In between mountains and oceans

JAPAN Forum at ECC Venezia Creating Circular Society inspired by Japan ~Japanese traditional techniques for sustainable innovation in architecture~

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Special invitation for JINOWA members: JAPAN Forum at ECC Venezia on 29 AUG

Creating Circular Society inspired by Japan 

~Japanese traditional techniques for sustainable innovation in architecture~

Sunday, 29 August 2021

10:30 AM ~14:30 PM

Organiser: European Cultural Centre (ECC)

Venue: Palazzo Michiel, Strada Nuova - 4391 Campo Santi Apostoli, 30121 Venezia,

Book for your seat & contact to info@gen.education

JAPAN CULTURAL PRESENTATION + TASTING

Sake, Miso and more

THE JAPANESE FILM SCREENING

 ‘ In Between Mountains and Oceans’

Under the strong demand of urge shifting the circular and sustainable transformation of architecture in the world, many international eyes have been on Japanese traditional architecture, which prizes harmony between humankind and nature.

This year, ECC is featuring the work of 11 Japanese artists and architects including a particularly noteworthy project for its innovative use of natural materials and traditional Japanese building techniques.

Tono Mirai's work, JINEN has been built in Palazzo Mora at ECC using only local earth and wood with Japanese traditional technic. The JINEN is not only an architectural creation of interior spaces but also a garden reflecting the biodiversity of the Venice coast. Yet, the biggest highlight is deconstructing and recycling all the materials after the exhibition. The project idea was inspired by Japanese tradition in the Shinto shrine, the holiest shrine called Ise-Jingu of Japan, which has a custom of over 1000 years of rebuilding a whole shrine every 20 years which creates a unique self-sufficient circular system of the whole region.

This kind of circulation challenge is not only being tackled at ECC but is also the theme of this year's Japanese Pavilion at the Venice Biennale.

The circulation of local materials is an important keyword in Japanese culture. This can be seen not only in architecture but in all aspects of food, clothing and housing in Japanese tradition.

In this forum, we will invite artists who lead the innovative challenge to design a new circular society based on traditional Japanese culture to share the hint of a harmonious relationship between nature and mankind.

After the forum, We organize the special film screening of the Japanese documentary film 'In between mountain and ocean’ aimed to share the story of Ise-Jingu, also cultural presentation and tasting of sake from the same region to take you to the virtual short journey to Japan. 

ECC presents the following Japanese artists in 2021

Tono Mirai Architects / METAPH ARCHITECT ASSOCIATES / NI&Co. Architects + Daido University / Hidemi Nishida / Joshibi University (Joshibi University of Art and Design) / Kii Inc /BAUM /Kaz Shirane / Testa Associates /Sqool / Masaki Komatsu (photographer)

Program

10:30~11:45 FORUM "Creating Circular Society inspired by Japan’’

Keynote Speech　

Kozo Kadowaki

Architect, Curator of the Japanese Pavilion at the 17th International Architecture Exhibition, Venice Biennale

Kozo Kadowaki is an architect and architectural theorist specializing scholarly in building systems design. He teaches at Meiji University and Tokyo University of the Arts and practices architecture with his firm Associates, which recently completed The Kadowaki House. His recent publication includes The Philosophy of Sharing. His recent awards include the Annual Architectural Design Commendation from the Architectural Institute of Japan.

Speakers

Ryoko Iwase 

A selected artist of an exhibition at the Japan Pavillion at the 17th International Architecture Exhibition, Venice Biennale

Born in 1984, President of Studio Iwase and Assistant professor, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University. After working for EM2N Architects in Switzerland and at Kengo Kuma and Associates, she established her own office after winning the 2013 Kizu River Waterfront Competition held by Osaka Prefecture; her prizewinning waterfront renovation, Tocotocodandan, was completed in 2017. Her practice covers multiple areas from architectural spaces to public-works infrastructure and public space design. She has received the grand prize of The Japanese Institute of Landscape Architecture Award, the Good Design Gold Award, the Tokyo University of the Arts Emerald Award, and the Best Debutant Award.

12:00-13:00

Sake and Japanese Culture Presentation

Introducing regionality and sustainable culture in Mie prefecture

<Presentators >

Carlo Nesler 

Fermentation expert/ Agro-ecologist

Carlo is well known as an innovative producer of miso and shoyu inspired by Japan but only use the local ingredient in Italy.

He founded the CibOfficina Microbiotica in Viterbo, teaches fermentation all over Italy and abroad. Viterbo studio is a centre for production, training and experimentation, focused on fermentation and natural agriculture. Carlo also known as an Italian author and interpreted, contributes to disseminating Sandor Katz's Wild Fermentation, considered by many to be the most authoritative publication on the subject of fermentation.

Marco Massarotto 

President of Nippon Concièrge, Sake Educator

Marco is one of the leading experts in the promotion of Japanese sake in Italy today. He will give a presentation on Japanese sake and fermentation culture with a sake tasting of specially selected bottles from Mie Prefecture by the Japan Sake Brewers Association.

13:00~14:30 

The film Screening of the Japanese documentary film 

‘In between Mountain and Ocean’ 

Supported by the City of ISE, Mie prefecture

This documentary is about people who live with forests in Japan and they tell the wisdom of living with nature. 

The story starts from the midnight of October 2013 at Ise Jingu, where is located in Mie prefecture known as the most important spiritual centre of Japanese Shintoism, when the holly ceremony called 'Shikinen Sengu' was held. In Ise Jingu, everything is self-sufficient concerning nature and the ceremony is held every 20 years for more than 1000 years and it is very connected to the forest and sustainability. 

After the Ise Jingu, the story goes around Japan to seek for the people who have a very close relationship with the forests such as artists and architects like Kengo Kuma and Takeshi Kitano, also traditional artisan, oyster fisherman, a biologist etc. Those people tell us why Japan has faith in the forest. Through this story, you might find the inspiration by ancient Japan of how to shift the modern society more circular and sustainable. 

Very limited seats are available. Please contact us for your reservation!

mail to info@gen.education