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Art and Philosophy in the 22nd Century: After Arakawa and Madeline Gins

Author: Naohiko Mimura(Author, Editor), Takeshi Kadobayashi(Author, Editor), Yasuo Kobayashi, Don Byrd, Alan Prohm, Jondi Keane, Renske Maria van Dam, Russell Hughes, Masayoshi Someya, Haruhiko Murakawa, Satoshi Inagaki, Hiroki Komuro, Momoyo Homma, Yusuke Koishi, Ignacio Adriasola, Adi Louria Hayon, Reversible Destiny Foundation (Kathryn Dennett, Amara Magloughlin, ST Luk, Miwako Tezuka),  Arakawa+Gins Tokyo office (Takeyoshi Matsuda, Haruka Seno, Haruka Kawaguchi, Momoyo Homma), Reiko Tomii, Takashi Ikegami, Akihiko Ono, Nomura Yasuo, Matisse ApSimon-Megens, Anouk Hoogendoorn, and Benjamin Muñoz, Adrienne Hart, Mariko Kida Publisher: ratik ISBN:978-4-907438-56-2(EPUB)ISBN:978-4-907438-57-9(PDF)ISBN:978-4-907438-58-6(POD)ISBN:978-4-907438-59-3(Amazon Kindle)ISBN:978-4-907438-60-9(AmazonPOD) Price: 2,500 JPY(Tax included)E-book    : 6,000JPY(Tax included)E-book + Paperback    : 2,500JPY(Tax included)Amazon Kindle    : 6,050JPY(Tax included)AmazonPOD ratik amazon.com This book seeks to look back sincerely at Arakawa and Gins’s legacy as well as look ahead to see how we can continue what they have left in the context of the situations we are facing now, and beyond, toward the 22nd century. “Who are we and where are we going?— ‘puzzle creatures to ourselves, we are visitations of inexplicability.’ Arakawa and [Madeline] Gins posed these questions via multiple modes in the most profound manner, proposing concrete (albeit tentative) visions for the coming century. Recall that Arakawa always urged us: ‘do it, now!’ Need we be reminded that the

NHK WORLD “Close to ART: The Reversible Destiny Lofts Mitaka “

Close to ART: The Reversible Destiny Lofts Mitaka April 15, 2020 9:30 – 9:45 / 15:30 – 15:45 / 22:30 – 22:45 April 16, 2020 3:15 – 3:30 April 19, 2020 20:10 – 20:25 “The Reversible Destiny Lofts Mitaka” is a colorful group of housing units located in Mitaka, a sleepy Tokyo suburb. Designed by artists Arakawa Shusaku and Madeline Gins in 2005, the buildings function as both art and living space. The 9 lofts are designed “not to die,” taking residents out of their comfort zones with spherical rooms, bumpy floors and more. We talk to those who live and work here as we discover what motivated Arakawa and Gins to build the lofts in the first place. https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/ondemand/video/3019110/

New York Times T-magazine

A big article on Arakawa + Gins and their architectural projects in NY Times T Magazine, issued yesterday, August 20; https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/20/t-magazine/reversible-destiny-arakawa-madeline-gins.html

International Edition: Children Who Won’t Die, ARAKAWA / WE, Madeline Gins

Price: 3,740 JPY (tax included) Shipping Cost*: 600 JPY * We will send it by Airmail. JAN: 4580625740018 Two Documentaries of Life and Work of Arakawa + Madeline Gins   Film 1: Children Who Won’t Die, ARAKAWA Language: Japanese / Subtitle: English, Japanese Running Time: 80mins Can a house help us not to die? Artists/scientists/revolutionaries Madeline Gins and Shusaku Arakawa declared that our lives need not end, and created dwellings whose purpose is to reverse our destiny and defy death itself. The Reversible Destiny Lofts in Tokyo, with their vivid colors, undulating floors, irregular lines, and spherical rooms were the culmination of their research and speculation. Arakawa said, “Living here, human beings will never die, as the potential ability of their bodies can be maximally developed.” This film includes interviews with residents of the Reversible Destiny Lofts and an astrophysicist, as well as growth records of children who were raised in these remarkable buildings. Children Who Won’t Die proudly sings a celebration of life, highlighting the possibilities of a world no one could ever have imagined before. Cast: Shusaku Arakawa Haruo Saji Yuma Yamaoka Sono Yamaoka Residents of Reversible Destiny Lofts Mitaka Director: Nobu Yamaoka Music: Keiichiro Shibuya Narrator: Tadanobu

BBC WORLD SERVICE (Radio)「Japan: New Ways to Grow Old」

BBC World Service (BBC Radio) aired a documentary on Japan, focusing on its unique approach to face the aging society, and the Reversible Destiny Lofts is introduced as one of the visionary ideas. The program is 27 minutes long, and the first 5 minutes is talking about the lofts, and it ends with a message by Arakawa + Gins, Reversible Destiny. The program is available online; http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3cswhtq

Media Information

KENCHIKU JOURNAL No.1273, a architecture magazine from Japan, featuring the Reversible Destiny Lofts MITAKA – In Memory of Helen Keller -, written by Yoshihiko Sano(Architect / President, Yasui Architects & Engineers, Inc.). http://www.kj-web.or.jp/gekkan/2017/1712.html Casa BRUTUS, No.211 https://magazineworld.jp/casabrutus/casabrutus-211/ TV commercial video of the Google app (by Google Japan) “Let’s google Yoro-Tenmei-Hantenchi” Site of Reversible Destiny YORO PARK made it’s debut in the TV commercial video of the Google app (by Google Japan) “Let’s google Yoro-Tenmei-Hantenchi”

