Opening Talk: Kyoto and Art – A Discussion of Future Possibilities

Speakers: Kakutani Amon, Komiya Taro, Matsuzaki Keisuke, and Nishiwaki Takatoshi　｜　Moderator: Miyake Atsuhiro

Kyoto, where traditional streetscapes and culture are preserved alongside a dynamic array of contemporary art events, educational institutions, and museums. In a city where various cultures intersect, how can art connect and evolve? Alternatively, how can Kyoto grow through its cultural initiatives? Governor of Kyoto Prefecture Nishiwaki Takatoshi, together with next-generation key players who have diverse backgrounds and perspectives, will discuss the potential interactions between art and society and the possibilities for Kyoto’s future as a cultural city over the next decade.

Speakers:
Kakutani Amon (Director, MASIRO Corp.)
Komiya Taro (Artist)
Matsuzaki Keisuke (CEO, MASIRO Corp.)
Nishiwaki Takatoshi (Governer, Kyoto Prefecture)

Moderator: Miyake Atsuhiro (Program Coordinator, Art Collaboration Kyoto / Curator, The Museum of Fine Arts, Shiga)

Speaker’s Profiles
　

Kakutani Amon

Born in 2002, graduated from Kyoto University of Arts in 2024, and is currently the director of MASIRO Co.
In 2022, he started planning and managing group exhibitions after hearing a friend talk about the current situation where paintings he had drawn were piling up in his room and being thrown away.
Now he is developing MASIRO’s business based on the concept of “ More Art in Everyday Life” and thinking about the future “Transmission of Art”.

Komiya Taro

Born in 1985 in Kanagawa, Japan, he graduated from Graduate School of Kyoto University of Art and Design in 2016 with a doctorate in Arts. He is a member of Yamanaka suplex, a collaborative studio in Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture. While approaching the active nature of “seeing” and the cognitive function of human vision, he creates paintings, photographic works, high-speed rotating objects, and trompe l’oeil installations that utilize space. Major exhibitions include “Virtual” (MAHO KUBOTA GALLERY, Tokyo, Japan) in 2024, “VOCA2023” (The Ueno Royal Museum, Tokyo, Japan) in 2023, and “Soft Territory” (The Museum of Modern Art, Shiga, Shiga, Japan) in 2021.

Matsuzaki Keisuke

He is currently a fourth year student at Doshisha University and CEO of MASIRO Inc.
He launched “LISAIL”, a service connecting artists and spaces with the motto “ More Art in Everyday Life”, and works as a dealer of art exhibitions and artworks mainly in Kyoto.

Nishiwaki Takatoshi

Takatoshi Nishiwaki (B. 1955, Kyoto, Japan) graduated from University of Tokyo and joined the Ministry of Construction in 1979. After working as Deputy Director-General of the Road Bureau, Director-General of the Policy Bureau, Chief Cabinet Secretary, and a Vice-Minister for the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport before becoming the Vice-Minister of the Reconstruction Agency in 2016. In April 2018, he was elected Governor of Kyoto Prefecture. In April 2022 he was re-elected, and began his second term. He also holds many official positions including Deputy Chairman of the Union of Kansai Governments, and Deputy Director of the National Governors’ Association.

Website: Kyoto Prefecture

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