<Press Conference Notice>
“Ubugoe by Sound of Ikebana” in Zero-Gravity Setting
Arts in Space-Age: Zero-gravity Art as an Innovative Art Creation
Kyoto University Art Innovation Industry-Academia Collaboration Course (represented by Program-Specific Prof. Naoko Toasa), under Graduate School of Advanced Integrated Studies in Human Survivability (GSAIS), in collaboration with GSAIS Human Spaceology Center, is starting a project to create zero-gravity art as a new art form in the modern space age, also in collaboration with Toppan Printing CO., LTD (Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, President and Representative Director Hideharu Maro).
We would greatly appreciate it if various media outlets could cover the upcoming press conference, detailed below.
We require participants to register beforehand by 18:00 May 18th (JST). Please access the registration form here: https://forms.gle/ZMrirEN1oPL5V5sA6
(Press publication date will be informed on a later date.)
Press Conference Details:
Date and time: 05/19/2021 (Wed.) 14:00-16:00
Place: Kyoto University Main Campus, Research Bldg. No. 17
GSAIS Art Innovation Industry-Academia Collaboration Course Lab (Tosa Laboratory)
Map: http://www.kyoto-u.ac.jp/ja/access/campus/yoshida/map6r_y/
(Building 58 on Kyoto University Access Map above)
We accept participation via Zoom.
Attendees:
• Naoko Tosa, Program-Specific Professor
Kyoto University GSAIS Art Innovation Industry-Academia Collaboration Course
• Yosuke Yamashiki, Professor
Kyoto University GSAIS Human spaceology center
• Mitsuhiro Nakao, Director & Managing Executive Officer
Toppan Printing CO., LTD.
• Takashi Suzuki, General Manger
Toppan Printing CO., LTD., Social Innovation Division
• Akihiro Yamada, Manager
Toppan Printing CO., LTD., Social Innovation Division
• Kenta Kawamura, Manager
Kyoto University Original CO., LTD., Knowledge Promotion Division
In Cooperation with Kyoto University GSAIS Human Spaceology Center
Contact:
Kyoto University GSAS Program-Specific Professor Naoko Tosa
Tel: 075-762-2108, email: tosa.naoko.5c@kyoto-u.ac.jp
Project Abstract
The aim of this project is to create new art formsappropriate for the coming modern space age, bycreating “Ubugoe by Sound of Ikebana” undermicrogravity. “Sound of Ikebana”, an art work onthe basis of this project, is created by applyingsound vibrations to paints of various colors andviscosity and capturing its dynamic movementswith a 2000 frames/sec high-speed camera.“Ubugoe by Sound of Ikebana” is Sound ofIkebana created by first cries of newborn babies.This art-work represents the bursting energy oflife, and is a unique, one-and-only art that isalready turned into a business project mainly by Kyoto University Original.
In recent years, we have heard countless news and events relating to space: from the landing and sample collection of “Hayabusa 2” on an asteroid, to NASA’s landing of the Perseverance Rover on Mars, and Space X’s plan to send civilian space crew to Earth’s orbit and even to the moon. Space is coming close to us like it never has before. Art has traditionally been closely linked to humanness and human activities, and hence consideration of the relationship between space and art is a critical theme.
With this issue in mind, Naoko Tosa and Toppan Printing will experiment with the creation of “Ubugoe by Sound of Ikebana” under microgravity. By producing Sound of Ikebana on a parabolic flight using Ubugoe (baby’s first cry), we will see what kind of shapes and forms will be created by the “bursting energy of life” under space-like environment.
Below are the significances of this project.
• Tackling problems such as: how art changes in microgravity environment, if new art forms can be created.
• Provide a sense of hope for the stressed people under COVID-19 pandemic.
• Providing gifts for parents of new-borns fitting for the modern space age.
• Aiming to apply art more to industries, exploring possibility of extracting 3D form of fluid under microgravity.
We have constructed an equipment that will reproduce microgravity setting, and as a preparatory experiment we will experiment with the production of “Ubugoe by Sound of Ikebana” under microgravity on the day of the press conference, 5/19. We have already seen differences in forms compared to normal gravity setting, which gives us great expectation for the experiment on board of parabolic flight.
