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The Crystallized Echo of Air Quotes

Takuto Ohta

CONTRAST is pleased to present the first solo exhibition of designer and artist Takuto Ohta "The Crystallized Echo of Air Quotes," from March 9 (Sun) to March 16 (Sun). In contemporary society, an invisible distance seems to exist between us and the world. From news and conspiracy theories to design, art, the clothes we wear, and even the water we drink—there is no definitive way to verify their essence. Amid an overwhelming flood of information, discerning truth has become increasingly difficult. Even the word “apple” raises questions—why is it called an "apple" and not something else? The deeper one delves, the more endless the labyrinth becomes. The term "Air Quotes" appeared within this vague sense of nihilism, drawing attention to its deeper implications. This hand gesture, used to indicate quoted speech, is often employed with irony or sarcasm. In a world where diverse values intersect and the meanings of words continue to fragment, what happens when we place " " around every concept? "Human," "Society," "Language," "Emotions," "War," "Peace," "Art," "Design," "Values"… By placing quotation marks around these words, Ohta challenges how we perceive and define them. This exhibition reinterprets the "language" inherent in both words and objects. Through photography, sculpture, and poetry, he presents a deeply personal response to the questions that arise in this process. Across three floors, distinct worlds unfold, offering a multilayered perspective within the space. ー Opening Party：3/8(Sat) 18:00 - 21:00 Duration：3/9(Sun) - 16(Sun) Time：13:00 - 20:00 Closed：Wednesday Venue：CONTRAST Entrance：Free Graphic Design：Ryunosuke Kikumura

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What Matter Entangles, What EmBodies Resonates

  • DIG SHIBUYA
  • Flavia Mazzanti

In conjunction with the “DIG SHIBUYA 2025”, CONTRAST presents “What Matter Entangles, What EmBodies Resonates”, the first solo exhibition in Japan by Flavia Mazzanti, a multimedia artist based in Vienna and São Paulo, from 2/8(Sat) to 2/16(Sun). Using digital art, immersive technology, and experimental animation, the exhibition explores the relationship between the body and its physical and social environment, offering alternative perspectives on post-anthropocentrism and posthumanism. Featured works include a new series of post-photographic works developed between Brazil and Vienna and the short film “Sympoietic Bodies.” The multidisciplinary project “Beyond My Skin,” which merges physical and virtual spaces into urban environments, will screen videos shot in Shibuya, Vienna, and São Paulo on LED displays. Visitors can also experience the MR (mixed reality) installation. In addition, “Sympoietic Bodies” and “Beyond My Skin” will be screened on billboards at the Shibuya Crossing as part of “Shibuya Crossing Night Art” from midnight on 2/10 (Mon). On 2/13 (Thr), an artist talk will be held at the Embassy of Brazil in Japan. ー Flavia Mazzanti (ITA / BRA, 1994) An Academy of Fine Arts Vienna graduate, she has won awards at national and international exhibitions and festivals. Her works are in the Belvedere Museum and private collections. In 2023, she was featured in Forbes' 30 Under 30. She co-founded Immerea, co-organizes XRVienna, and serves as Austria’s Euromersive co-ambassador. ー Flavia Mazzanti “Entangled Matter, Resonant Bodies” Date & Time: 2/8(Sat) - 2/16(Sun) 11:00 - 18:00 except 2/14(Fri) 13:00 - 18:00 Preview: 2/8(Sat) 15:00 - 18:00 Venue: CONTRAST Entrance: Free Support：Austrian Cultural Forum Tokyo, Manuel Bonell, X VISION Inc. ー Shibuya Crossing Night Art Date & Time: 2/10(Mon) 24:00 - 25:00 Venue: Shibuya Scramble Crossing ー DIG SHIBUYA 2025 Date: 2/8(Sat) – 2/11(Tue) Venue: Shibuya Park Street area and other venues Entrance: Free (some programs require a fee) Organizers: SHIBUYA CREATIVE TECH Executive Committee, Japan Arts Council, Agency for Cultural Affairs Co-organizer: Shibuya Ward Support: Shibuya City Tourism Association, Shibuya Mirai Design ー Artist Talk Date: 2/13(Thr) Time: 15:00 - 16:30 (Doors open at 14:30) Venue: Embassy of Brazil in Japan (Auditorium) Entrance: Free Address: 2-11-12 Kita-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo Access: Tokyo Metro Ginza Line “Gaienmae” station, Exit 3, 5 min walk Support: Embassy of Brazil in Japan & Guimarães Rosa Institute

DIG SHIBUYA

An event designed to showcase Shibuya's facilities as world-class cultural assets, offering opportunities for more people to experience their charm through the fusion of technology and art in the latest cultural trends.

Flavia Mazzanti

Flavia Mazzanti (*ITA / BRA, 1994) is a multimedia artist living and working between Vienna and Sao Paulo. Her work explores artistic-philosophical concepts on post-anthropocentrism, entanglement, body and identity with the interest in providing alternative perspectives on ourselves and our environment. Listed in the Forbes 30 Under 30 List of 2023, Flavia graduated with distinction at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, receiving the Gustav Peichl Award for architectural drawing and the Würdigungspreis for artistic work. Her works have been shown and awarded at multiple national and international exhibitions and festivals, among others the Ars Electronica Festival (AT), DA Z – Digital Arts Festival Zurich (CH), Museum Kunst Haus Wien (AT), ADAF – Athens Digital Arts Festival (GR), m|i|mo – Museum of the moving image (PT). Her works are part of the Collection of the Vienna Museum, the Art Gallery Room of Fine Arts in Graz, and of various private collections. Alongside her artistic practice, Flavia is co-founder of Immerea – an interactive media company focusing on the development of VR games and virtual installations – Board Member and Co-organizer of XRVienna, Austrian Co-Ambassador of Euromersive, and active as university lecturer and speaker at national and international symposiums and festivals.

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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