OSHIBORI Linkage

Exhibition view at MUJI Ginza Store. Photo by Rui Kimura

Area

Higashi-nihonbashi･Bakurocho Area

Nihonbashi･Yaesu･Kyobashi･Ginza

Summer period: Approximately 20 restaurants, etc. in the area spanning the four wards of Chiyoda City, Chuo City, Bunkyo City, and Taito City in Tokyo
Fall period: Special exhibition venue (Etoil Kaito Living Bldg., MUJI GInza)

Outline

This project will explore new forms of expression and sharing by creating artworks using oshibori, a Japanese cultural object, as a white canvas. At the same time, the project aims to transmit the spirit of omotenashi, hospitality of Japanese culture to the world, and to establish “oshibori” as the common word of the world in terms of hand hygiene.

Activities

A total of 25 artists, 10 selected by Tokyo Biennale 2023 and 15 overseas artists selected through an open call, will be asked to create original drawings. The original drawings will then be embroidered on hand towels and made into works of art. These oshibori will be offered at about 20 partner restaurants and other venues in Tokyo, where visitors can enjoy a chance encounter with the embroidered oshibori artwork. During the period, oshibori will be collected, cleaned, and offered repeatedly. In the fall period, both the ones that have been used and the ones whose texture has changed over the summer will be exhibited at an exhibition venue.

Schedule

June	International open call for artists and selection of recommended artists
End of June	Determination of publicly solicited artists, announcement of all participating artists
July	Production of oshibori artworks
September 1 – November 5	Summer period: serve oshibori works to visitors at partner venues
September 23 – November 5	Fall period: Exhibition at a special venue

Website and Social Media




 Website

Artists・Members

FSX, Inc.

International Open Call Artists (Country or region of origin / Base of activity)

Michael Amter (USA/Belle Meade, New Jersey), Hsiaochi Chang (Taiwan/Taipei), Muziwandile Gigaba (South Africa/Durban), Henry Grahn Hermunen (Finland/Helsinki) and Rikard Larsson (Sweden/Stockholm), Laura Ige (Argentina), Violeta Ivanova (Bulgaria/Austria), Dorina Juhász (Hungary/Szentlőrinc), Celina Jure (Argentina), Antonius Kho (Indonesia), Steffi Klenz (Germany/London, UK) and Clare Strand (UK/Brighton), Mar + R3nder (Argentina), odekrom (Clare Ghigo and Joseph Calleja) (Malta), Violetta De Saga (Ukraine･Germany/Berlin), Shirley Soh (Singapore), Timo Wright (Finland/Helsinki)

Recommended Artists

Makoto Aida, BAKENEKO KLUB, Miran Fukuda, Dan Isomura, Mari Katayama, O JUN, Kenichi Obana, Meo Saito, Azumi Sakata, Yui Usui