1st term: "Transformed Composition – Playing with combinations and metaphors"
2nd season "Playing Catch -Practice how to gather-" April 25th (Fri) – May 25th (Sun) 2025
"Hibiya Art Park 2025 – A month of discovering art with every visit," sponsored by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and public relations office of Avex Creator Agency Inc., will be held from Friday, April 25, 2025.
Tokyo Metropolitan Government is implementing the "Flower and Light Movement" to deliver new ways to enjoy parks through the performance of flowers and light throughout the four seasons. Following last year, Hibiya Park will deliver a new side of the park through a large-scale art installation that combines flowers and light with art. This year, the content and period of the art installation will be further expanded. The period will be divided into two, with the first period "Transformed Composition – Playing with Combinations and Metaphors" [Friday, April 25th to Sunday, May 11th] focusing on public art, and the second period "Playing Catch – Practicing How to Gather" [Saturday, May 17th to Sunday, May 25th] focusing on performing arts. A new art experience unfolding in a large public space. Enjoy the new form of Hibiya Park through various works and programs.
Official website: https://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/special/2025art_hibiyapark/
"Transformed Composition – Playing with Combinations and Metaphors" | 1st Period
Date: April 25th (Friday) – May 11th (Sunday), 2025
Exhibiting artists: Hiroko Kubo, Taketo Koganezawa + Seijun Nishihata, Giacomo Saganelli, Keita Miyazaki
Hiroko Kubo "Gentle Hands"
■ CONCEPT
Playing with combinations and metaphors The blocks we play with as children become houses and cars by combining them. This is where the origins of "metaphors" flow. The "metaphors" of natural scenery such as rivers, ponds, and sandboxes are
This concept has been used as a traditional technique in Japanese landscaping, and is also used in flower arranging. In this exhibition, following the basic technique of "mitate",
Collaborating with contemporary art
Exhibition curator: Junya Yamamine
The first phase, "Transformed Composition – Playing with Combinations and Metaphors", will be curated by Yamamine Junya again this year, and will focus on the concept of "mitate", a traditional Japanese expression technique in which one thing is likened to another to create new meaning or value. It will provide an experience that combines public art works by four groups, including Kubo Hiroko, Koganezawa Taketo + Nishihata Seijun, Giacomo Zaganelli, and Miyazaki Keita, with the nature and history of Hibiya Park.
Italian artist Giacomo Zaganelli's Hibiya Ping Pong Platz project features an original ping pong table designed specifically for this exhibition, creating a participatory piece where visitors, all of whom have never met before, can engage in spontaneous communication through the game of ping pong.
The highlight of the exhibition is a gigantic jungle that suddenly appears in the middle of the park. This is the first collaborative work between artist Koganezawa Taketo and plant hunter Nishihata Seijun, and visitors can experience with their whole body the otherworldly space that changes from moment to moment due to phenomena such as rain, light and smoke amidst the dense greenery. Additionally, works by Kubo Hiroko and Miyazaki Keita will appear on the water in two ponds in the park. Additionally, a gigantic sculpture by Kubo Hiroko measuring approximately 20m in length that lies in the grass plaza was created together with participants in a workshop held during the preparation period for the exhibition.
Furthermore, the curator of this exhibition, Mr. Yamamine, passed away on January 9, 2025. We would like to express our condolences to him and hold this event to carry on his wishes.
・Kento Oganazawa + Seijun Nishihata "Forest for Momentum" | First Flower Bed
Image of the work (Sora Botanical Garden)
In a space measuring approximately 28m in diameter, centered around the palm tree in the first flower bed, a jungle will be created by planting a variety of different species, creating the appearance of a natural ecosystem different from the usual.
In addition, light effects such as objects made from found neon tubes and phenomena such as rain and smoke come together, and the space gradually changes appearance from day to night.
*We are looking for volunteers to plant wisteria flowers that will be part of this work on Wednesday, April 16th. Please refer to the application form for details. ( https://forms.gle/UhtD5qLbxBmwuGGQA )
・Hiroko Kubo "Statue of Hainuwele" | Grassland Square / "Gentle Hands" | Shinji Pond
Gentle Hands (2018)
"Statue of Hainuwele" (2020)
Hiroko Kubo's "Gentle Hands" is a 4m-tall work that is covered in a blue tarp and is modeled after the hands of Maitreya Bodhisattva, the god Nut, and a baby. Kubo's huge 20m-long sculpture "Sculpture of Hainuwele" is a work that will be created together with the participants in a workshop held during the preparation period for the exhibition.
