Where the Future Begins
January 20–February 25, 2024
Sapporo International Art Festival 2024 (SIAF2024) is to be held for 37 days from January 20 to February 25, 2024. The festival will return after six and a half long years after its cancellation in 2020, with the theme Last Snow proposed by director Ogawa Hideaki—artist and Co-Director of Ars Electronica Futurelab.
In addition to exhibiting the work of around 50 artists from more than 10 countries at six venues across the City of Sapporo, the festival will also feature outdoor events unique to winter cities, citizen participation projects, and collaborations with local organizations and initiative partners, all with a goal of envisioning our future.
The six venues have been designed to tell two different stories: “A journey across 200 years,” where visitors can travel through the years of 1924-2124, and “Experimental zones for future winters,” where visitors can face the future with new experiments.
Works that look 100 years into the future by 16 artist groups will be showcased at SIAF2024’s main venue, the Future Theater, including a variety of new works exhibited in Japan for the very first time.
Choe U-Ram, a leading figure of the contemporary art scene in Korea, will exhibit several of his works. The exhibition will focus on his pieces that are mechanical but move as though they were living organisms, and some new pieces will also be on display.
Giovanni Betti + Katharina Fleck from Germany will present a large-scale installation that extends over the visitors, allowing them to witness the severity of the loss of glaciers and to reflect on recent extreme attempts to halt global warming.
There will also be an “omnibus exhibition” area where each room considers different themes 100 years into the future, like food, clothing, and shelter, artificial intelligence, and our community, featuring works by international artists such as Xin LIU, who uses advanced technology and a variety of materials to create pieces with themes such as space, science, time, and individuality.
Alongside the artists’ work, original snowflakes created by over 700 children in 10 schools in Sapporo using programming learned in workshops led by art unit Fujimori will be showcased.
Titles and artists of each venue
Future Theater: 2124—Where the Future Begins
Artists: Amy Karle, Aoki Mika, Choe U-ram, Fujimori, Giovanni Betti + Katharina Fleck, Goto Akinori, Kathy JetÑil-kijiner + Aka NiviÂna, Komakus, Kunimatsu Kineta, Nakazato Yuima, Ogawa Emiko, Quayola, Siaf Future Lab Project, Tega Brain + Julian Oliver + Bengt Sjolen, Wabisabi, Xin Liu
Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art: 1924–2024 Fragile [Handle with Care]
Artists: Abe Hiroshi, Hirano Yoshikuni, Ishii Toru, Kon Wajiro, Miyata Sayaka, Yukutake Harumi. Artists from museum collections: Kuriyagawa Kenichi, Honda Meiji, Sunada Tomoji, Josef Albers, Victor Vasarely, Richard Annskiewicz, Bridget Riley, Hanada Kazuharu, Sugiyama Rumiko, Stanislav LibenskÝ + Jaroslava BrychtovÁ, Koshiba Sotoichi, Uenoyama Kiyotsugu, Matano Daishiro, Dana ZÁmeČnÍkovÁ, Léonard Foujita (foujita Tsuguharu) + Atelier Simon Marq, Kunimatsu Noboru
Sapporo Cultural Arts Community Center (SCARTS): SIAF2024 Visitor Center
Collaborators: Kawajiri Ryuichi, Mangekyo, Sapporo Municipal Library And Information Center, Siaf Lab
Moerenuma Park: Snow Park for the Future
Artists: Jussi Ängeslevä + Aatb, Sapporo Future Undokai
Sapporo Art Museum: Forest of Media Arts
Artists: Ishi Hiroshi + Tangible Media Group, MIT Media Lab, Maywa Denki, Lausbub, Snow Miku (Crypton Future Media), Yukikaze Technology
Sapporo Snow Festival Odori 2-chome Site: Snow City in the Future
Artists: Eness, h.o
Visit the revamped SIAF2024 website for other updates including open calls, collaborative projects, and weekly themes for the festival period here.
Brand-new official festival trailer with SIAF2024’s theme song, Dancer in the Snow, written by LAUSBUB, a new wave techno-pop band based in Sapporo.
Sapporo International Art Festival 2024
Theme: Last Snow
Sub-theme: Where the Future Begins
Director: Ogawa Hideaki
Curatorial team: Hosokawa Asami, Kinoshita Chieko, Miyai Kazumi, Nakamura Seiji, Sakamoto Mai, Sato Kohei
Initiative Partners: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.,panoramatiks, Ryohin Keikaku Co. Ltd., Sony Group Corporation, wacom Co. Ltd, Wired Japan
