October 24th (Fri) – October 26th (Sun) @ Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture International Festival “Science and Art 2025” Main Venue: Tojo Residence, Shountei, Tojogaoka Historical Park Participating Artists & Program Announced Science and Art Hill Executive Committee Press Release: August 29, 2025 To Members of the Media October 24th (Fri) – October 26th (Sun) @ Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture International Festival “Science and Art 2025” Main Venue (Tojo Residence, Shountei, Tojogaoka Historical Park) Participating Artists & Program Announced Announcement of
participating artists and programs co-curated with Ars Electronica, a global cultural organization for media art, in addition to a new collaboration with the Embassy
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https://science-art-matsudo.net/ #Exhibition At the Tojo Residence and Shountei, we will be holding an exhibition of works curated in collaboration with the Embassy and Ars Electronica. [Cooperation with the Embassy of Switzerland in Japan and the Department of Science and Technology] “INVISIBLES: The Hidden World of Microorganisms” Traveling Exhibition and Satellite Exhibition
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/87671/14/87671-14-3e897ed67b9ff8ea5aa6090a59dcc16a-3900×2601.jpg (C) Musee de la main UNIL-CHUV The exhibition “INVISIBLES: The Hidden World of Microorganisms,” jointly organized by the Swiss National Center for Research in Microbiome (NCCR) and the Musée de la Main in Lausanne, Switzerland, with the cooperation of the Science and Technology Section of the Embassy of Switzerland in Japan, is available to view as a traveling and satellite exhibition. This exhibition introduces the fascinating yet little-known world of microorganisms, which are intimately connected to our lives. Microorganisms are ubiquitous yet invisible, forming communities (the microbiome) that play a vital role in health and the environment. They are the origin of life on Earth and also maintain the balance of all ecosystems. From soil to oceans, air to plants and even inside the human body, the exhibition invites visitors on a journey to explore this hidden world.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/87671/14/87671-14-264cde527cc0813242d78711de481e9e-253×261.jpg NCCR Microbiomes NCCR Microbiome is a nationwide research network dedicated to better understanding the role of microbial communities in nature and all aspects of health. It comprises 25 research teams from across Switzerland, including the University of Lausanne, ETH Zurich, EPFL, University of Zurich, University of Bern, and University Hospital of Lausanne. It brings together internationally acclaimed experts in the fields of human infectious diseases, animal and plant microbiomes, genomics and computational biology, applied and environmental microbiology, and microbial ecology and evolution. Founded in 2020, NCCR Microbiome is supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/87671/14/87671-14-0427539ff40dc722e05f773a393f8d99-289×349.jpg Musée de la main UNIL-CHUV This interdisciplinary facility, dedicated to science and culture, offers interactive thematic exhibits that engage the senses. Committed to cultural dialogue and public participation, it brings together knowledge and experience, offering visitors the opportunity to consider contemporary challenges from an interdisciplinary perspective. It is also a place to explore the activities and knowledge that shape our bodies and perceptions. Through immersive and interactive exhibits, the museum serves as a hub for the curious.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/87671/14/87671-14-17c172d8881eeed32c129de4cc8d02dd-651×385.png Supported by: Science and Technology Section, Embassy of Switzerland in Japan The Swiss Embassy plays a vital role in connecting
Switzerland and Japan in the fields of education, research, and innovation. We connect diverse stakeholders, including universities, research institutes, startups, startup support organizations, open innovators, and government agencies, and promote the international exchange of knowledge, ideas, and talent by supporting initiatives based on a spirit of curiosity, creativity, energy, and open thinking. We promote exchanges across disciplines and cultures, promote Switzerland’s strengths internationally, and foster an environment that fosters innovative ideas and lasting partnerships. [In
collaboration with the Austrian Cultural Forum] Imagine Climate Dignity Award Winner Anca Benera & Arnold Estefan in collaboration with Pavel Brăila《Floral Whispers》
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/87671/14/87671-14-f455ba65559b57e43143ee315b9aca83-3900×2600.jpg photo: Arnold Estefan Climate change, soil pollution, and other factors are causing serious plant declines and ecosystem collapse around the world. Paleoclimatology uses “natural archives” such as pollen records to reconstruct lost vegetation and predict future climate change. Anca Benera and Arnold Estefan are collecting pollen from areas at risk of desertification to record disappearing plants. These samples have the potential to provide material for future research and demonstrate the vital role that pollinators like bees play in maintaining ecosystems. However, the decline of honeybees poses a serious threat to our global survival. Inspired by the fact that the first recorded sound in history was inscribed on a beeswax cylinder, the artists intertwine its symbolism with today’s
