Whether because of its easy reproducibility or because of the fluidity of its medium, “literature” has been considered as an immaterial art form essentially different from other forms of art at least since the modern period. Recent trends in literary studies, including Japanese literature, however, point towards new and fruitful approaches to literary compositions as physical objects. Taking my cue from these approaches, in this lecture I will examine the shifting aesthetic appreciations, ancient and modern, of one such category of “objects,” the literary compositions of Heian courtier Sugawara no Michizane (845-903). Lecturer Niels van der Salm (Japanese language instructor at Leiden University) Niels van der Salm, from the Netherlands, …

Departing from the assumption that looking is a multi-directional process, the univocal concept of the gaze, as created by a dominant western worldview, needs to be challenged. For this purpose ‘research through images’ can be employed as a method to investigate different cultures of the gaze, from intercultural, transhistorical and non-anthropocentric perspectives. With the aim of conceiving the act of looking as transformative and messy we will further introduce the sensitizing concept of the ‘gaze multiple’. We will consider how particular contemporary photographic art practices offer alternative and more complex approaches to what seeing can mean for our relationship with environments. Lecturer Elodie Hiryczuk, Visual Artist Elodie Hiryczuk (b. 1977, …

The first decades of the 21st century saw biotechnological break-throughs like iPS cells, low-cost DNA sequencing, CRISPR and the fundamental shift of the biological sciences from an analytic science to a synthetic. The change from ‘Read-Only’ to ‘Read/Write’ also suggests the emergence of a new media. It is the role and responsibility of artists and designers to imagine and create desirable and not-so-desirable futures that can function as a cultural vaccination. Georg will talk about ongoing and upcoming projects, including the Common Flowers Trilogy, BLP-2000, the Copyright Series and The Point Mutators – Legally Green. Lecturer Georg Tremmel (Bio Artist) Georg Tremmel lives and works in Tokyo, Japan. He studied …

An online lecture was broadcasted regarding organizing 2019 Aichi Trienale arts festival, especially about the closure and resumption of one of its exhibits titled “After ‘Freedom of Expression?’” by Mr. Tsuda Daisuke, Journalist/media activist. Lecturer Daisuke Tsuda (Journalist/Media Activist) Born in Tokyo in 1973. Graduated from School of Social Science of Waseda University. Journalist/media activist. Chief editor of database, Politus. Adjunct professor at Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics, Osaka University of Economics. Host of TV Asahi Chanel 2 program “Tsuda Daisuke, Nihon ni Purasu”. News supervisor of J-WAVE “JAM THE WORLD”. Date Tuesday, September 29th, 2020: opens at 15:30 p.m, and starts at 16:00 p.m. Venue Online Review Hearing …

To gain knowledge through design practice is to Research through Design (RtD). As the practical domain of design is expanding from products to services and sustainability, the knowledge that can be gained by actually moving the mind and body is becoming an issue. How has RtD been accepted in Japan, and what should it be? Lecturer Daijiro Mizuno, Specially Appointed Professor of Kyoto Design Lab at Kyoto Institute of Technology. After earning a master’s and doctoral degree at RCA, he returned to Japan and was involved in various design projects. He authored, co-authored, and translated major publications including “What is Critical Design” and “Can Fashion be Updated?”. He also won …

Historically, photography and design may have been placed in somewhat similar positions as subjects of theory and practice. However, there are by no means many discussions that make it possible to cross over between the two fields. In this seminar, Masuda, a researcher specializing in photography theory, and Kuriyama, an artist who has incorporated photography into his work, will look back on the discussions at the intersection of photography and design, and attempt a dialogue on the possibilities of the two fields. Lecturer Nobuhiro MASUDA Lecturer at the Faculty of Design, Kyushu University. Specializes in aesthetics, theory and history of photography and visual media. He has also expanded his research …

With the advancement in digitalization, designers’ role with consumers has become borderless and vague. Also, there is an increasing concern that AI may replace designers. As such, he examines people who have created a new design and through them, explore the new role of design from the perspective of professionalism. Lecturer Hiroshi Tamura, Re-Public Inc. Co-founder of Re-Public Inc. Visiting Professor at Kyushu University. Recognized internationally as a leader in design thinking and business ethnography. Engaged in research and practice about designing environments which continuously foster innovation, which spans the globe and across the public, private and tertiary sectors. Date February 10, 2020 (Monday): 16:30-18:30 Venue Kyushu University Ohashi Campus …

With the development of technology, not only the information environment that surrounds us has advanced, but the concept of “information” itself is also expanding greatly. What should the library that supports “higher-level designers” be? In this seminar, we looked at the trends and examples of overseas university libraries in this era where everyone can be a creator. Lecturer Fumiko Ichikawa, Co-Founded of Re:Public Inc. She graduated from Keio University Graduate School. She worked for Nokia as a UX expert for about 10 years in design and directing product development. Then she left to join Hakuhodo Innovation Lab before co-founding Re:Public Inc. Her expertise is in research and practice of innovation …

In our daily lives, we are immediately trapped by specific ways of looking at things. If the way we look at things becomes fixed, we might not be able to see these things correctly. The more difficult the situation is, the more necessary it is to change our perspective from time to time and see the world in different ways. “Design of Perspective” changes the way we look at things. By looking at the world more freely and more creatively, you may see landscapes that you have not yet seen or essential things that you have forgotten. Lecturer Chikahiro Hanamura Born in 1976. Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Landscape Planning …

In recent times, especially from the 20th century onwards, our everyday living and social spaces have been transforming to become ever more enclosed. With the protection of individual rights; the establishment of national borders; and the use of concrete in architecture, humans have been born, raised, and living in confined spaces. This trend can be witnessed in our social structures and their underlying theories; regional design plans; and house designs. This manner of enclosure is referred in the talk as the “barricading process”. The “barricading process” is also evident in academic thought, where lines demarcating the boundaries of intellectual specialisms have been deepening, while a more general approach to knowledge …