Audio-Visual Performance

A Unique Live Experience with Handmade Visual Machine and Instruments

Audio-Visual Performance

Audio-Visual Performance

A Unique Live Experience with Handmade Visual Machine and Instruments

Profile

Usaginingen is an audio-visual performance duo known for their unique handmade visual machine and instruments. They quickly gained a strong reputation for their style of performance, and in 2014 they won the Live Cinema competition at the Reykjavik Visual-Music Festival in Iceland. Their talent has also been recognized by Apple Japan, as they appeared in the company’s advertising campaign “beyond the mac 2021”.
Usaginingen has been invited to perform in 77 cities across 23 countries. They have performed live at a variety of international festivals for art, music and film, as well as at educational institutions to inspire young creators. After spending six years in Berlin, they are now based on a remote island Teshima in Japan and have opened their own theater.
In recent years, beyond performance, there has been a focus on social activities aimed at forming village-like communities. This includes the creation of parks using abandoned farmlands and the management of artist residencies in abandoned buildings.

What we do

Living on the island of Teshima in the Seto Inland Sea, experiencing nature and the seasons, and engaging in a variety of activities centred on live performances and theater management.

Audio-visual live

Performance

They began their activities in 2012, using unique handmade visual machine and instruments to combine analog and digital elements in their live performances. In 2024, their son will join them and take their activities to a new stage.

The Seto Inland Sea’s remote island, Teshima

Theater

Once a carpenter’s warehouse, this place has been transformed into a live space that manipulates color, light, and sound. It offers an original story that can be experienced by everyone, from children to adults.

Various productions

imagination and creation

Separate from Usaginingen’s performances, this is a creative activity that extends the boundaries of art, encompassing everything from painting to community activities, in a world of expressive possibilities.

Meeting of creativity and learning

Stay Village

After being inspired by the island’s nature and art, you’ll find an environment where you can turn your creative desires into reality, giving shape to your imagination. Stay on an island alive with daily life, and enjoying infinite possibilities through your creativity.

Audio-visual live

Performance

They began their activities in 2012, using unique handmade visual machine and instruments to combine analog and digital elements in their live performances. In 2024, their son will join them and take their activities to a new stage.

The Seto Inland Sea’s remote island, Teshima

Theater

Once a carpenter’s warehouse, this place has been transformed into a live space that manipulates color, light, and sound. It offers an original story that can be experienced by everyone, from children to adults.

Various productions

imagination and creation

Separate from Usaginingen’s performances, this is a creative activity that extends the boundaries of art, encompassing everything from painting to community activities, in a world of expressive possibilities.

Meeting of creativity and learning

village

After being inspired by the island’s nature and art, you’ll find an environment where you can turn your creative desires into reality, giving shape to your imagination. Stay on an island alive with daily life, and enjoying infinite possibilities through your creativity.

Member

Emi Hirai

Visual Artist

Emi Hirai

Born in 1980 in Yokohama, Japan, Emi graduated from Joshi Art University and went on to forge a successful career in Tokyo as both an art director and a graphic designer. In 2010, she expanded her creative horizons by moving to Berlin, Germany, where she transitioned into a visual artist and began performing in 2011. Emi has since returned to Japan and currently resides and works on Teshima Island, continuing her artistic journey. In 2021, she held her first drawing exhibition, marking a significant milestone in her evolving career as an artist.

Shinichi Hirai

Musician

Shinichi Hirai

Born in 1977 in Kagawa, Japan, Shinichi initially pursued a career as a radiography technician following his graduation from Kitasato University. His musical journey began during his time in Brighton, England, where he delved into the music scene. In 2010, Shinichi relocated to Berlin, Germany, and joined the ensemble Usaginingen, furthering his career as a musician. Currently, he has returned to his roots in Kagawa and now resides and works on Teshima Island.

Minagu Hirai

Punks

Minagu Hirai

Born in 2018 on Teshima Island, Kagawa Prefecture, is a preschooler at Hitomi Nursery School. In 2024, Minagu participated in Usaginingen’s performances as a narrator and actor. Minagu finds each day brimming with joy, a soul dancing in the endless delight of life’s pleasures.

Harmonizing Dichotomies

Harmonizing Dichotomies

A Journey Beyond Contrast through Art and Performance

Aiming to capture the moment when seemingly contradictory elements intersect, expressing the new meanings and sensations that arise from this confluence through the union of visual art and music. By coalescing contrasting concepts such as tangible forms and intangible emotions, substance and thought, abstraction and concreteness within a single piece, I seek to highlight the unique beauty inherent in each. This endeavor not only offers viewers an opportunity to engage in a dialogue with their inner selves but also aims to create a space where individuals can reconsider their perspectives on self and the world through the lens of the artwork. It is a process of reconnecting what has been divided and delving into the beauty and value of harmony among diverse elements.

Aiming to capture the moment when seemingly contradictory elements intersect, expressing the new meanings and sensations that arise from this confluence through the union of visual art and music. By coalescing contrasting concepts such as tangible forms and intangible emotions, substance and thought, abstraction and concreteness within a single piece, I seek to highlight the unique beauty inherent in each. This endeavor not only offers viewers an opportunity to engage in a dialogue with their inner selves but also aims to create a space where individuals can reconsider their perspectives on self and the world through the lens of the artwork. It is a process of reconnecting what has been divided and delving into the beauty and value of harmony among diverse elements.

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