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.
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.
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 ArtistEmi 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
MusicianShinichi Hirai
Minagu Hirai
PunksMinagu 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.
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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