environmental crisis. For this project, they collaborated with Pavel Brăila and a colony of honeybees (Apis mellifera) to create a record made of beeswax. Delicate and with a limited playability, each drop of the needle chips away at the “memory” of the material, eventually fading into silence.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/87671/14/87671-14-d3f5f1a72d9ad2fdf333620b5565e524-3900×2601.jpg photo: Victoria Tomaschko Anca Benera & Arnold Estefan Working together since 2012, they currently operate a research-based, interdisciplinary practice based in Vienna. Their work focuses on interrogating historical, social, and geopolitical narratives and the power structures that underlie them. In recent years, they have focused on environmental issues, exploring the relationship between military activity and the environment, examining how the military imagination shapes landscapes, climates, and communities. Pavel Brăila Since the mid-1990s, he has worked across a variety of media, including film, video, installation, photography, print, performance, and television. His work explores the economic uncertainty of post-Soviet countries through conceptual performance and experimental film.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/87671/14/87671-14-9dcfbe1f1ea27ccb6d9913726a7a30e0-1556×521.png Supported by: Austrian Cultural Forum As a platform for Austrian artists in Japan, we support activities that convey a unique image of Austria as a modern, innovative, and vibrant country. We serve as a hub for Austrian artists and researchers seeking opportunities for mutual exchange and creative encounters in Japan. [Ars Electronica Selection] Ars Electronica Award for Digital Humanity / S T ARTS Prize Honorary Mention 2025 Double Award Winner Domestic Data
Streamers《Synthetic Memories》
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/87671/14/87671-14-f0420d9c0032309387ff014ac810878a-1920×1080.jpg “Synthetic Memories” is an innovative research and design project that uses generative AI to preserve personal memories at risk of loss. It transforms verbal and written memories into visual, emotive images, particularly for those affected by migration, dementia, and cultural loss. Through dialogue, participants review the AI-generated images, making adjustments as needed, to create a representation that reflects the essence of their own memories. This process fosters deep emotional connections and allows the value of memories to be shared in new ways. Since its inception, the project has achieved results in reminiscence therapy for dementia patients, cultural heritage preservation, and intergenerational dialogue. It also continues to engage communities around the world through workshops, exhibitions, and collaborations with care and cultural institutions. Combining art, technology, and social innovation, the project offers a new definition of memory preservation and new avenues for cultural connection.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/87671/14/87671-14-8576c3c33ac999069b551465dc137245-2048×1365.jpg Domestic Data Streamers Based in Barcelona, the collective is made up of experts from a variety of fields, including journalists, researchers, coders, artists, data scientists, architects, and designers. Since its founding in 2013, the collective has worked in schools, prisons, and museums through films, installations,
performances, and exhibitions. They have worked in over 45 countries and collaborated with renowned institutions such as Tate Modern, The Barbican, TED, and the United Nations. Working with human-centered data storytelling and information ethics, they have explored how AI will transform memory, identity, and collective narratives. 【Ars Electronica Selection】 Wacom, TOA, Ars Electronica Future Lab《Life Ink Community》
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/87671/14/87671-14-8b8a254cab5275f8cc6a08e8872a87d3-2560×1707.jpg Jochen Manz / Wacom Co., Ltd. “Life Ink” is an artistic project exploring the delicate and complex creative processes of the brain and body. Combining biosensing technology with novel digital ink, we capture ever-changing internal states and transform them into intuitive and accessible artistic expressions, making the invisible visible. Our latest prototype will debut at the Open Future Lab at the 2025 Ars Electronica Festival. Visitors will be able to wear biosensing devices and experience “Life Ink Community,” an immersive installation combining autostereoscopic 3D images and spatial sound. This project evolved from “Future Ink,” a long-standing collaboration between Wacom and Ars Electronica Future Lab. Now, with TOA as our sound art partner, we are working to open it to the public and further expand the platform and community through a new collaboration. “Life Ink” premiered at the 2022 Ars Electronica Festival and subsequently became part of the Ars Electronica Center’s permanent collection. It will serve as the driving force behind new projects, including “LIFE INKlusive,” due to launch in 2025.