International Showcase 2010
March 1st [Mon] - 4th [Thu] Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space (Ikebukuro, Tokyo)
Organized by: Agency for Cultural Affairs 
Co-organized by: Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space
Produced by: PARC - Japan Center, Pacific Basin Arts Communication
* This is accurate until January 7th. Please note that details may be subject to change.
*International Showcase 2010 Program is now available!! [Download]
● March 1st [Mon] 19:00 - 20:30 / Theater, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space
Director: KUNISAKI Susumu (Chief Editor, "Sound & Recording Magazine")
SHIMIZU Yasuaki and SHIBUYA Keiichiro are both excellent players of acoustic instruments: the saxophone and piano. However, they have also been creating unusual sonic experiences in recordings and live performances utilizing technologies. The two musicians encounter for the first time in this showcase, and a "session of echoes" will be realized in the space of the Medium Hall of Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space. Reverberation of the sound of the saxophone and piano will be created by digital processing, and it will be sent in a multichannel format to the loudspeakers embedded in the wall of the theater. In this live performance, the saxophone and piano, as well as the acoustic sound and reverberation will be intermixed and the particles of sound will fill the space.
SHIMIZU Yasuaki
Composer/saxophonist/music producer. Leader of the trans-genre band Mariah in the 1980s, then much acclaimed after going solo for his first-ever tenor saxophone arrangements of J. S. Bach's "Six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello" released in the late 1990s as two albums of "Cello Suites," his "Bach Box" won "Best Production" at the Japan Record Awards in 1997. His new saxophone and contrabass arrangement of Bach's "Goldberg Variations" premieres at Sumida Triphony Hall in February 2010. He also composes for television and films.
SHIMIZU Yasuaki's Official HP http://www.yasuaki-shimizu.com
SHIBUYA Keiichiro
Born in 1973. Graduated with a degree in composition from Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. In 2004, he released his first solo album "ATAK000 keiichiro shibuya" which established his position and was described as "a perfect work that rules over the history of electronic music." The Third Term Music with Takashi Ikegami (complex system researcher/associate professor at Tokyo University) has been highly recognized as a significant collaboration across music and science. He released his first piano solo album "ATAK015 for maria" in 2009, and "our music" in collaboration with soutaiseiriron in 2010.
SHIBUYA Keiichiro's Official HP http://atak.jp/
Director: KUNISAKI Susumu
The chief editor of "Sound & Recording Magazine." The magazine is specialized in information for musicians, producers and engineers, with its exploration of creation methods of music through interviews on artists and guides about techniques and equipments that are indispensable for creation, and has been widely acknowledged among both professional and amateur creators.
● March 2nd [Tue] 16:30 - 18:30 / Mini Theater 2, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space
Director: SAKURAI Keisuke (Musician / Dance Critic / Organizer of "Azumabashi Dance Crossing")
The four artists/groups were selected as a response to a question "How can dance be possible, here and today?" What makes their expressions "contemporary dance" now? That is by being music, by being theatre, by being fine art, and by being a fight. This is not a paradox. In these cases, dance is not a genre but the mode and attitude of the body. In short, "It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing" (Duke Ellington).
AMEYA Norimizu "Miso on the Face"
Born in 1961. Director/Artist. Participated in Jokyo Gekijo in 1978. Founded Tokyo Grand Guignol in 1983. He worked mainly as artist in the 1990s focusing on such themes as blood transfusion, artificial insemination and infectious diseases and participated in Venice Biennale in 1995, but after that he suspended his artistic activities continuing his contemplation as a pet shop owner. In 2005 he restarted his art works, and in 2007 theatre works. "Tenkosei (Transfer Student)" (written by Oriza Hirata) and "4.48 Psychosis" (written by Sarah Kane) that he has recently directed were highly received.
contact Gonzo
Launched in 2006. "contact Gonzo" is not only the name of the unit but also the name of its original methodology "the philosophy of pain, technique to relate" based on contact improvisation. Its performances that sometimes simply appear as mere fist fighting and sometimes as sophisticated dance are presented immediately through numerous photographs and video images. The unit has also been performing in such places as Helsinki, Nanjing, Seoul and Okinawa to pursue another theme "relation between a city and the body."
contact Gonzo's Official blog http://contactgonzo.blogspot.com/
NEJI Pijin "syzygy"
Choreographer/dancer. Creates dance pieces that aim to generate interactions between the body and matter through using the body as an objet. He was a member of Dairakudakan until 2004, and performed in Josef Nadj's "ASOBU" participating in Avignon Festival and domestic and international tours from 2006 to 2007. He presented "NJPJN" at Centre Choregraphique National d'Orleans in 2008, and has also been working in Jikken Unit with three choreographers and one musician.
NEJI Pijin's Official HP http://www.geocities.jp/nejipijin/
Line Keikyu［YAMAGATA Taichi+OOTANI Yosio］ "YOSHIYUKI Kazuko Dub ver."
An indefinite -form performance unit of theatre/music/dance formed in 2008 by Taichi Yamagata of chelfitsch and the musician Yosio Ootani of sim/mas. It pursues compositions where theatre, dance and music compound in circular movement.
