabara, Akimoto Ishida, Fumika Kimura (Panasonic Corporation), Daito Manabe, et al.
Moderator: Arina Tsukada
Venue: Special online venue

Credit
-Young Artists;
Yuta Okuyama
Student at the University of Tsukuba, School of Information and Media Studies. He is pursuing visual expression using programming.
https://yutaokuyama.dev/

Tatsuya Hosono
Born in Odawara City in 2000. Tatsuya is a student at Tama Art University, Department of Information Design, Information Design Course.
At university, He is studying user experience design, mainly through video and programming, and expression that crosses various media with a theme. His current focus is developing various forms of expression through the medium of video. He aims to give viewers a sense of deviation from their daily lives by converting digital data taken from the normal lives unconsciously such as sound into visual images.

Kosaku Namikawa
With programming as his backbone, Kyusaku is engaged in production activities and expression using digital technology, regardless of field or area of work ranging from systems to expression, from management to engineers and creators. He is interested in expressions that utilize the characteristics of systems and technologies, and expressions that combine various technologies. 
https://github.com/73-ch

yuhu liu
Studying at The University of Tokyo Graduate School of Information Science and Engineering Department of Intelligent Machines and Informatics Laboratory of Intelligent Systems Informatics(as of March 2021). She graduated from The University of Tokyo Faculty of Engineering Department of Mechanical and Information Engineering. Her research areas include human-computer interaction, virtual reality, and haptics with interest in the design of human perception through the combination of engineering and psychology.

-Support Artists;
Rhizomatiks
Rhizomatiks explores new possibilities of technology and expression focusing on experimental projects which involve R&D heavy approach, while taking responsibility in every process of the project from hardware and software development to operations. Rhizomatiks execute R&D projects and creation with elaborate research on the relationship between humans and technologies. Additionally, the company keeps presenting more cutting-edge research and works through collaboration with other artists, researchers, and scientists.

MIKIKO
A stage designer/choreographer. As the director and chief choreographer of dance company "ELEVENPLAY", MIKIKO has been building up her very own creative world with the company's highly talented dancers. She has taken an artistic direction and choreographic direction for famous Japanese artists like Perfume, BABYMETAL, Ringo Shiina and more and for various MV, CM and stages. Her works have gained a highly reputation in the Media Arts world both of Japan and overseas. In the universe of MIKIKO, the mixture of the real and virtual worlds generates immediate fascination with her adept skills in utilizing the newest technology for her choreographies. She has collaborated with creators transcending a wide various of genres.
https://www.mikiko0811.net

ELEVENPLAY
Dance company directed by choreographer & art director, MIKIKO. ELEVENPLAY was founded by MIKIKO in 2009, in the hopes of creating dancers who would possess highly artistic sense and creativity on top of exquisite techniques, body and spirit. Composed of female dancers from a variety of genre, ELEVENPLAY has diverse methods of expression are diverse from stages to video works and still photos. We have many collaboration pieces with Rhizomatiks, directed by Daito Manabe and Motoi Ishibashi, we were privileged to present one of such pieces at "Sónar Festival," "Festival Internacional Cervantino," "MUTEK MEXICO," "MUTEK Montréal," and "Gray Area Festival."
https://elevenplay.net