10th Art Division Critiques

The Art Division must set the pace for the future progress

The Art Division must set the pace for the future progress of the Japan Media Arts Festival. The international recognition that this festival has gained over the last ten years is a great achievement, but we cannot afford to rest on our laurels, stagnating after a period of planned and development. This years Grand Prize winner is Imaginary·Numbers 2006; it is a visual image that is also being exhibited at Milano Salone; the presentation of high quality, delicate lines moving infinitely in a finite universe have impressed people around the world. An Excellence Prize winner, front, depicts the bruised face of a woman so powerfully that we almost feel her pain. The Excellence Prize winner from the Interactive Art category, OLE Coordinate System, is an excellent piece that cleverly reuses the images of Escher. As we have top prizes winners from the Installation, Interactive Art, and Still Image categories, we feel increasingly confident as to the future success of the Festival.

Profile

ASABA Katsumi

Art Director

Born in 1940. Through Light Publicity Ltd. , established ASABA Katsumi Design Inc. Worked on many advertisements for Suntory Ltd., Seibu Department Store, Ltd., and Misawa Homes Holdings Inc. He claimed many awards including the special prize in the Japan Advertising Artists Club, the Japan Advertising Award, a Medal with a Purple Ribbon, the Grand-Prix of Tokyo Art Director's Club Award, etc. Is currently a committee chairman of Tokyo ADC and a director of JAGDA. He has extensive knowledge of the living hieroglyph "Tompa characters" of China. Has reached the sixth rank in table tennis. Chairperson of the executive committee of AGI （Alliance Graphique Internationale） Congress 2006 in Japan.