At the International Contemporary and Video Art Festival Waterpieces 2013 to be held in Riga, the capital of Latvia, from August 15 to 17, the Agency for Cultural Affairs will conduct a curated exhibition, movie screening, and live performance program “Seeking the form of Anima” featuring young Japanese filmmakers to introduce the creativity budding among current Japanese media art works.

Press Release

Festival: Waterpieces 2013　 http://www.noass.lv/udensgabali/into/en/

Period: August 15-17, 2013
Venue: Floating Art Gallery NOASS, Betanovuss (Riga, Latvia)

This will be the 13th time the International Contemporary and Video Art Festival Waterpieces has been held. Starting with a discussion of media and video expression, it is currently the arts festival with the longest history in Latvia after independence from the USSR in 1991, as an established event held every year in August in Riga. Efforts are made to make the event more widely known and deepen specialization while the event is being held, through programs for the general public and programs for specialists and art students.

Japan Media Arts Festival Project of Participation in Overseas Media Arts Festival　Curated Program “Seeking the Form of Anima”

Ever since the appearance of video during the 1960s, video art has continued to grow as a personal and distinctive form of visual expression. "Seeking the Form of Anima" is a curated program jointly planned with the Japan Media Arts Festival for the International Contemporary Video Art Festival Waterpieces 2013 organized by NOASS, whose activities have a central presence in Eastern Europe.

Seeking the form of Anima
Organizer:  Non-Governmental arts and culture organization NOASS
Co-Organizer: The Agency for Cultural Affairs
Planning Director: Junya Yamamine (Curator, Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of　Photography)
Advisor: David d’Heilly (CEO, 2dk Co., Ltd.)

[About "Seeking the Form of Anima"]
In the world of animation, many methods have been used to incorporate Anima (meaning life or soul in Latin), which serves as the root for this word, into video. The range of possible expressions has been expanded through the creation of these new narratives.

"Seeking the Form of Anima" will be presented by six young Japanese artists who are pursuing unique forms of expression. The video expression of these artists active in fields such as art, animation, and entertainment are expressed through various styles including exhibition, screenings, and live performances. While introducing the characteristics of the highly-varied Japan Media Arts Festival, these artists will present to the world the energy of Japan's young generation that will carry video expression into the future.

Screening + live program
Date: Friday 16, August from 21:00
Venue: Floating Art Gallery NOASS
Admission: Free

Junya Yamamine (Planning Director / Curator, Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography)
Participating artists: okamotonoriaki, Masanori Okamoto, Ryu Kato, Yusuke Shigeta, Toshiaki Hanzaki, Masashi Yokota
Live Performance: okamotonoriaki (music) + Masashi Yokota (VJ)

Exhibition
Date: Thursday 15 – Sunday 1, September
Venue: Floating Art Gallery NOASS
Exhibited work: Pixel Forest , Yusuke Shigeta (16th Japan Media Arts Festival Art Division Jury Selection) Video installation Admission: Free

Related screening as a "Seeking the Form of Anima"
A 90 minute program consisting of 13 award-winning works and jury selections from the Japan Media Arts Festival 2013 will be screened officially.
Date: Saturday 17th, August from 21:00
Venue: Open air Screen in front of the Floating Art Gallery NOASS

Japan Media Arts Festival 2013 Award-winning Works “Video Works Program (90min)”