・Giacomo Zaganelli《Hibiya Ping Pong Platz》｜Nirenoki Square
"Tsuyama Ping Pong Square" (2024) Photo: Giacomo Zaganelli
"Hibiya Ping Pong Platz" by Giacomo Zaganelli will be installed at Hibiya Park's Nirenoki Square. It will be a participatory work where anyone can play ping pong during the exhibition period, with an original ping pong table designed for this exhibition. In addition, talks will be held every weekend during the exhibition period, inviting various guests as related events. Please check the website for details.
・Keita Miyazaki "Nest Structure" | Cloud Pond
《Draft of Species》(2019)Photo by Arisa Kasai
Miyazaki Keita, who creates works using the assemblage technique, combining metal objects such as worn car parts with cocoon-like objects made of paper and felt, has created sculptures reminiscent of bird's nests for this exhibition, surrounding the Crane Fountain at Kumogata Pond.
■Market Events
During the event, you can enjoy food while appreciating art. Please check the website for details on opening times.
■Venue MAP
"Transformed Composition – Playing with Combinations and Metaphors" | 1st Period
"Playing Catch -Practice how to gather-" | 2nd Period
Period: Saturday, May 17th, 2025 – Sunday, May 25th, 2025
Artists & Programs:
Ishinha Food Stall Village & Screening of "Perspective" and "Twilight"
Kumiko Ueda + miu + Mikiko Kawamura "Breathing Training Pool -Imperial Palace Moat Edition-"
Meiro Koizumi "Prometheus Carrying Fire"
Toru Oyamada "The Fireplace"
"Perspective" Food stall village Photo: Yoshikazu Inoue
■ CONCEPT
When the plant receives light, it eventually produces flowers.
Flowers inform insects and birds of their presence with their shape and color, and lure them with their fragrance.
Insects and birds collect the nectar and then pick up the pollen, which they then carry to the next flower in search of the same flower.
In this way, flowers and insects interact with each other and co-evolve together.
The audience can experience the presence of non-human beings such as flowers, light, and insects.
Rediscover your surroundings through "play" here in Hibiya Park, which is open to everyone.
In this space, human and non-human traces and trajectories intersect, their lines intertwining and creating a variety of knots.
It will be a place to think about "how to gather together with others" and will serve as a "rehearsal" for our future, in preparation for future disasters.
Tomoya Takeda
The second phase, "Playing Catch – Practicing How to Gather", will focus on performing arts and take inspiration from the co-evolutionary relationship between flowers and insects, who evolve while influencing each other, to aim to provide a space for exploring how to build relationships for living together through programs in the open space of Hibiya Park.
The program will include outdoor screenings of works by Ishinha, a group that has created unique "theaters" that invite audiences into the extraordinary, and a space where you can experience Ishinha's famous food stall village, which will be held in Tokyo for the first time in 16 years. In addition, there will be a participatory performance by Kumiko Ueda + miu + Mikiko Kawamura, in which performers selected from a public audition will take on the role of "small non-human creatures" in the morning at Hibiya Park, a VR work by Meiro Koizumi, in which the audience is immersed in a world of light that only butterflies can perceive, and the outline of their own bodies becomes blurred, and "Hiboko" by Toru Oyamada, in which participants will surround the fire = light and create a space that will generate rich communication. There will also be several dance and theater workshops that anyone can easily participate in, creating a space where the nature of Hibiya Park and the bodies of each participant can intersect.
Ishinha Food Stall Village & Screening of "Perspective" and "Twilight" | Near Nirenoki Square
"Twilight" Cinematography: Yoshikazu Inoue
"Our theater begins with a single nail." Using thousands of logs, a theater was built in an outdoor space over the course of a month. The wind, light, and local air interact with the bodies of the actors to create a one-of-a-kind theatrical space. The theater company Ishinha was sadly dissolved in 2017 following the death of its founder, Yukichi Matsumoto. This event will feature outdoor screenings of two of their outdoor plays, "Perspective" (2014, Osaka) and "Twilight" (2015, Nara). In a one-off theater performance, it is impossible to recreate a past performance. However, when we experience the sounds, voices, and "sceneries" left by Ishinha once again outdoors and in Tokyo, what will our bodies be able to perceive? Together with the Ishinha specialty food stall village, which will be held in Tokyo for the first time in 16 years, this "place" will be established.