Director: SAKURAI Keisuke
He has been approaching to dance through various alternative methodologies: writings such as "Nishiazabu Dance School" and "Dancing All Night," curation of such projects as "Azumabashi Dance Crossing," lectures that are for "rediscovery of dance," workshops for "invention of dance," or collaborations with choreographers as musician.
March 4th [Thu] 16:30 - 18:30 / Mini Theater 2, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space
Director: TSUTSUMI Hiroshi (Performing Arts Critic)
©Aoki Tsukasa
SHIBA Yukio [mamagoto]
Born in 1982. Director/playwright. The leader of theatre company "Mamagoto," and a member of the directing section of Seinendan. He won the second "Sendai Playwright Award" by "Dodomino" when he was a student of Nihon University College of Art. Characteristics of his works are plays that scoop up subtle details of daily life and direction with elements that are brought from outside of theatre such as loops and sampling. Among his works are "Waga Hoshi (My Planet)" that simultaneously depicts a girl's life and the earth's life, "Ayumi (Walking)" in which performers keep walking all the time, "Gendai Kogo Musical 'Gozen Kaigi' (Contemporary Colloquial Musical 'Imperial Conference')" with rap, and "Hanpuku katsu Renzoku (Repetition and Continuation)" in which a monodrama is looped to perform a large family.
SHIBA Yukio [mamagoto] Official HP http://www.mamagoto.org/
"LOVE" ©Ishikawa Yuko
Tokyo Deathlock
Established around Junnosuke Tada in 2001. Understanding theatre's fascination as "presence of performers," its characteristic is the focus on what is happening right now at the theater. Presented not only original pieces but also classics such as Shakespeare. The company has suspended activities in Tokyo and has been working in other areas in Japan and performing in foreign countries, and started as a resident company of Kirari Fujimi, a civil cultural hall of Fujimi City, Saitama. The leader Junnosuke Tada will be installed as artistic director of the hall in April 2010.
Tokyo Deathlock's Official HP http://deathlock.specters.net/
CASTAYA Project
A project "by" an imaginary director Mr. Enric Castaya. Performances are presented without providing information such as the profile of the director or performers. In the first piece "CASTAYA" a female performer kept standing without a word for 40 minutes, and the second piece "Are You Experienced?" continued until all the audience members went home. The newest piece "±0'00"(0'00"No.2)" creates its dramatic spatial structure only by subtitles, without presence of any performer. The project presents a new relationship between a work of art and audience by eliminating signatures from the work, involving the audience's act of "seeing" itself as a part of the performance.
CASTAYA Project's Official HP http://castaya.exblog.jp
Director: TSUTSUMI Hiroshi
After working as editor of art magazines, entertainment information magazines, theatre and drama magazines, he has been writing articles for newspapers, magazines and websites as reporter/critic. The chief editor and publisher of a performing arts magazine "Bacchus." Among the books he wrote/edited are "Sora Tobu Kumo no Ue Dangoro Ichiza 'Acharaka Sai Tanjo'" (The Flying Dangoro Party in The Sky 'Rebirth of Acharaka') and "Gendai Doitsu no Performing Arts (Performing Arts in Germany Today)."
In cooperation with oversea performing arts organizations and groups, these showcases introduce excellent works yet undiscovered in Japan that are selected out of many candidates by experts of
each country.
● March 3rd [Wed] 19:00 - 21:00 / Theater, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space
©Leda & St. Jacques
CINARS Showcase (Canada)
Cas Public
Helene Blackburn, who had already established her career as a choreographer/dancer, founded Cas Public in 1989 to pursue the possibility of collective work. By favoring choreographic research based on the renewal of contemporary dance approaches, the company has positioned itself among the companies that enjoy an international reputation through successes of such productions as "Bluebeard" at Opera national de Paris while being firmly rooted in Quebec. The company recently took up a new challenge and turned its attention to shows for young audiences to promote contemporary dance and contribute to its development.
Co-organized by CINARS
Cas Public's Official HP http://www.caspublic.com/
©Marko Makinen
Dance Info Finland Showcase (Finland)
Karttunen Kollektiv
Karttunen Kollektiv is a contemporary dance production company that manages the artistic work of choreographer and dancer Jyrki Karttunen. Understanding dance as both one of the most multi-faceted forms of philosophy and as a significant act within society, the company creates pieces that combine extraordinary human behaviors and material that is more clearly recognizable as traditional dance movement, with approximately one new premiere every year. The group also tours domestically and internationally with their repertory programs.
Co-organized by Dance Info Finland
Karttunen Kollektiv's Official HP http://www.karttunenkollektiv.fi/
Indonesian Performing Arts Mart Showcase (Indonesia)
Nan Jombang Dance Company
Nan Jombang Dance Company, based in Sumatra, was established in 1983 by the choreographer Ery Mefri. Formed by his family members, the group has been tracing back to the origin of Minangkabau traditional dance, extracting only the essence and building a minimalist contemporary form. Not only in Indonesia, the group has been actively performing overseas, such as Singapore (Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay), the United States (American Dance Festival), and Australia (Queensland Music Festival).
