07/07/2023
💠💠💠 MEDIA ART LEAGUE published its first photo art book early 2023: Signs of the Intangible by MIRO ITO 💠💠💠
Media Art League (publisher)/Japan Authentic Heritage Initiative (editors) published its first art photo art book edition early 2023: Signs of the Intangible collects a series of photographs by photo-artist Miro Ito, presenting a visual history of Japan’s 1400-year mind-and-body-unity culture from a unique perspective.
The 106 photographs include new and unpublished works together with newly-written art essays by the author herself: it also serves as the catalogue for the eponymous international exhibition series.
💠 Never-seen-before perspective
The uniqueness of this presentation accentuates this unprecedented perspective on how these outstanding tangible or intangible arts and traditions interact: 8th century sculptures influenced by Hellenistic culture such as Gigaku and Bugaku masks that came to Japan in the 6th-7th centuries via the ancient Silk Roads, Noh performance and Kobudo martial arts with their 600 year tradition as well as contemporary dance performances like Butoh.
Nurtured in a nature-worshipping environment (Shintōism) where everything is seen as a manifestation of kami, and influenced by Buddhism, the key element here is the continuity of the dedicatory tradition distinctly evident within the uniquely Japanese form of Shintō-Buddhist syncretism existing since the 7th century.
💠 Inspirations that the body can unlock
This book presents mind-and- body-scapes woven by “distant yet close body expression”(1), for which 1400 years of Japanese performing arts serve as an example—ranging from Gigaku/Bugaku to Nogaku, to Butoh, to modern dance, and even to mixed media performing arts.
It is our hope that the Signs of the Intangible may provide glimpses of evidence for East-West exchange—going back centuries-—and the long history of Japanese performing arts; while pursuing a road to enlightenment embedded in the deep layers of Japanese culture.
(*1 quote from Ko Murobushi)
💠 See more in details and how to order books on our Website and Flyer:
Japan Authentic Heritage Initiative: https://japan-authentic-heritage-initiative.org/en/books-2/
How to order: https://japan-authentic-heritage-initiative.org/en/product/on-demand-photobook/
Download flyer:http://mediaartleague.org/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/sings_of_the_intangible_by_miroito_230519_compressed.pdf
💠 Proceeds from the sales of photo books help fund public relations activities for Japanese culture and the creation of supporting media such as books and films, to promote awareness for Japanese culture around the world.
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