■ Screening date and time:
2025
May 21 (Wed) 19:00 "Twilight"
May 22 (Thu) 19:00 "Perspective"
May 23rd (Fri) 19:00 "Twilight"
May 24th (Sat) 20:30 "Perspective"
■ Screening time: Twilight = 122 minutes, Perspective = 119 minutes ■ Language: Japanese ■ Participation fee: Free / Advance reservations required (Reservations open from noon on Thursday, April 17th)
※Light rain will be the plan, but rain will be cancelled.
"Perspective" Food Stall Village Photo: Yoshikazu Inoue
■ Food stall village Date and time:
Wednesday, May 21st to Sunday, May 25th, 2025
17:00-22:00 each day
*The food stall village will have live performances, food and drink, merchandise sales, and more every day! More details will be announced on social media.
■ Participation fee: Free / No prior reservation required
Kumiko Ueda + miu + Mikiko Kawamura
"Breathing Training Pool – Imperial Palace Moat Edition" | Tsutsujiyama to Mikasayama
How does Hibiya Park, where many different people come and go every day, look to flowers, plants, insects, and microorganisms? In this work, through "breathing = pneuma," participants practice feeling this world where the breathing of living things and humans blend together and circulate. Performers, who were recruited through a public audition, will breathe, imagine, and drift through the park as "tiny non-human creatures" in the morning at Hibiya Park, guided by a navigation tour by artists miu and Kawamura Mikiko. At the end of the tour, they will play the small creatures floating underwater in the scene where Ophelia drowns in Shakespeare's Hamlet.
Meanwhile, the viewer can pretend to be a "human" strolling through the park and secretly observe the tiny creatures that are normally invisible. When you place yourself in the atmosphere woven by the breathing of plants, animals, and humans, a new side of Hibiya Park may emerge.
■Date and Time:
Wednesday, May 21, 2025 – Saturday, May 24, 2025
21st (Wed) 8:00
22nd (Thurs) 8:00/11:30
23rd (Fri) 8:00/11:30
24th (Sat) 10:30
■Show duration: 75 minutes (estimated) *After the show, there will be a mini workshop for audience members ■Show language: Japanese ■Participation fee: Free / Advance reservation required (Reservations will be accepted from noon on Thursday, April 17th)
*Event will proceed in light rain but will be canceled if it rains (scheduled to be rescheduled to the 25th (Sun))
＜We are looking for general participants!＞
We are looking for participants to play "non-human creatures" in the morning at Hibiya Park. No acting experience is required, and no prior rehearsals are required.
Please refer to the application form for details. ( https://forms.gle/7piazQtikdnpZU7Z7 )
Meiro Koizumi "Prometheus Carrying Fire" | Tsutsujiyama
Still image from Prometheus the Fire-Bringer, 2023, image courtesy of the artist
Artist Meiro Koizumi has produced a VR work based on Aeschylus' Greek tragedy "Prometheus Trilogy." The third and final part, "Prometheus the Fire-Bearer," depicts a mythical future in which technology has transformed humans into completely different beings, and technology, nature, and humans become one.
In the VR space, the audience is immersed in a world of light that only butterflies can perceive, and the outline of their own bodies becomes increasingly blurred. How will the "new human" live in a world where the human body and perception itself have been rewritten?
■Date and Time:
May 17th (Sat) – May 25th (Sun), 2025
Each day
13:00／13:30／14:00／14:30／15:00／15:30／16:00／16:30／17:00／17:30
■Show duration: Approximately 30 minutes ■Show language: Japanese/English ■Participation fee: 1,000 yen/Advance reservations required (Reservations open from noon on Thursday, April 17th)
*This work is viewed through a VR head-mounted display. The product is intended for people aged 13 and over, so anyone under the age of 13 must have parental consent to participate.
* In the event of rain, the location will change. We will inform you at the reception on the day.
Toru Oyamada "Fireplace" | Around the lawn plaza
OKAZAKI PARK STAGE | Gathering around a small bonfire (wood stove) / ROHM Theatre Kyoto / Photo: Toshiaki Nakatani
This project is being carried out in various locations by artist Oyamada Toru, an early member of Dumb Type who has been exploring and practicing ways to create places where people can gather, such as through "Weekend Cafes." People who are selected through a public call will learn the techniques to create "fire," the most primitive form of "light," and gather around the "fire" with visitors, creating an opportunity for rich communication by sharing time and space. During the event, a variety of guests will be invited to give talks and other events to consider the potential of parks as shared spaces.
