Can a festival define a city’s spirit? A look at the success of ‘Tokyo Tokyo FESTIVAL Special 13’
Project: delivering a post-pandemic cultural festival for the Olympic and Paralympic Games
The Purpose
These programs aim to showcase the city’s arts and cultural attractions while fostering international connections. They could be found throughout the city and on a global media stage. The festival was organised by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Arts Council Tokyo, which sought ideas for the program via the public. There were 2,436 submissions from both Japan and overseas, and thirteen extraordinary projects were selected.
The Challenge
Tokyo Tokyo FESTIVAL Special 13 were public programs originally planned to coincide with the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The programs had to adapt at short notice to the 2020 pandemic.
There were 2,436 submissions from both Japan and overseas, and thirteen extraordinary projects were selected.
The Solution
Tokyo Tokyo FESTIVAL Special 13 was rescheduled, similar to the Games themselves, to 2021. Each project was carefully reviewed and revised to become suitable for and accessible to a global “new normal.” Drawing upon Tokyo’s spirit of innovation, much of what had originally been planned proceeded with preventive measures in place, although many aspects were made available for online viewing rather than experienced in person.
Some of the notable art interventions included SUPER WALL ART TOKYO, featuring artists Tadanori and Mimi Yokoo, who created two massive murals titled ‘aqua’ (water) and ‘ignis’ (fire). Each mural was approximately 150 x 35 metres, displayed on two sides of adjacent skyscrapers. Another standout project was PAVILION TOKYO 2021, where nine world-renowned architects and artists installed unique buildings and sculptural installations, focusing on the area around the National Stadium.
In the realm of performing arts, DANCE TRUCK TOKYO brought cutting-edge performances to street corners across the city. The World Performing Arts Forum included video presentations from five continents, live performances by local Taiko groups, and a talk session.
These installations were united by a theme of aspirations for Tokyo’s future, with some drawing inspiration from Japan’s traditional housing and garden culture. Perhaps the most visible aspect of the festival was the masayume project, which selected a real person’s gigantic face to appear, floating above Tokyo, reflecting on our existence during such a challenging time in our modern history.
The Impact
Despite the significant challenge of navigating a pandemic-restricted city, Tokyo Tokyo FESTIVAL Special 13 was executed with COVID-19 preventive measures in place, and it successfully reached an audience of around 500,000 people, both in person and online.
As a grand finale, blending the Olympics, Paralympics, and Tokyo’s reputation for tradition, gardening, and cutting-edge technology, the installation ‘The Constant Gardeners’ featured four robotic arms tracing the movements of Olympic and Paralympic athletes This unique combination of art, technology and sport generated distinctive visualisations of the athletes.
Source: World Cities Culture Report 2022
Images Courtesy © City of Tokyo