Cooperated by Indonesia Performing Arts Mart (IPAM)
British Council Showcase (UK)
British Council will present a special showcase programme "Connected - Interactive performing arts from the UK" to introduce a wide range of interactive performing arts from UK. The artists featured in the programme are experimenting in their work to find a new theatrical language, which connects with the audience of today. At the heart of this work is the desire to reconnect with audiences and bring honesty, intimacy and integrity into the live experience for the 21st century as only theatre can.
Connected special site：
Co-organized by British Council
● March 4th [Thu] 14:00～16:30 / Theater [medium], Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space
[Caution!] Timetable changed.
Melanie Wilson
Simple Girl
Simple Girl a solo performance by Melanie Wilson with a live soundtrack, performed on stage with a sampler and vintage microphone. Part coolly seductive femme fatal, part warmly mischievous confidante, Melanie’s idiosyncratic character conjures scenes of iconic cinematic imagery with gorgeous intrigue and transporting pathos, sharing a uniquely personal relationship with an audience that are part co-conspirator, part prey. Simple Girl has been performed in Edinburgh, Dubrin, and New York, receiving enthusiastic responses from audiences.
http://melaniewilson.org.uk/
©Chris Dorley Brown
Tim Crouch
my arm
my arm is the story of a man who has lived for thirty years by the courage of his lack of conviction. His story is told through a combination of live performance, digital film and the animation of everyday objects supplied by the audience before each performance. my arm opened to universal acclaim at the Traverse Theatre during the Edinburgh Festival 2003. Crouch is the most engaging of performers, who is exploring the nature of art and performance itself, taking risks in the process.
http://newsfromnowhere.net/
Adrian Howell
Foot Washing for the Sole
● March 2nd, 3rd, 4th / Small Rehearsal Room, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space
2nd : 14:30 / 15:15 / 16:00
3rd : 10:30 / 11/15 / 14:00 / 14:45 / 15:30 / 16:15 / 17:00
4th :
14:00 / 14:45 / 15:30 / 16:15 / 17:00
[Reservation]
Reservation Form [download]
or TPAM showcase Booth (5F, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space )
An intimate performance for one in which Adrian washes and dries the participant's feet, anoints and massages them in frankincense oil and, finally, asks the participant's permission to kiss them...
Now Howells - whose work has often combined a strong sense of intimacy, confession and ritual - offers another one-to-one performance, which explores the possibility of achieving absolution or a sense of ease in our secular culture.
Billy Cowie
"In The Flesh"+"The Revery Alone"
●March 2nd, 3rd, 4th / Small Rehearsal Room, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space
2nd：14:30 - 16:30
3rd：10:30-12:00 / 14:00 - 17:30
4th：14:00 - 17:30
Free entrance. No reservation needed.
In The Flesh is a video installation created by Billy Cowie who is a Scottish composer, choreographer and film maker. The audience enter the darkened space wearing 3d glasses. On reaching their designated spot they are surprised to see a dancer on the ground in front of them. Although she is in fact a projection she appears to be actually in the space, solid and real; she is there, in effect, ‘in the flesh’. At the end of her dance she fades into nothing.
http://billycowie.com/
● March 2th［The］18:40～19:20 / March 3th［Wed］18:10～18:50 ◎Free Application here！
Duncan Speakman
as if it were the last time (a Subtlemob) Registration here
Created and written by Duncan Speakman, the work is a snapshot image of contemporary life, allowing the audience to watch it, reflect on it, and live it. Audiences are invited to download an MP3 and turn up in a secret area of a city to listen to the track at a specified time. Exploring ideas of how mobile technology can create social disconnection in shared public spaces, it also looks for ways to use the technologies to create connections between strangers and friends, to savour the moment and the temporary space.
http://subtlemob.com/
Coney
14:00. 2nd March［Tue］ Rehearsal Room, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space (B2F)
12:00. 4th March ［Wed］Rehearsal Room, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space (B2F) Venue changed
No reservation needed.
Coney is an agency of adventure that makes play, which is live, responsive, interactive and participatory, using whatever comes to hand and casting the audience in the leading role. Coney projects take place wherever people are, with recent projects happening online, in a theatre, in museums, public space and in a school. Coney has created adventures for organisations including the National Theatre London, the Dublin Fringe Festival and for London International Festival of Theatre. Responsive projects can vary in form, scale and duration depending on context, approaches that a partner might seek to explore, and participants.
http://youhavefoundconey.net/
Gob Squad
Live Long And Prosper
15:30. 2nd March［Tue］ Medium Meeting Room, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space (5F)
16:00. 4th March ［Wed］Medium Meeting Room, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space (5F)
No reservation needed.
Seven film sequences by seven performers across the city of Berlin will be shown on two screens. The intertwined sequences and their doppelgangers weave simultaneously towards their inevitably tragic ends. Performers prepare and play-out their scenes with tender seriousness, leaving a trail of pretend corpses, extracted from their borrowed sources and abandoned in cinematic pull backs that reveal everyday urban life continuing around them. Gob Squad is a group of artists based in Nottingham and Berlin, working collectively with performance, theatre, installation and video.
http://gobsquad.com/
