#JapanRevisited202x: then-now-after

In a matter of weeks, artists around the globe have suddenly found themselves surrounded by a haze of uncertainty. Art fairs, residencies and festivals are postponed, in-person collaborations are cancelled and international travel has all but disappeared. This “new” world – further removed from the physical than we have ever experienced – has forced artists to adapt to entirely new structures. But perhaps it is this new challenge that also gives rise to new opportunities: time and freedom to question and redraw our way of creating and experiencing art from the bottom up. As an encouragement to keep pushing forward and break through this mist of uncertainty, the Austrian Cultural Forum Tokyo has launched #JapanRevisited202x: then–now–after, which reimagines the cultural exchange between Austrian artists and Japan, a bond that has existed for more than 150 years and is now facing an abrupt change.

Submissions have been invited which explore or react to one or more of the following concepts:
then→ the Japan I remember: How has my experience of Japan shaped me? How have my memories of Japan changed since visiting?
now→ Japan in process: How do I understand Japan at present? How, if at all, can I experience Japan from afar?
after→ Japan post-now: How can I imagine Japan in the future? What vision do I have for Japan going forward?

EXPOSURE Phase 1: Submitted works will be featured in the curated online exhibition on the website, which launches in September 2020. We are expecting an exciting range of artworks from various types of media, challenging the concepts of “art” and “exhibition” in the context of 2020.

EXPOSURE Phase 2: Submitted works have the chance to be selected and shown at the #JapanRevisited202x exhibition in Tokyo in 2021 (or as soon as conditions allow).