The Second Biennale: Towards a World Media Culture Forum

Growing a New Culture for the Multimedia Age

Anticipating the launch of the International Academy of Media Arts and Sciences in Ogaki in April of 1996, the city of Ogaki and Gifu Prefecture jointly hosted a World Media Culture Forum in July, 1995. The program included The Interaction '95, an invitational exhibition of the world's leading media artists, and a symposium at which the impact of multimedia on lifestyles was discussed. The favorable response in Japan and abroad has led to our planning our second international event, The Interaction '97, the next in a continuing series adopting the bienniale format. Today, as multimedia is bringing about huge changes in lifestyles and international relations, we hope to encourage the growth and maturation of a new media culture by presenting the leading edge in interactive art.

The Future of Multimedia Culture

Interactive art, the highlight of this event, is a new art genre. In the past, art was for its audience to view passively. By contrast, the meaning of interactive art depends on how the audience acts upon it and enters into a dialogue with it. Examples include packages on CD-ROM, works that invite a global-scale conversation via the Internet, and environmental installations with sound, visuals, and sensors reacting to the audience's movements, for an interactive experience that involves all five senses. Our exhibition presents ten large-scale installations by more than 10 artists from many lands. Interative art is still a young genre with relatively few practioners, but interest in it is rising througout the world. We hope that you will take this oportunity to visit the exhibition, and, by engaging in an active dialogue with the works there, give some thought to the potential interactive art offers.

In holding this exhibition, we would like to express our sincerest thanks to the publication of the artists and the following individuals and institutions for their kind cooperation.

Supported by:

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Agriculture,Forestry and Fisheries, Ministry of International Trade and Industry, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, National Land Agency, Canadian Embassy, Consurate General of the Federal Republic of Germany, American Center Nagoya

Cooperation:

Nihon Silicon Graphics-Cray K.K., Apple Japan, Inc., Sony Corporation, Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd., Nissho Electronics Corporation

Staff：

Gayle D.Pavola, Hiroshi Kanechiku, Shiro Yamamoto, Masaharu Ibuka,
Yasunori Suzuki, Noriko Umano, Akinori Kamiya, Mayumi Tsuboi, Mituhiro Imao, Shinobu Usui