Friday Late: Neo Nipponica

Neo Nipponica Friday 27 May 18.30 – 22.00 Japan is a nation known both for its futuristic focus and reverence for tradition. Celebrate in the newly-opened Toshiba Gallery of Japanese Art, explore the art, design, sounds and nuances of Nippon. Discover traditions reinterpreted, possibilities offered by new technology and what ‘Japanese’ means in today’s globalised world. All events are free and places are designated on a first-come, first-served basis, unless stated otherwise. Filming and photography will take place at this event. Please note, if the Museum reaches capacity we will allow access on a one-in, one-out basis. #FridayLate A Bo Ningen DJ Set Grand Entrance 18.30 – 21.10 Hailing from Gunma, Tajimi, Nishinomiya and Tokyo, but formed in London, Bo Ningen are notorious for their visceral live shows. Join these enlightenment activists as they spin you through the psychedelic underground. http://boningen.info/ @boningenuk B Frank Chickens Grand Entrance 21.15 – 21.45 Founded in 1982 by Kazuko Hohki, Frank Chickens are a wild London-based performance art act. The group started as a duo but has grown into a troop of misfits from Japan (and the UK) with a cult following. C Competitive Society Spotlight Space Using the centuries old Japanese craft technique of itome yuzen, a form of rice paste resist dyeing, artist Toru Ishii explores the stresses of contemporary capitalist society with a keen sense of humour. Influenced by Japanese masters, this textile hanging has a dynamic composition and stylised elegance. www.toruishii.com/ @toruishiistudio D Japan Blues The John Madejski Garden 18.30 – 19.30, 20.00 – 21.00 Howard Williams of Japan Blues plays sounds from his extensive collection of Japanese music ranging from 50s rock’n’roll to 80s disco/boogie. @JaponicaLDN E Pop-up Saké Bar Raphael, Room 48a For centuries, saké has been central to Japanese culture, served to the gods and drunk on festive occasions. This complex rice drink has returned to fashion with younger generations. With guidance of sommelier Alina Sanr, sample some Akashi Sake Brewery saké at our specially designed pop up bar. This unique bar, designed by Soho and Co, is formed of a honeycomb paper concertina. sohoandco.com/ akashi-tai.com/eng/ F Masayoshi Fujita Raphael, Room 48a 19.30 40 minutes performance Masayoshi Fujita is a Japanese vibraphonist and composer based in Berlin. Inspired by the silence and deepness of the fog, mountains and gravity within, his music evokes images, atmospheres and stories. masayoshifujita.com/ G Omotenashi Mask Sculpture, Room 25 Can Artificial Intelligence aid translation and cross-cultural communication? Yosuke Ushigome and Jacob Jelen of design studio TAKRAM explore how technology can mediate face-to-face communication across language barriers. Put on the imaginary mask and become an omotenashi (faceless) person, now your speech is re-formatted for Japanese speakers. http://www.yosukeushigo.me/ jacobjelen.com/ http://www.takram.london/#start @takram_london H Germination Daylight Gallery Using scraps of Japan’s industrial past, such as car parts and speakers, Keita Miyazaki creates sculptures that have grown from the wreckage of capitalism. keitamiyazaki.com/ @Keita722 I Mugen Japan Gallery 19.45, 20.30, 21.00 20 minutes timed performances Inspired by the performative practice of Japanese worship and its relationship to historical ceremonial rituals, this contemporary dance performance questions conformity and self-expression. Accompanied live by voice, kora and percussion. Choreographed by Juri Nishi, an artist who explores the relationship between mind, body and space, and danced by Monica Brunello and Madeleine Jonsson. Music by Elizabeth O'Connor and Gary Bridgewood. jurinishi.com/ J Ototo Reception, Learning Cente Use this electronic board to build a piano out of vegetables, make a plant sing or create a keyboard from aluminium foil. Connect anything conductive to Ototo using alligator clips and turn your touch into sound. ototo.fm/ yurisuzuki.com/news/dentaku-ototo/ @yurisuzuki @Ototo K The Sound of Scent Lunchroom, Learning Centre 18.45, 19.30 Kōdō (the way of fragrance) is the Japanese art of appreciating scent. It may seem to be all about the