Lecture1: Fashion from the Perspective of Artistic Journalism

Lecture 1 was held, and we would like to introduce a part of the lecture and what the semifinalists learned/new perspectives they noticed.

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　　Lecturer / Theme

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Lecturer: Mr. Hideaki Ogawa (Co-President, Ars Electronica Futurelab)

Theme: Considering Clothing Production from the Clothing Disposal Site

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　　Profile

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Hideaki Ogawa (JP/AT) is a creative catalyst, artist, educator, curator and researcher in the field of art, technology, and society. He is currently a Co Director of Ars Electronica Futurelab as well as a Director of Ars Electronica Japan.

His special research focus is Art Thinking and he has conducted many innovation projects in Art and Science, Art and Industries and Art and Society. In addition to the artistic innovation research, he has realized international projects for festivals, export programs like Ars Electronica in the Knowledge Capital, School of the Future with Tokyo Midtown and the Ars Electronica Center in Linz.

He is also a representative and artistic director of the media artist group h.o. He seeks witty new ideas in response to the current social context and creates artistic expressions that keep pace with the speed of technological advancement.

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　　Lecture Outline

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In the city of Linz, Austria, Ars Electronica is positioned alongside electricity, water, and transportation as a public utility. Ars Electronica believes that “”the power of art to discover essential issues, create new value, and inspire people and dialogue is a social infrastructure that should be provided to everyone, just as a water utility provides safe water for all citizens.”” and in this belief, we provide people with art and a forum for discussion as a cultural social infrastructure. From this perspective, he spoke about the responsibilities and possibilities that designers have based on the concept of “”artistic journalism”” and how art and fashion can communicate to society.

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　　Key Points Learned

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Some of the key points that were learned by the semi-finalists who attended the course and last year’s winners are listed below.

Up until now, my focus was on ‘designing and creating forms’ when it came to fashion design. However, through the lecture, one discovered the difference in the process of ‘breaking existing concepts, viewing things from a new perspective, questioning society, and then designing and creating forms.’

Some participants mentioned that they were able to understand the difference between art and design. They reflected that ‘the act of designing, which had been unconscious until now, has become clearer.’ They realized that ‘artistic observation, looking around 360° to discover something, followed by shaping that discovery into something concrete, is what design is.’ They gained a new appreciation for the importance of ‘looking at the surroundings with an artistic mindset’ as a perspective designers should always hold.

Additionally, one participant found the phrase ‘creating culture through fashion’ shared during the lecture particularly impactful. They felt that ‘while designers seem to be designing clothes, the process of proposing that design involves embedding their thoughts, the sense of the times, and suggesting a new culture that suits that era through fashion.’ This led them to recognize the designer’s ‘power to propose culture.’

Another participant was deeply moved by the discussion on the social responsibility of artists and creators, remarking, ‘Even though big corporations might not prioritize how their products affect the world, artists and creatives can apply pressure, encouraging everyone to create ethically.’

Lastly, someone reflected on their work and said, ‘We should first question how clothes are made, the structure of clothes, and what is considered normal for clothes, and reconsider what clothing truly is,’ which reminded them of the original purpose of their own work.

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We will continue to provide an overview of each lecture and what the semifinalists learned from it.

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