'Possible Futures' at ICC surveys post-war Japanese new media arts

A very interesting historical survey exhibition of post-war Japanese new media and video tendencies has just opened at ICC, Hatsudai Tokyo. ICC has been the only museum scale exhibition space in Tokyo specialising in new media, art and technology and sound art and is run by telecommunications giant NTT. Rumours have been circulating around the arts scenes that this may be the final exhibition at ICC, and that the space may close soon. 'Possible Futures: Japanese postwar art and technology" opened on October 21 and runs through to December 25. It is an ambitious and well researched exhibition covering important works and movements in art and technology in Japan since the 1950s. Several seminal works have been recreated specially for the exhibition and the curators have gathered a wealth of archival materials as well as interviews with now ageing computer and technology artists.
The highlight for me were two black and white video works from the early 1970s made by Fujiko Nakaya. Both took the form of documentary films shot by the artist. One comprised short interviews with elderly men and women reminiscing about what keeps them going - some talked about the manners of the younger generation whilst others chatted about their past life. The other film was titled "'Friends of Minamata Victims-video diary" from 1972. The film was taken on the 81st day of a sit-in protest outside the Tokyo offices of a chemical corporation (Chisso) which was responsible for releasing mercury into the waters around the town of Minamata, poisoning hundreds of local people. At the time of the video, the company denied responsibility for the poisoning and was the focus of intense demonstration by some Minamata victims and young activists. Nakaya's 20 minute film begins with the activists waking up from their shabby roadside tents and preparing for the day's protest - they excercise, do push ups, light a fire and angrily question company security guards who stand nearby. Nakaya inserts english subtitles and short english language narrative, explaining the context for the protest and the thoughts of the activists. The film ends with a text saying that the sit-in ended after some 300 days when the Higher Court ruled that the chemical company should be investigated for the manslaughter and injury of the Minamata citizens.
On a different note, the psychedelic videos of Toshio Matsumoto from 1971 were also memorable.
I understand that a catalogue is now being printed with exhibition installation shots.
For more information you can access the ICC website.