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ABOUT
This year, as part of Deakin's Creative Arts International Study tours, sixteen students and three academics visited Japan for two weeks. Exploring the arts and culture of such a visually powerful country inspired this collection of work with participants reflecting on their personal experience.
PHOTOGRAPHY
The 2011 photography study tour travelled about Tokyo on its labyrinths of subways and railways exploring galleries, corporate art collections and institutions, dedicated to both contemporary Japanese and international art. At Tokyo Wonder Site, an art centre with three locations, we were taken on a tour of the various galleries by Yusaku Imamura, curator, and met with the artists in residence; a scientist from Italy, a Spanish video artist and British photographer whom engaged in spirited discussions with the Deakin students about their work. At Joshibi Art and Design University the students were guided through the University and viewed recent graduates work spending an afternoon with Joshibi Art museums curators that culminated in a photo shoot in one of the large studios on the campus. On a Saturday at Bigakko Art School the Deakin students, and Bigakko students, were working together, in what had been outlined as a Photo/video workshop, employed camera, pencil, paper and found objects to create a visual map of the area around the school. This enthusiasm to share ideas and create-work together has culminated in the Bigakko students producing new work in Japan for the exhibition here in Melbourne. The Bigakko students, Photo media teacher is Midori Mitamaru, an esteemed Tokyo based artist. As our guide and cultural collaborator for the tour, Midori generously made time in her schedule to accommodate our continually expanding Itinerary.
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For more information on the tour see the Deakin University website here
ANIMATION
The 2011 animation study tour took in many places of interest for animators, including Studio Ghibli Museum, Mandarake Anime & Manga Superstore and Akihabara 'electric town' in Tokyo, as well as the International Manga Museum in Kyoto and the Tezuka Museum in Osaka. In Tokyo we were privileged to access two animation & film studios, Crescent Inc. and Marza Animation Planet, gaining an insight into the production and technical research & development workflow of these independent commercial studios. The tour group enjoyed opportunities to explore Tokyo's cosmopolitan city life, before travelling by shinkansen 'bullet train' to Kyoto and the Kansai region. Kyoto was our base during the second part of the tour, in which Deakin students worked collaboratively with Japanese students from the Department of Character Design at Kyoto University of Art & Design during a two-day workshop. 2005 BAFTA Award winning Japanese animator Sakakibara Sumito was on hand to translate for us during the workshop and offer mentoring for individual students. In addition to a private guided tour of the covered market streets of 'old' Kyoto by a local historian, we took advantage of the wonderful JR rail system with an overnight stay in traditional Nara, the original capital of Japan, before returning to Osaka prior to our homeward journey to Melbourne.
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For more information on the tour see the Deakin University website here
VISUAL COMMUNICATION
The 2011 Visual Communication Design Study Tour worked in conjunction with the Animation Study Tour, following the same itinerary. Visual Communication Design students also visited Studio Ghibli Museum, Mandarake Anime and Manga Superstore and Akihabara region in Tokyo. They were able to visit animation and film studios, travel on the bullet train to Kyoto, explore the traditional town of Nara and the cosmopolitan city of Osaka. A highlight of the tour was a two day workshop at the Kyoto University of Art and Design where students were able to meet and work with Japanese animation and design students. The two week tour introduced students to the wonderful and unique mix of traditional and cutting edge approaches to visual culture and technology that is unique to Japan.
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For more information see the Deakin University website here
