Tomorrow is the deadline date for applications to GEISAI#20, to be held on Sunday, May 5, 2014. Here we wanted to pass on a message from the editor in chief of “Bijutsu Techo”, Teiya Iwabuchi.

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Hello, this is Teiya Iwabuchi, editor in chief of Bijutsu Techo. I will be one of the jurors fro GEISAI#20 and am very much looking forward to it.

In truth, I, along with my fellow juror for this event, Team Lab CEO Toshiyuki Inoko, was originally asked to be a juror for GEISAI#15, an event that had been scheduled for March 13, 2011.The other scheduled jurors were the CEO of Good Smile Company Takanori Aki , the CEO and editor in chief of GENRON Hiroki Azuma, and Pixiv CEO Takanori Katagiri. Lining shoulders with these important figures from my generation, each of whom had answered the challenge of how to create culture in Japanese society and achieved results, and doing so representing my own chosen field of contemporary art, felt, at the time, like a real turning point for me.

However, GEISAI#15 was cancelled due to The Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami. In addition to the great shock we all felt, the circumstances forced me to change the mode in which I operated my career. I was really shocked and had to change a way of my life. I’m sure it was the same for all of you planning to exhibit at GEISAI#20.

It is hard to judge an artist’s value by looking only at those works that they were able to assemble in a short period of time, but I will try to look at each artist’s spirit and drive as much as at the works themselves. My hope is to encounter artists who will join us as we challenge our abilities on the global stage.

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GEISAI will be held only once this year and we are accepting applications from artists 29 and younger.
We look forward to hearing from you .