“Battle Royale! Japanese Art History”

“Battle Royale! Japanese Art History” written by Nobuo Tsuji and Takashi Murakami was published in last August by Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. This is the English translation of “Netto Nihon Bijutsu-shi,” published in 2014. This is written in the form that Japanese art historian Nobuo Tsuji chooses some topics from Japanese art, and Takashi Murakami makes art works as his answer for each. Shusaku Arakawa is also chosen as one of the topics, and authors’ interpretation about works of Arakawa is shown in the texts and a work of art. Nobuo Tsuji vs. Takashi Murakami: Battle Royale! Japanese Art History (amazon) www.amazon.co.jp

Physical Sensations – NHK World’s “Design Talks plus”

Physical Sensations – NHK World’s “Design Talks plus”, featuring all the built works by Arakawa + Gins, is now available online. You’ll find them around 12 minutes later. Available until July 27, 2017. DESIGN TALKS Plus「Physical Sensations」(NHK WORLD) The sensation of walking on a sandy beach with bare feet. The bright light as you emerge from a tunnel in a car. The sudden scent of flowers during a stroll through the city. Our bodies experience a huge variety of sensations, yet we often don’t notice them in our everyday lives. New designs are being created to help us recognize this wealth of sensations. Explore the potential of physical sensations and design with landscape designer Eiki Danzuka. Available until July 27, 2017 https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/vod/designtalksplus/20170713/

New York Times – Daily360

Reversible Destiny Lofts in NY Times web article https://www.nytimes.com/video/arts/design/100000004967527/reversible-destiny-lofts-arakawa-tokyo.html?playlistId=100000004687548

Shusaku ARAKAWA – NHK Archives

TV program on Shusaku ARAKAWA (Japanese only) is newly archived in its program’s website. https://www2.nhk.or.jp/archives/jinbutsu/detail.cgi?das_id=D0016010372_00000

NEON DANCE “Puzzle Creature” Project

An internationally recognized dance company Neon Dance is now on the process of creating their next work “puzzle creature”, inspired by Arakawa + Gins’ world. You can find their video report of the recent research trip to Japan below. We very much look forward to seeing the presentation next year! NEON DANCE http://www.neondance.org

Press Information

Trans Japan, Cis Japan: Shusaku Arakawa Inflight Magazine of ANA Group February 2016 No.560

Exhibition Catalogue – now available online !

Exhibition Catalogue: Trajectory of Shusaku Arakawa: Beyond the Reversible Destiny Softcover, 80 pages with color plates Published by Aizu Museum (Waseda University), Tokyo, Japan, 2014 Language: Japanese / English (Summary of the articles and selected biography of Shusaku Arakawa) Dimensions: 25.5 x 18.0 x 0.6 cm Price: 1,000 Japanese Yen + shipping https://arakawagins.stores.jp/

Press Information

Bijutsu Techo 2014.06 TOO MUCH MAGAZINE Issue 5 http://tsite.jp/daikanyama/event/003724.html SHOTEN KENCHIKU 2014 Vol.59 No.05 coto-recipe Culture no.03 http://mirai-pub.co.jp/

Article featuring the Biotopological Scale-Juggling Escalator (@Dover Street Market NY) has just published (Casa BRUTUS magazine)

Since its grand opening, the Dover Street Market NY has become one of the hottest spots in NYC. The “Biotopological Scale-Juggling Escalator” by Arakawa + Gins (Reversible Destiny Foundation) is obviously the first thing to snap a shot! Casa BRUTUS No. 168 http://magazineworld.jp/casabrutus/casabrutus-168/ “Biotopological Scale-Juggling Escalator” (a model for a Lifespan Extending Module) 場所:Dover Street Market New York (160 Lexington Avenue New York, NY 10016) http://newyork.doverstreetmarket.com/dsmpaper/new_spaces.html

Soundtrack for Children who won’t die, Shusaku Arakawa

The long-awaited soundtrack album of the film “Children who won’t die, Shusaku Arakawa” has just launched. This album contains 17 original numbers, produced, composed by Keiichiro Shibuya, and it’s released as the 19th album by his original label “ATAK”. The album is available on their website, as well as at some museum shops as of today, and it will be widely released from October 30. <<Contents>> 01 Reversible Destiny (Main Theme) 02 In Memory of Helen Keller 03 Architectural Body 04 Requiem for not to die 05 Dreaming 06 The mechanism of meaning (with Madeline Gins) 07 Reversible Destiny (Rhodes Piano version) 08 Mistake (with Madeline Gins) 09 Another Texture 1 10 Another Texture 2 11 Numbers 12 Shadow Boxing 13 Reversible Destiny (Piano Solo version) 14 drill 4 15 Landing Sites 16 Bioscleave House 17 Children who won’t die Total Time 71’51 All Produced, Composed by Keiichiro Shibuya (ATAK) Piano, Rhodes, Noise and Computer Programming by Keiichiro Shibuya (ATAK) Voice by Tr.6, 8 by Madeline Gins Recorded by Takashi Ikegami (Tokyo University) Recorded for Piano and Rhodes on Tr.1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 13, 17 by Yoshiyuki Kanamori (Oasis sound design inc.) Mastered by Kimken (kimken studio) Art works