南部便り：Japan Currents Vol. 124 – February 2020

アトランタ総領事館より、南部各地イベントのご紹介です。

Yayoi Kusama: Open the Shape Called Love (Chapel Hill, NC)

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最も重要な現代アーティスとの一人、草間彌生さんのアート展がAckland Art Museum にて4/12 まで開催されています。

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January 31 – April 12, 2020
Ackland Art Museum
101 S. Columbia Street
Chapel Hill, NC 27514

Yayoi Kusama is one of the most admired of all contemporary artists. Her “Infinity Rooms,” mirrored and specially lit environments, have recently been a premier attraction for art lovers all over the world. This exhibition presents the distinguished collection of James Keith Brown ’84 and Eric Diefenbach to explore other aspects of her oeuvre, with a special concentration on the early works on paper of the 1950s, a full range of intimate “dot paintings” and “net paintings,” examples of her provocative sculpture and multi-media work, and one tabletop mirror box.

Guided Tours of Yayoi Kusama: Open the Shape Called Love. Free; no registration required.

Select Weekdays | 1:30 p.m.

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Toriawase: A Special Installation of Modern Japanese Art and Ceramics (Chapel Hill, NC)

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同じくAckland Art Museum, Chapel Hill では、”取り合わせ”と題したモダンアート展も開催されています。

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January 31 – April 12, 2020
Ackland Art Museum
101 S. Columbia Street
Chapel Hill, NC 27514

Toriawase is a Japanese concept that loosely means to choose and combine objects with exquisite care. This special installation approaches the combination of modern art and ceramics in this spirit, aiming less for a historical or scholarly approach and more for an intuitive, experiential orchestration of relationships and correspondences. Modern and contemporary Japanese painting and sculpture are not often displayed or considered alongside ceramics of the same period. The exhibition draws on the Ackland’s holdings, as well as three major private collections: James Keith Brown ’84 and Eric Diefenbach, Mina Levin and Ronald Schwarz, and Carol and Jeffrey Horvitz.

This special installation has been organized by Peter Nisbet, Deputy Director for Curatorial Affairs, and Nathan Marzen, Head of Exhibition Design and Installation, with the assistance of Dr. Daniele Lauro, a recent graduate from the PhD program in the History Department at UNC-Chapel Hill and 2019 Richard Bland Fellow at the Ackland Art Museum.

Guided Tours of Toriawase: A Special Installation of Modern Japanese Art and Ceramics. Free; no registration required.

Select Weekdays | 1:30 p.m.

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Ackland Film Forum: Paprika (Chapel Hill, NC)

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サイコ・サスペンスアニメ「パプリカ」上映会@Varsity Theatre,Chapel Hill, NC

February 3, 2020 5:00pm
Varsity Theatre
123 E. Franklin St.
Chapel Hill, NC 27514

A psychological thriller from one of Japan’s greatest animators, “Paprika” is a tale that blurs the line between reality and nightmare. Dr. Atsuko Chiba works as a scientist by day and, under the code name ‘Paprika,’ a dream detective by night. When a device intended to help psychiatric patients falls into the wrong hands, she must spring into action (and the minds of others) before damage is done. You will see how Christopher Nolan’s “Inception” took inspiration from the premise of this wildly entertaining film.

***Supplemental to Paprika is a Triangle Film Salon lecture titled: “Intermedial Feeling: How Kon Satoshi Animates the Self.” Presented by Thomas Lamarre (Duke University), the lecture will take place the following day, February 4th, at 5:30 PM in the ART& space at the Ackland.

TICKETS

$7; Free with UNC One Card

Tickets available at the Varsity Theatre, 123 E. Franklin St.

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Drum TAO (Opelika, AL)

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海外でも活躍されている”和太鼓パフォーマー” Drum TAOがアメリカ各地で公演中！

February 3, 2020 7:30 – 9:30pm
Opelika Center for the Performing Arts
1700 Lafayette Pkwy
Opelika, AL 36801

The internationally acclaimed percussion artists of TAO bring to North America their newest production, Drum TAO, with modern, high-energy performances showcasing the ancient art of Japanese drumming. Worldwide audiences have been transfixed with TAO’s highly physical, large-scale drumming, contemporary costumes, precise choreography, and innovative visuals. Expect the walls and floor of OCPA to be vibrating from the effect of the large-scale Japanese drums on stage, so you will be able to enjoy this energetic and unforgettable production as though you’re sitting in your favorite massage chair.

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“Intermedial Feeling: How Kon Satoshi Animates the Self”

(Chapel Hill, NC)

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February 4, 2020 5:30 – 7:30pm
Ackland Art Museum
101 S. Columbia Street
Chapel Hill, NC 27514

Talk by Thomas Lamarre, Middle Eastern and Asian Studies, Duke University

The animated films of Kon Satoshi are often praised for the depth of their psychological portrayals. But how exactly is psychological depth produced in animation? To answer this question, I propose to consider the production of depth in animation in general, in order to situate the distinctiveness of Kon’s style — in particular, his use of framing techniques inspired by manga and his tendency to apply techniques of compositing to characters. A closer look at how these procedures allow Kon to “animate the self” also opens a way to consider some of the criticisms of his films, in particular, the criticism they produce psychological depth only by pathologizing characters associated with excessive consumption, such as otaku and cinephiles, gamers and advertisers.