■Date and Time:
May 17th (Sat), 18th (Sun), 21st (Wed), 24th (Sat), 25th (Sun), 2025
18:00-21:00 each day
■ Participation fee: Free / No prior reservation required *Cancelled in case of rain
＜We are looking for fire-keeping volunteers!＞
We are looking for volunteer fire-keepers to help manage the fire, which is the center of the small shared space known as the "fire bed," and to help create the space together. For details and to apply, please click here.
(Application form link: https://forms.gle/fNoMs4ifW4F1QEaW9 )
In addition, there will be several dance and theater workshops during the event that anyone can participate in. Details will be announced on the website as soon as they are decided.
■Venue MAP
"Playing Catch -Practice how to gather-" | 2nd period
■PARK STATEMENT
Tokyo Metropolitan parks form the green backbone of the capital, Tokyo, and are an asset of the city with a variety of functions, such as places for social interaction, environmental conservation, disaster prevention, and beautiful scenery, and are an irreplaceable asset for each and every person. To realize a city where growth and maturity go hand in hand, Tokyo is taking various measures to improve the functions and value of Tokyo Metropolitan parks as a whole. Our goal for Tokyo Metropolitan parks in 2040 is to foster lush greenery for future generations, create attractions that attract people from Japan and abroad, and contribute to the well-being of each and every person.
With the desire to propose and share new values of parks to all the people who use parks, including the time spent in parks and the air they bring, some metropolitan parks have been performing flower and light displays throughout the four seasons. Last year, Hibiya Park and Kasai Rinkai Park also held installations that incorporated new elements of "art". This time in Hibiya Park,
Park×Art A new form of park starting in Hibiya "Hibiya Art Park 2025 – A month of discovering art every time you visit"
The event will be divided into two periods and feature a program that will allow visitors to experience the profound charm of Hibiya Park through a variety of art, from public art to performing arts.
Looking back at the history of Hibiya Park, since its opening in 1903, it has always incorporated new things and existed as a place to encounter new cultures and a hub for disseminating culture. As Japan's first modern Western-style park, it is also famous for incorporating three elements of "Western" (Western food, Western music, and Western flowers). Currently, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government is gradually developing Hibiya Park, which has been a pioneer in various initiatives as a symbol of Tokyo, in the "Barrier-Free Hibiya Park Project" toward the 130th anniversary of the park's opening in 2033.
Even as we prepare for a new era, we want to continue to convey new value and share our thoughts with all those who use the park. A park that evolves with the times. Hibiya Park will bring you new discoveries through art woven by various artists from Japan and abroad in the open public space of a "park." By experiencing rather than just appreciating, new connections may be born. We hope you will experience the new form of park as a place that is open to everyone, that connects with everyone, and that is "a place of value for everyone."
■What is the "Flower and Light Movement"?
This is an initiative by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government aimed at creating new and attractive large-scale flowerbeds in metropolitan parks and providing new ways to enjoy the parks through the presentation of flowers and light throughout the four seasons.
*For details, please refer to the following special website:
https://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/special/flowerandlight/index.html
Overview of "Hibiya Art Park 2025" Venue: Hibiya Park (Hibiya Park, Chiyoda Ward)
Organized by: Tokyo Metropolitan Government (Flower and Light Movement)
Produced and managed by: Rights Apartment Co., Ltd., AEDIT Co., Ltd.
Venue layout: Yuko Nagayama Architectural design: LABORATORIES
Public Relations Office: Avex Creator Agency Inc. Cooperation: Tokyo Metropolitan Park Association, a public interest incorporated foundation
Phase 1: "Transformed Composition: Playing with Combinations and Metaphors"
Planning: Junya Yamamine (NYAW inc.)
Planning and production: Nanami Sudo (NYAW inc.), Nanana Kanmuri (Tiarart.com), Arttank Inc., Shota Kanehira (URBAN PATCH LLC)
Lighting: RYU Co., Ltd.
Construction: Artifact Co., Ltd., Sankyu Co., Ltd., Shimao Kogyo Co., Ltd. Supported by: Italian Embassy in Japan, Italian Cultural Institute Works cooperation: Chishima Land Co., Ltd.
2nd Season "Playing Catch -Practice how to gather-"
Planning: Tomoya Takeda (bench), Sayuri Fujii (bench)
Produced by: Sayuri Fujii (bench), Aya Komori (bench), Hitomi Sato
Official website: https://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/special/2025art_hibiyapark/
Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hibiya_park_art/
*Events and some services may be canceled, suspended, or changed due to weather disasters, etc.
*Please check the "Hibiya Art Park 2025" website and official Instagram for the latest information before visiting the park.
[Avex Creator Agency Inc.] Press release
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