sense of smell, but the secret of kōdō is listening. Instead of smelling, you are encouraged to listen to the scent, opening up your heart and spirit as well as your nasal passages. Artist Kentaro Yamada and perfumer Euan McCall invite you to create a narrative with scents, sound, story and experiences. kentaroyamada.com/ L Subversive Shodō Art Studio, Learning Centre 18.30, 19.30, 20.30 Join calligrapher Rie Takeda of Atelier Neo-Japonism to practice shodō, the Japanese art of calligraphy. Taking inspiration from feminist poet Akiko Yasano (1879-1942), in particular her groundbreaking first book Tangled Hair (Midare gami), Rie will demonstrate how to write some of Yasano’s risque lines and encourage you to physically embody them. neo-japonism.com/ @neojaponism M Syn_mod series Seminar room 3 Described as time-based sculptures, this video installation by artist Ryoichi Kurokawa uses symphonies of sounds, in combination with movement and computer-generated aesthetics, to question how we view the familiar. ryoichikurokawa.com/ N Tranceflora – Amy’s Glowing Silk Tapestry Gallery Made with Nishijin kimono material using genetically engineered silk developed by scientists at the National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Sputniko!’s Tranceflora combines traditional craftsmanship with advanced technology to mesmerising effect. The luminous silk is created by adding the genes of glowing jellyfish and coral to silkworms, woven by master weavers at HOSOO textiles, Nishijin, Kyoto, and fashioned into a dress designed by Masaya Kushino. sputniko.com/ O Film: Love Hotel (rated 18) The Lydia and Manfred Gorvy Lecture Theatre 19.30 – 20.45 Pensioners, businessmen, married couples and teenagers are all regular clients at a unique Love Hotel in Osaka, Japan. With unprecedented access throughout the hotel, this film reveals their desires, fantasies and motivations as they inhabit one of the most secret and anonymous spaces in Japanese society. Love Hotel showcases a unique place where escapism, fantasy and intimacy all collide. But in a time of growing conformity – can it survive? Film screening is followed by a Q&A with director Phil Cox, producer Giovanna Stopponi and chaired by assistant curator Josephine Rout at 20.45 nativevoicefilms.com/project/the-love-hotel/ @LoveHotelMovie P The Indecisive Moment: Documenting the Street National Art Library 19.30 Join Paul Lawrence of November Books as he discusses the influence and legacy of Japanese street photography. In the late ‘50s and early ‘60s Japanese photography underwent rapid and violent transformation, which brought new urgency to the medium. Photographers took to the streets and in the process captured the rag-tag of criminals, outsiders and newly emerging youth cultures. november-books.com/ Please note coats and bags are not permitted in the Library. Please leave these items in the cloakroom. Q Open Studio Meet at gallery 47c for 18.55 for 19.00 departure to studio Goethe V&A Photography Resident Helmut Völter is a graphic designer and artist from Berlin. His latest project is about the Japanese scientist and photographer Masanao Abe, a physicist who observed the clouds around Mt. Fuji in the 1930s. PROGRAMME COVER DESIGN Land Ahoy land-ahoy.com With special thanks to 33 33 2016.thirtythreethirtythree.com/ @33_thirtythree Neo Nipponica was generously supported by The Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation FOOD & DRINK Drinks are available in the Grand Entrance throughout the evening and in the John Madejski Garden (weather permitting). Food and drinks will be served in the Café until 21.00. ALSO ON TONIGHT Elytra Filament Pavilion Until 6 November 2016 Botticelli Reimagined Until 3 July 2016 Sponsored by Societe Generale Undressed: A Brief History of Underwear Until 12 March 2017 Sponsored by Agent Provocateur and Revlon Paul Strand: Photography and Film for the 20th Century Until 3 July 2016 Supported by the American Friends of the V&A COMING UP V&A presents Friday Late Undressed Friday 24 June KEEP IN TOUCH vam.ac.uk/fridaylate Visit vam.ac.uk/signup and subscribe to our e-newsletters featuring exhibitions, events and special offers. Share your photos of Friday Late on flickr.com/photos/fridaylate/