Talk＋Discussion

We will be looking at the "future of plastics" from a deeper and more multifaceted perspective with a diverse lineup of guests.

Venue: Etoile Kaito Living Building 1F Gallery
Admission Fee：Free (No reservation required)

“To what extent can plastics be recycled?”｜28 October, 17:00-19:00

Plastics, which are used in large quantities every day, are considered to be a burden on the environment, and the need for recycling has been called for. Therefore, we would like to learn about the flow of plastic material production and the current status of chemical recycling, and discuss the possibilities of recycling.

Yuta Tanaka
Responsible for new business development aimed at solving waste plastic problems at JGC Holdings Co., Ltd.’s Sustainability Collaborative Creation Department. This time’s theme is “About the possibilities of chemical recycling”
Terukuni Hayashi
His grandfather was a plastics researcher and his father was a plastic molding factory manager. Founded Technolab Inc. in 2004 at the age of 33. started Plas+tec, a research project on marine plastic waste issues, in 2017. He will launch buoy, a brand of crafts made from marine plastic trash, in 2020.

“Doubt current technological concepts”｜2 November, 17:00-19:00

Are global warming and environmental destruction, which are becoming a reality, not inevitable consequences of the modern Western belief that "technology = good"? Is it possible to doubt the seeming universality of these technological concepts?

Takahiro Nakajima
Japanese philosopher. Specializes in the study of Eastern and Chinese philosophy and its comparison with Western philosophy, re-reading Chinese philosophy using the methods of Western philosophy (especially contemporary continental philosophy), as well as historical studies of philosophy, ethics, contemporary thought, and representational culture theory. He is a professor at the University of Tokyo's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Department of Interdisciplinary Cultural Studies, and at the Institute of Oriental Cultural Studies.

“Art’s and society’s relationship”｜3 November, 17:00-19:00

In recent years, art as a commodity has become a hot topic, but art activities are not directly related to economic activities. Rather, it is something that is at odds with it. How can the rapidly modernizing Japanese society relate to art in the future? This session will contrast the past with the present and engage in a dialogue about the significance of art in today's Japanese society.

Takayo Iida
Curator in Japan; curated the exhibition "War and Art" from 2007~09. Director of the International Research Center for the Arts at the Kyoto University of Art and Design, supervising art director of the Aomori Museum of Art, deputy director of the Shoto Museum of Art, and currently director of the School Derek Institute for the Sociology of Art, and member of the International Federation of Art Critics.

Garbage is an inseparable part of our daily lives. This project aims to learn and think about plastic waste, which is especially important to separate, reuse, and recycle.

For example, where does the trash produced when eating ice cream go after it is sucked into the trash? Participants, led by media artist Masaki Fujihata, will look at the ecosystem surrounding garbage and ask questions about our relationship with garbage through the act of “sorting.”

This project began with the question of what would happen if we pushed routine trash separation to the extreme. This time, focusing on the material plastic, we will conduct activities of exchange and expression in the form of workshops and exhibitions. Through the workshops started in Summer period, not only the artists but also the participants and their families will be involved in the project. The project will also connect with partner companies and organizations. This exhibition will show the results and artworks through participatory development of the project.

Participating Artists: Tsuyoshi Anzai, Maki Ueda, Saburo Ubukata, Bruce Osborn

Project Members: Masaki Fujihata, Yoshikazu Inui, Koji Nagamine, Tokyo Metropolitan Kogei High School, other participants, local governments, companies, and various organizations

Sponsors: Asahi Group Holdings, Ltd., Seven & i Holdings Co., Ltd., Toyo Seikan Group Holdings, Ltd., Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd., TOPPAN Inc., FamilyMart Co., Ltd., Lawson, Inc.
Special cooperation: Tokyo Metropolitan Kogei High School

Audio guide is available here!

Artist Talk

The participating artists will talk about the relationship between their works and plastic, what they thought about during the production process, and what they think about in front of their respective works. We hope you will join us!