CRAZY PLANET: GHOSTS, FOLK MONSTERS AND ALIENS IN MANGA

Japan Media Arts Festival (organised by the Japanese government’s Agency for Cultural Affairs), in collaboration with Matadero Madrid and Fundación Japón, is responsible for this exhibition exploring contemporary Japanese society through a selection of manga and visual art from Japan.   Lamu: Urusei Yatsura or Those Obnoxious Aliens (1978-1987) by Rumiko Takahashi is a comedic manga featuring the protagonist, a high-school student from any city in Japan, and several of his love interests, in addition to aliens, ghosts, local gods, time travellers, spectres and characters from folk tales.   This original science fiction work is said to have been the product of a mistrust of social change in the 1970s. Its influences are diverse, ranging from Chinese to contemporary Western and post-war American culture, in addition to a broad range of cultural expressions typical of consumer societies. It can be pointed to as a product of a world that considers and depicts Japan as excessively mixed. The series went on to have a great impact on manga culture, anime and light novels in Japan, among other genres.   It has also greatly influenced the works of Ryō Hirano, one example of a contemporary artist, in addition to serving as a source of inspiration for many of today’s artistic creators. In the modern world, where we all use the internet, we can empathise with this sort of jumbled image, the likes of which can be found in any country.    This exhibition displays a set of works that describe daily life interwoven with another dimension, plus a show that gives us an idea of what constitutes visual arts in Japan.   - KANAZAWA Kodama / Freelance Curator Besides devoting herself to contemporary art in Japan and the rest of the world, including manga and new artistic media, she also works as a curator for art museums both at home and abroad.
Parallel activities at Matadero Madrid:
  ■ Discussion: Where does fantasy come from? The source of inspiration: Ryō Hirano (in Spanish) Speakers: Hirano Ryō (online participation) Moderator: Kanazawa Kodama Date and time: Saturday 23rd at 5pm Venue: El Taller, Matadero Madrid   ■ Special screening: A Portrait of Japanese Animation (Spanish language) Screening of works which received awards at the Japan Media Arts Festival organised by the Japanese government’s Agency for Cultural Affairs.     Date and time: Saturday 23rd at 7.30pm Venue: El Taller, Matadero Madrid
Parallel activities at Medialab-Prado, organised by Fundación Japón: 

■ Lecture organised by Fundación Japón: Crossing Point – Japanese Media Art, Game and Popular Culture
Speakers: Hiroshi Yoshida (Professor at Ritsumeikan University), Miki Okubo (Paris 8 University student)
Date: 26 January　
Venue: Medialab-Prado

■ Screening of works which received awards at the Japan Media Arts Festival organised by the Japanese government’s Agency for Cultural Affairs    
Date: Tuesday 26 January “Beyond the Technology”
Venue: Medialab-Prado

Organized by: Japan Media Arts Festival

With the collaboration of: Matadero Madrid and Fundación Japón, Madrid.