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Tokyo Observation

Manae Shimizu

"Tokyo Observation," a solo exhibition by Aie Shimizu, will be held at CONTRAST from Thursday, February 19, to Tuesday, February 24. This exhibition focuses on the Tokyo Observation series, which the artist has been developing since 2019. Living on the western side of Tokyo while holding a strong interest and sense of admiration for the city center, Shimizu observes various districts of central Tokyo, extracts their distinctive characteristics, and translates them into artworks. In this series, the artist selects neighborhoods of personal interest from among Tokyo’s many districts and creates individual works for each location. The exhibition will feature four works in total: Tokyo Observation – AKIHABARA – and Tokyo Observation – SHIBUYA –, both produced in 2019, along with two new works, Tokyo Observation – SHIBUYA II – and Tokyo Observation: Extra Edition – May the City Rest in Peace. — Date: 2/19 (Thu) – 2/24 (Tue) Time: 12:00 – 18:00 (until 15:00 on the final day) Venue: CONTRAST Entrance: Free Support: Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan, FY2025 Media Arts Creator Development Support Program

Manae Shimizu

Born in 1995. An active design engineer with extensive experience working on-site at installations and event venues. While enrolled in the Media Art course of the Graduate School of Film and New Media at Tokyo University of the Arts in 2019, they began producing the Tokyo Observation series, which takes “Tokyo’s city center as seen from my life on the western side of Tokyo” as its theme and transforms various central Tokyo neighborhoods into media art works. After gaining employment as a device developer, they stepped away from art production; however, during the COVID-19 pandemic, while commuting daily to Shibuya under unusual circumstances, they accumulated photographs of the Shibuya Scramble Crossing. These photographs later led to the creation of the present new work. After being given the opportunity to exhibit at SICF26 in May 2025, they resumed their artistic practice. In November 2025, they participated in Art & Graphic Exhibition (2025.November) – Innovation of Creation – at Recto Verso Gallery, where fictional CD jackets posted on Instagram were exhibited as square-format monitors and printed works. With the motto of positioning themselves in the interstice between art, design, and technology without being bound by conventional boundaries, they engage in activities across a wide range of fields.

About CONTRAST
In 2022, CONTRAST opened as a creative space in Yoyogi-Hachiman, Tokyo. The interior, based on a 45-year-old structure, consists of three floors under the concept of "reconstruction," and is managed by IN FOCUS, a digital branding studio that operates under the theme of "We propose new perspectives through a collective pursuit of digital excellence.". The space not only serves as its own creative space but also aims to be widely open to the public, providing a space for continuous and experimental reconstruction by its users, breaking free from limitations. Focusing on various forms of expression and encountering the creators who produce them, we will come to understand the importance of "CONTRAST = comparison" in our endeavors. Operated by IN FOCUS.In 2022, CONTRAST opened as a creative space in Yoyogi-Hachiman, Tokyo. The interior, based on a 45-year-old structure, consists of three floors under the concept of "reconstruction," and is managed by IN FOCUS, a digital branding studio that operates under the theme of "We propose new perspectives through a collective pursuit of digital excellence.". The space not only serves as its own creative space but also aims to be widely open to the public, providing a space for continuous and experimental reconstruction by its users, breaking free from limitations. Focusing on various forms of expression and encountering the creators who produce them, we will come to understand the importance of "CONTRAST = comparison" in our endeavors. Operated by IN FOCUS.

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