From 3 to 7 July Matera to host Japanese delegation in institutional visit

July will showcase a line-up of events created by Matera European Capital of Culture 2019 in collaboration with EU-Japan Fest, a Japanese organization of private enterprises. EU-Japan Fest has been collaborating with all the European Capitals of Culture for 30 years to create exchange opportunities and common work between Japanese and European artists.
In recent months, various Japanese artists have featured in Matera 2019 projects, including: the actress Ema Tashiro in the show “Humana Vergogna”( Human Shame), as part of the project "The poetics of shame" co-produced by # Reteetatro41; the artist Kaori Kato in the workshops on the paper and art installations for the project “M.e.m.o.ri.” (Euro Mediterranean Museum of the refused object), co-produced by "Luna al guinzaglio"; Hisashi Watanabe, juggler and contortionist, from the company Atama to Kuchi, on stage in "Inverted Tree" for the "Circus +" project on the contemporary circus; finally, Gakutoshi Kojima, architect involved in a workshop organized by the “Open Design School”.
On July 5, at 7:00 pm, the Southeritage Foundation in Matera, will display two art installations by Takashi Kuribayashi, "Entrances" and " Inverted sky", open until 4 November.
Composed of long strips of one-way mirrors that separate the observer from the surrounding environment, "Entrances" evokes the borders that cross the world. Looking up, however, the image of a crystalline sky opens to view, in stark contrast to the industrial materials that make up the work. This juxtaposition reflects the artist's interest in major ecological issues. The theme has intensified following the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power station in 2011.
"Inverted sky" is inspired by Takashi Kuribayashi's first visit to Matera, specifically crafted for the town. It consists of a tree composed entirely of hand-made polished glass letters. Thanks to the interior lighting of the work, the shadow of the words is projected onto the surrounding walls. The result is a text written for the town, dedicated to its history and the epic of its resistance to the assaults of time. The two installations were created in collaboration with the Lucanian craftman Francesco Mitarotonda as well as the Lucanian writer Edoardo Delle Donne.
Besides, at the exhibition's opening the "Passport Program" project will be presented. It aims to give Lucanian artists the chance to liaise with Japanese artists and culture professionals through a Joint Program of Cultural Exchanges between the Matera Basilicata 2019 Foundation and EU-Japan Fest. The project is divided into two years: in 2019, Lucanian artists and professionals will host artists from Japan; in 2020, the Japanese, in exchange for the hospitality, will welcome the Lucanians at home. All the details of the programme are publicly available on the official website www.matera-basilicata2019.it in the section "Transparent Administration".
On July 21 at 19:00, the church of Santa Maria de Armenis will see the opening of the photo exhibition "European Eyes On Japan", outcome of the 1999 project that brings photographers from European Capitals to Japan. The artistic sojourn is aimed at casting a "European gaze" on rural and marginal areas, to show the reality of contemporary Japan to the Western public. Two photographers from the 2019 European Capital of Culture host countries, Alessia Rollo for Italy and Vladimir Pekov for Bulgaria, were selected at the end of a contest carried out by the Eu Japan Fest. Hosted at the Tochigi prefecture, the two photographers have shot a number of pictures inspired by their personal perspectives on the relations with Japanese territory and community. In the wake of the exhibition, open until August 21, other substantial desplays will fill the space. They focus on the prints by the architect Kojima Gakutoshi that date from the 1974 'International contest for the recovery of the Sassi districts ' in Matera. On August 9 Alessia Rollo and Vladimir Pekov will be visiting Matera.
Furthermore, as part of the collaboration with the Volunteer Bridge Project, an organization that deals with volunteering in Japan, from July 22 to August 5, five Japanese volunteers will join the Matera 2019 Volunteers team to provide support for cultural events and activities.
The involvement of the Japanese art scene in Matera 2019 programme continues in September with the audiovisual performance by the intermedia artist Ryoichi Kurokawa from the project “In Vitro - Artificial Sonification” co-produced by LOXOSconcept.
Further collaborations between the Eu Japan Fest and organizations from all across Basilicata will feature a range of events and artists: as part of the "Movi ... Mente" project, the FIJLKAM (Italian Federation of Judo Karate and Martial Arts) organizes the Conference "the Pillars of the Future: Health, School, Sport, Civil Society "on 5 July at the Palace of the Province of Matera. In Scanzano Jonico (1 - 5 September) the International Campus debates about teaching sports in schools with a playful approach; the encounter between Italian and Japanese artists is the focus of "Fadiesis Accordion Festival" (eighth edition, 10-12 October), an international music event. In particular, on October 10, in the Sanctuary of Saint Francis of Paola in Matera there will be a music performance by "Japan Matera Pordenone" string group, conducted by Maestro Ota Keisuke with the participation of young Japanese accordionists Aoi Uegata, Naomi Okabe, Yumiko Tanaka. On October 12, the Church of the Purgatory in Matera will be the venue of the concert by the "Rainbow Chorus Aichi", a women's choir established in 1994 and composed of over sixty female performers who live in the Tokai area (Nagoya). Finally, accordionist Yasuhiro Kobayashi, better known by his stage name Coba, will perform at the Gervasio Auditorium in Matera.
From 3 to 7 July, Matera will host a delegation of EU-Japan Fest for the annual visit of the NGO Chairman to the European Capitals of Culture. For the occasion, the Eu Japan Fest Chairman, Masakazu Tokura, along with the General Secretary, Shuji Kogi, and the Ambassador of Japan in Italy, Keiichi Katakami, will meet representatives from various institutions, such as: the Matera Basilicata 2019 Foundation, the Basilicata Region, the Municipality and the Province of Matera, the Basilicata Chamber of Commerce, the Basilicata Museum Network, the School of Restoration and the Conservatories of Matera. The visit also includes guided tours around the City of the Sassi, exhibitions, major projects from the Matera 2019 programme, a visit to Castelmezzano, and participation in the opening of Takashi Kuribayashi's installations on 5 July.