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/87671/14/87671-14-2b8637d1c16ae1c2f8f2711955b17222-3900×2595.jpg Ars Electronica / Magdalena Sick-Leitner Ars Electronica Futurelab Futurelab is an R&D lab and atelier for artistic research and development. Working with partners around the world, we aim to transform technology into something closer to humans and bring new perspectives to society. Our work spans a wide range of projects, from interactive installations and immersive art to technological solutions and workshops. Wacom Wacom is a leading manufacturer of pen tablets, LCD pen displays, and digital interface solutions. Artists and designers around the world use our products for the creation of digital art, film, fashion, design, and more. Wacom continues to explore the act of drawing and writing, pioneering a new world of expression that goes beyond the experience of pen and ink. TOA Manufacturer of professional audio equipment. Established in 1934, the company now provides important information, especially in emergencies, as well as small or special experiences in various public spaces in over 170 countries around the world, including airports, train stations, commercial facilities, schools, factories, stadiums, and concert halls. The company defines its corporate value as “Smiles for the Public” – creating a society where people can smile – and achieves this goal by providing “peace of mind,” “trust,” and “excitement” to people’s lives.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/87671/14/87671-14-5644dcb33846ea1279d1bb533d2b4c68-2289×1535.jpg Nicolas Ferrando, Lois Lammerhuber In cooperation with: Ars
Electronica A cultural organization for media art based in Linz, Austria. In addition to the “Ars Electronica Festival,” held every September with themes of art, technology, and society, the
organization continues to imagine the people and society of the future through four core programs: the “Ars Electronica Center” as an art museum and science center, the “Prix Ars Electronica” cutting-edge media art competition, and the “FutureLab” R&D center. DLX Design Lab, University of Tokyo, Laboratory of Veterinary Animal Behavior, University of Tokyo, Hiroyoshi Hara《City Mouse》 Image
URL: https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/87671/14/87671-14-46dc15413f5b1b655925b46646eb085b-3900×2600.jpg Rats in the City is an exhibition featuring an interactive
installation based on a year of observation of rats in Tokyo, along with photographs by Hiroyoshi Hara. It offers an opportunity to view rats not just as pests, but as part of the urban ecosystem, without prejudice. It also questions the fear-based approach to rat
extermination and explores new approaches to addressing them from a scientific perspective. We imagine sustainable urban futures where people and wildlife live together to promote more ecologically inclusive and resilient cities.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/87671/14/87671-14-7f60a9603dcae25c7ba1b4e9c5cc2dd8-3900×2599.jpg The University of Tokyo DLX Design Lab An international collective dedicated to creating value through design. We collaborate across disciplines to explore new possibilities for social impact and advance design education. Laboratory of Veterinary Animal Behavior, The University of Tokyo Our goal is to study animal behavior, enable communication, and deepen our understanding of animal minds in order to foster better relationships between humans and animals. Hara Hiroyoshi (Photographer) His work documents Tokyo’s urban rats, creating compelling visual narratives that reveal how they navigate and adapt to a human-dominated environment.
DLX Design Lab, University of Tokyo, Laboratory of Applied Entomology, University of Tokyo《Tabemaru》
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/87671/14/87671-14-183e08217d92af1cd0f98f856c42bed2-3900×3900.jpg “Tabemaru” is a closed ecosystem powered by insects. Inside, a swarm of black soldier flies transforms food waste into rich compost in just a few days. But this isn’t just about rapid resource recycling; it’s also an exploration of interspecies design. How can we create a comfortable and engaging interaction between people and insects? What if composting were simple, sensory-friendly, and a part of everyday life? By making the composting process visible rather than hidden, “Tabemaru” challenges how we view waste and the creatures that process it. It transforms leftover food into something valuable and inspires us to rethink food waste and insects as essential parts of our food cycle.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/87671/14/87671-14-787539ab5db575c1a75a2b84b86073e4-3900×2599.jpg The University of Tokyo DLX Design Lab Please refer to the profile above. Laboratory of Applied Entomology, The University of Tokyo The laboratory began with Assistant Professor Teruo Yamazaki in 1947, followed by Professor Yoshiaki Matsumoto in 1973, Toshiaki Ikeshoji in 1988, Sadahiro Tatsuki in 1993, Yukio Ishikawa in 2010, and Masami Shimoda in 2021. Currently, the laboratory consists of three professors: Associate Professor Takatsugu Matsuo and Assistant Professor Sugihiko Hoshizaki. As a laboratory specializing in entomology, the laboratory has produced research results in a wide range of fields and has produced many talented individuals who are active in various fields.
