One of the highlights was Helter-Skelter by Kyoko Okazaki which won a prize for excellence. Many people had recommended me to read this work but there hadn’t been a good opportunity until that particular day. For the detailed story, I recommend that you look into another material. After I read the work, I felt tired just like one sometimes feels after a feature film. The piece made me think seriously about my world of ease and comfort.

I felt manga’s attraction as a new media outlet dealing with social themes. The pop and casual expression of manga make our obstinate mind pliable, then convey to us a strong reality or message different than formal novels.

The Dimension Book, 2002-2003

Recently, I have been visiting this kind of event a lot and getting bored. After this visit, however, I thought this exhibition has a unique point which doesn’t exist in other events; exhibits covering a wide variety of fields and the way of display which was easy to understand. Even if high technology or technique is used in the work, when you push a button and anything happens, you might lose your interest in it.

However, works in this exhibition incorporated human feelings such as laughter, tears and despair and gave me sympathy. I don’t mean to imply that other events are not human, but this exhibition was special for me especially as it dealt with manga. This event was made a success by the Cultural Agency, audience and creators.

Manglobe, Saki Chikaraishi

There were loads of people from a wide age range of age, mainly because of the “free admission”. The fact that a national institution like the Cultural Agency organized this kind of art event positively contributes to the show of art works to a wider public. This is also a chance for artists. There was plenty of playfulness, which wasn’t like an event by national institution. Clerks were so friendly that one of them played a game with me. In my simple opinion, it was a great opportunity to see such high quality works in one time. This is one of the events which I want to come back to next year.

The 7th Media Arts Festival Exhibition
Date: February 27th – March 7th, 2004
Place: Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography
Address: Ebisu garden place, 1-13-3 Mita, Meguro-ku, Tokyo
Tel: +81 (0)3 3280 0099
https://plaza.bunka.go.jp