Part of the Triangle Film Salon series, presented by the UNC-Chapel Hill Department of English and Comparative Literature and the Ackland Film Forum: The Patterned Screen: Rhythm and Repetition in Contemporary Asian Cinema

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Japan’s New Era “Reiwa”, Emperor, and Tea (Chapel Hill, NC)

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Dr. Jan Bardsley氏による日本の天皇の歴史的背景及び、新しい令和時代の講演会。お点前や、Tea テイスティングが催されるそうです。

February 8, 2020 9:00am – 4:00pm
UNC Chapel Hill New West Room 219
175 E Cameron Ave.
Chapel Hill, NC 27514

9:00 – 9:30 Arrival/registration at (TBA)
9:30 – 11:30 Japanese Emperer-Historical background and the new era “Reiwa” by Dr.Jan Bardsley
11:30 – 12:30 Lunch break
12:30 – 2:30 “Tea Ceremony” by Dr. David Phillip
2:45 – 4:00 Japanese Tea Tasting by Prof. Yuki Aratake

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Race Media Empire Speaker Series- Spatial Politics of the Olympics

Sites of Tokyo 3.0 (Durham, NC)

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February 13, 2020 4:30 – 6:30pm
Duke University – Smith Warehouse
114 South Buchanan Blvd.
Durham, NC 27708

Sharon Hayashi is Associate Professor of Cinema and Media Studies in the Department of Cinema and Media Arts at York University, Toronto. Hayashi’s recent work has focused on visualizing and archiving spatial practices of artistic and social collectives in Tokyo. Her current research projects include the digital mapping archive project Mapping Tokyo Olympics 3.0: The Politics of Demolition and Displacement, and the collaborative gaming project Eco-tour: Local Currency, Community, and Sustainability in Rural Japan.

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NashiCon 2020 (Columbia, SC)

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第13回 NashiCon (アニメコンベンション）開催

February 14-16, 2020
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel
2100 Bush River Rd,
Columbia, SC 29210

Started in 2008 on the University of South Carolina campus with less than 40 staff members and over 200 attendees, NashiCon is the oldest anime convention in South Carolina. Join us for our thirteenth year in 2020 from February 14th-16h at the Doubletree by Hilton Columbia, South Carolina!

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YAMATO, The Drummers of Japan: JHONETSU – PASSION! (4 NC cities)

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NCの4都市にて、ドラマー”YAMATO”のパフォーマンス公演

February 23, 2020
Duke Family Performance Hall at Davidson
207 Faculty Dr,
Davidson, NC 28036

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February 24 & 25, 2020
Diana Wortham Theatre
18 Biltmore Ave,
Asheville, NC 28801

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February 27, 2020
Wright Auditorium at East Carolina University
E 5th St,
Greenville, NC 27858

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February 28, 2020
Stewart Theatre at North Carolina State
2610 Cates Ave,
Raleigh, NC 27695

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YAMATO: The Drummers of Japan bring their “show of unbridled enthusiasm, much humour and great musical variety” (The Scotsman) to North America for a 40-city tour of JHONETSU – PASSION! This marks the Taiko troupe’s 26th season, celebrating over 4,000 performances in 54 countries and reaching nearly 8 million people.

The modern and physically powerful troupe – comprised of dozens of musician-athletes – starts each performance by hitting a Japanese Taiko drum weighing half a ton, made from a single piece of wood from a 400-year-old tree. They move their whole bodies to strike the traditional Japanese instrument with the belief that the drumbeat, like the heartbeat, is the very pulse of life and the epitome of the Japanese spirit.

Employing “vibrant and extremely precise” choreography, YAMATO’s new program PASSION! has been deemed by London One “an exhilarating and worthwhile experience” and “quite a revelation for those experiencing this kind of dynamic performance for the first time.” “Everything related to YAMATO – the stage, the Taiko drums, every bit of our bodies – has been created from the energy and passion of the audience,” says Founder and Artistic Director Masa Ogawa. “Live performances are so full of intensity that they make people’s bodies jump and their hearts race faster. Audiences are overwhelmed by the beat of the music, as their spirits, bodies and heartbeats are uplifted in sync with the powerful sounds. What moves YAMATO forward is its passion.”

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Ongoing Events

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Yayoi Kusama: Narcissus Gardens (Atlanta, GA)

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April 12, 2019 – February 17, 2020 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Atlanta Botanical Gardens
1345 Piedmont Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30309

Narcissus Garden is a signature work of contemporary art created by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. Narcissus Garden was first presented in 1966, when Kusama staged an unofficial installation and performance at the 33rd Venice Biennale. The silver spheres, originally made from plastic, were installed on the lawn in front of the Italian Pavilion, reflecting the landscape of the exhibition grounds. Kusama herself stood among them, barefoot and dressed in a gold kimono, alongside yard signs inscribed with the words “Narcissus Garden, Kusama” and “Your Narcissism for Sale.”

The installation is site-specific and made up of approximately 1,400 stainless steel spheres carefully arranged by staff from Kusama’s studio in Japan. These spheres can be viewed in their current location at the Atlanta Botanical Garden from the Canopy Walk, and along many of the trails leading into and out of Storza Woods.

The Narcissus Garden installation is a joint effort between the Atlanta Botanical Garden and The High Museum, which hosts Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors through Feb. 17. Narcissus Garden will remain on-view in Storza Woods through Spring.

Yayoi Kusama
Narcissus Garden, 1966-present
1400 stainless steel spheres
overall dimensions vary by installation
Each sphere 11 7/8 in.

Collection of the Artist.

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The Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta is an overseas establisment of the Government of Japan. The main function of our office is to protect Japanese nationals and economic interests, provide consular services and cultural exchange. There are 18 Japanese diplomatic missions in the United States. The jurisdiction of our office in Atlanta is Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta

Phipps Tower, Suite 850

3438 Peachtree Road

Atlanta, GA 30326

Email: info@aa.mofa.go.jp

Phone: 404-240-4300

Fax: 404-240-4311

Web: http://www.atlanta.us.emb-japan.go.jp