ART CAPSULE TOY PROJECT VOL.2

THINGSText: Sachiko Kurashina

Just a few coins let you enjoy art. The second “Time Capsule – Art Capsule Toy Project” will be launched this summer. The last project had an ace-high reputation, therefore the project has more expectations this time. Ms. Machida from Sony Creative Products Inc. told us about the direction of the project.


© Kuntzel + Deygas

This project fuses Gacha (a vending machine of small toys) and artistic taste. What made you focus on this Gacha in the first place?

Each capsule of Gacha contains a different world and you’ll never know what you get. That is the unique attraction. The producer of this project has incubated the idea. What will happen if appealing art is stuffed into capsules? Some artists approved the “Art available with 3 coins” and they made this project more interesting. To mention figures, there are so many high quality figures in Japanese capsule-toys. We can’t beat the minuteness of those figures, but we run this project with the spirit “Not high quality but high sense”.

Participation of popular artists brought huge success to this project. How was the reaction of people toward the first exhibition?

Because practising artists in various fields (music, comics, art, fashion, etc) got together, many “adults (doesn’t matter if their children actually bought capsules)” seemed to enjoy more. How long has it been since they did Gacha last time? But they were in total abandon and many of them exchanged redundant toys with each other in order to get a complete collection. Some people said that when they got 100-yen coins after buying something, they felt some excitement. Several overseas shops (in London, Paris, Hong Kong,etc) got interested in this project’s concept and want to hold the exhibition.


© Ado Mizumori

Ado Mizumori, Rockin’ Jelly Been, Winney Kuntzel&Deygas, Peter Bagge and Rodney Greenblat participate this time. Were here certain conditions or reasons when you chose the artists?

This project is something that artists can create their message with unlimited and flexible ideas, at the same time we as a production company can enjoy. We want to enjoy this project with artists in many fields from all over the world. Of course, the possibility to become great figures is one of the acceptability criterion.


© 2002 Rockin Jelly Bean

“Angels and Devils” (Ado Mizumori), “Monster’s band” (Rockin Jelly Beans), “Six Gods” (Rodney Greenblat) etc. The subjects are diversified. Are the artists given free rein to decide everything?

Dealing with what artists want to deal and expressing them within “Capsules of Gacha”. That is the concept of this project. We are excited and interested in what kind of subjects artists take.

Are you going to develop something apart from toys? Could you outline this project?

This exhibition will be held on early September in Harajuku, Tokyo. Ado Mizumori will give live painting performance and some artists will be invited. The art works through the first and second exhibition will be showed either.

Where can we get this time capusules?

You can get them at about 200 record shops, select shops, book store, etc. throughout Japan. Further information is available at www.e-timecap.com.

Do you have any future plan?

By March 2003, we are going to hold the third and forth exhibition (there is a possibility of delay though). Another various artists from all over the world will join and send message to you. Hold your breath!

Time Capsule – Art Capsule Toy Project Vol.2
Participated artists: Ado Mizumori, Rockin’ Jelly Bean, Kuntzel + Deygas, Peter Bagge, Rodney Greenblat
http://www.e-timecap.com

Text: Sachiko Kurashina
Translation: Eriko Nakagawa

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