High-definition Digital Reproductions of Japanese Byobu Screens from Kyoto
www.kyotointernational.com
Cultural Preservation for the Next Generation
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
6:30 pm～8:00 pm: Lecture
8:00 pm～9:00 pm: Reception
Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street, New York, NY 10017
www.japansociety.org / 212–832-1155
Preserving our cultural history – the art, architecture and aesthetics of our cities – is one of the most important tasks any generation attends to, especially in an era in which many things feel disposable. The ancient Japanese capital of Kyoto, with a history dating back over 1400 years, has a tremendous wealth of artistic masterpieces that were created originally for temples and shrines. These pieces were once widely viewed and enjoyed, but can no longer be shown publicly, due to deterioration over time. In order to preserve this aesthetic legacy and extend it to the next generation, Kyoto International Culture Foundation has digitally reproduced brilliant sets of fusuma-e (sliding door art) masterpieces.
In this program, internationally-acclaimed contemporary nihon-ga artist Hiroshi Senju and Heather Hurst , 2004 MacArthur Fellow for her reconstruction work with the Mayan murals of Bonampak, will discuss the importance of cultural preservation, and what it means for our future. Moderated by Lauren Cornell, Executive Director, Rhizome.org.
This program is co-sponsored by Japan Society and the Kyoto International Culture Foundation with cooperation from the City of Kyoto and the Consulate General of Japan. Additional support is provided by Onishi Gallery, Lotus Web Studios, Inc., and Nakai Industrial Co., Ltd. In-kind support is provided by Hori Metal Leaf & Powder, Co., Ltd., Ooiri Co.,Ltd., and Yamaji Inc. Reception in-kind support is provided by Sushiden New York, Saito Shuzo Co., Ltd., ITO EN, Inc., and Global Co., Ltd.