Mayu Miki x Naoyuki Ishikita, Medical Device Innovation Laboratory, Clinical Research Department, National Hospital Organization Niigata Hospital*《KYOTO STEAM International Art Competition 2022 Work “Tohoku Omohoyu”》
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/87671/14/87671-14-bdfb07e620709a1b80e8246c50dabfce-3000×2001.jpg KYOTO STEAM 2022 International Art Competition Production Work Mayu Miki x National Hospital Organization Niigata Hospital Clinical Research Department Medical Device Innovation Laboratory Naoyuki Ishikita* “Tohoku Omohoyu” (2022) Photography: Hyogo Muyuta In response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Naoyuki Ishikita, who recognized the plight of a shortage of ventilators in medical settings around the world, is releasing design data for a ventilator that can be manufactured using a 3D printer for free. Around the same time, the artist Mayu Miki, who had continued to mourn the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011 through the act of blowing bubbles, realized that it was time to reconsider the fundamental act of life: breathing, when the sudden situation in which his own breath became a threat. The title comes from an ancient word that means “to make distant things seem like nature.” The flute attached to the ventilator makes each person’s presence sound, thinking of distant places, and expanding a community of resonance. *This work was created and announced as an entry piece for the “KYOTO STEAM International Art Competition 2022”, which is created through repeated dialogue between artists, companies, and research institutions.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/87671/14/87671-14-0c992af8dfd2324c709d502976093abb-2310×1540.jpg Miki Mayu Born in Osaka in 1987. Graduated from Musashino Art University and completed graduate school at Tokyo University of the Arts. Focusing on the relationship between the “surface and structure” of the experiences he encounters, he attempts to reconstruct them through decomposition and transformation, regardless of area or medium. It takes us off the rails of fixed ideas and casts a sense of discomfort on the surface world we are used to seeing.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/87671/14/87671-14-ed6ed2ae82dbd5d3530ba02b2f7053be-1285×1575.jpg Naoyuki Ishikita General practitioner. Graduated from Iwate Medical University School of Medicine in 2004. In 2023, he founded the medical device startup “STONY” in the face of issues that cannot be solved even with the latest medical care at the forefront of clinical practice. As a visiting associate professor at Kobe University’s Future Medical Engineering Research and Development Center, he also focuses on nurturing the next generation. Driven by the desire to help the patients in front of us, we continue to use our creative ideas and technological capabilities to create solutions that simplify medical care and enrich the lives of patients and their families. *Titles are as of 2022. #Workshop We will hold workshops where you can experience science, art, and nature. How to participate: Pre-order required Chiba University Graduate School of Horticulture, Applied Entomology, Masashi Nomura Laboratory《Insect Observation Outdoor Workshop “Science and Art Hill Expedition”》
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/87671/14/87671-14-5e270523e49e988d79c8bf237872e18e-3000×2000.jpg photo: Yoshiaki Suzuki Date: 10/26 (Sat) 10:30-12:00 / 13:30-15:00 10/27 (Sun) 10:30-12:00 / 13:30-15:00 Venue: Tosadagaoka Historical Park Price: 500 yen Capacity: 20 people each time Target: Elementary school students and above *Those in the lower grades of elementary school must be accompanied by a guardian This year too, we will form an expedition team to look around the walkways and gardens and find insects inside the Tojo residence. By observing insects that are busy with activity or preparing to survive the winter, you can get a clear picture of what insects are like at this time of year. Look for species that are active during the season, or those that are busy preparing to survive the winter. Let’s observe small nature together in a familiar place! It will be held rain or shine. #Talk We will engage in dialogue to think about science, art, and nature. Venue: Tosei Residence, simultaneous distribution on Youtube Please see below for details. https://science-art-matsudo.net/program/talk Event overview Science and Art Hill 2025 Date: October 24th (Fri) / 25th (Sat) 10:00-16:30, 26th (Sun) 10:00-16:00 Venue: Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture (Tosada House, Shoun-tei, Tosadagaoka Historical Park, various locations in Matsudo City) Price: General 1,000 yen, high school/university students 900 yen, Matsudo City citizen discount 500 yen (for those living/working/students), free for junior high school students and younger *Tickets will be on sale at Peatix from late September. *On the day of the event, tickets will be sold at the [General Reception] in front of the Tojo residence entrance ( 500 yen for general, high school and university students). *Separate reservations are required for talks and workshops, and reservations will begin on Peatix from October 1st (Wednesday). Sponsored by: Matsudo City, Science and Art Hill Executive Committee Planning and operation: Science and Art Hill Executive Committee *Contents may change without notice. Press tour for media Direct interviews with exhibiting artists are also possible. Date and time: October 23, 2025 (Thursday) 14:00-15:30 Venue: Tosada House, Shoun-tei, Tosadagaoka Historical Park How to participate: Please apply from
[https://forms.gle/ad79ZrvuaGZSnCbS8]. Press release attachments