{"id":1328,"date":"2024-03-18T08:44:06","date_gmt":"2024-03-17T23:44:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usaginingen.com\/?page_id=1328"},"modified":"2025-07-06T07:04:31","modified_gmt":"2025-07-05T22:04:31","slug":"homepage","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/usaginingen.com\/","title":{"rendered":"Home en"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Life Becomes Art:
Performance, Space, and Everyday Creation<\/h1><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Life Becomes Art:
Performance, Space, and Everyday Creation<\/h3><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Profile<\/h3><\/div>
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usaginingen<\/strong> is an artist unit formed in Berlin in 2011. Their performances, created using self-made visual devices and musical instruments, are internationally acclaimed for their innovative fusion of analog and digital expression. In 2014, they received the Grand Prize at the Reykjavik Visual-Music Festival in Iceland. In 2021, they completed a 38-city national tour in Japan with support from the Agency for Cultural Affairs\u2019 \u201cARTS for the future!\u201d program and were featured in an Apple Japan commercial the same year. To date, they have performed in 28 countries. The unit consists of Shinichi Hirai, who handles sound, equipment design, and community projects; Emi Hirai, who leads visual production including video and drawing; and their elementary-school-age son, Minagu Hirai, who joined the stage in 2024\u2014together forming a family-based creative team.<\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/i><\/i><\/span>Read more...<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
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In 2016, usaginingen moved their base to Teshima, a small island of about 700 residents in the Seto Inland Sea of Japan. Once known for illegal industrial waste dumping, Teshima has since transformed into an \u201cart island\u201d that attracts international attention. There, the group established \u201cTeshima usaginingen Theater,\u201d combining the live performance style they had developed in Berlin with the island\u2019s culture. Guided by the principle that \u201ceveryday life itself can be made into art,\u201d they have launched a variety of projects, ranging from semi self-sufficient living to redesigning living spaces through DIY methods.<\/p>\n

One of their most symbolic endeavors is the creation of a park on previously abandoned farmland. By crafting playground equipment from bamboo and driftwood, and incorporating a kiln and vegetable plots, they have built a place where visitors can experience farming and food-related processes. Of particular significance is their social approach, which aims to challenge the deeply rooted male-dominated culture by actively incorporating the perspectives of children and mothers, striving to establish a \u201ccreative hub for children and women.\u201d In addition, they explore ways to merge technology and local resources, including experimenting with IoT-enabled smart farming.<\/p>\n

In 2023, the group repurposed a former orphanage into \u201cShinAiKan,\u201d a three-story cultural space that hosts a wide range of programs\u2014performances, workshops, exhibitions, and pop-up restaurants\u2014on a regular basis. From late 2024, with support from Tokyo University of the Arts and Kagawa University, they began exploring a unique \u201cfestival made by our own hands\u201d on Teshima, and in February 2025, organized their first self-driven event with families from a local preschool and collaborators from neighboring islands. This project has served as a model for connecting art and local communities, resulting in the creation of a new celebratory environment.<\/p>\n

On the performance side, the addition of their son Kaina in 2024\u2014providing narration and shadow-play\u2014further expands this smallest social unit of a family and intensifies the reach of their activities. That same year, they produced their first outdoor installation at the request of Setouchi City in Okayama Prefecture, while Emi continued to develop her painting practice, leading to multiple exhibitions and the publication of her first picture book in 2024. This dynamic interplay\u2014from family to community\u2014is central to usaginingen\u2019s artistic vision. Building on the fusion of visuals and sound honed in Berlin, they integrate DIY ethics, technology, education, and the revitalization of local culture into what could be called a \u201cmobile cultural movement.\u201d<\/p>\n

In their realm\u2014where everyday life in the Setouchi region itself becomes art\u2014one is immediately immersed in the fundamental energy of creation and a tangible sense of grounded craftsmanship. This stands as a clear testament to usaginingen\u2019s commitment to the idea that \u201ceveryday life itself is art.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Biography<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/div>
Techrider etc..<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

What we do<\/h2><\/div>
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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.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Audio-visual live<\/div><\/div>

Performance<\/h2><\/div>
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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.<\/p>\n<\/div>

more info<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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The Seto Inland Sea’s remote island, Teshima<\/p><\/div><\/div>

Theater<\/h2><\/div>
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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.<\/p>\n<\/div>

more info<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
A new cultural hub born from a postwar orphanage<\/div><\/div>

ShinAiKan Project<\/h2><\/div>
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Once an orphanage that protected children in the aftermath of the war, this building has now been reborn as a cultural hub. Connecting island life with artistic expressions from around the globe, ShinAiKan \u00d7 usaginingen embraces the challenge of creating new cultural possibilities through art and festivals.<\/p>\n<\/div>

more info<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Various productions<\/div><\/div>

imagination and creation<\/h2><\/div>
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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.<\/p>\n<\/div>

more info<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Meeting of creativity and learning<\/div><\/div>

Stay Village<\/h2><\/div>
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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.<\/p>\n<\/div>

more info<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Audio-visual live<\/div><\/div>

Performance<\/h2><\/div>
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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.<\/p>\n<\/div>

more info<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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The Seto Inland Sea’s remote island, Teshima<\/p><\/div><\/div>

Theater<\/h2><\/div>
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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.<\/p>\n<\/div>

more info<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Various productions<\/div><\/div>

imagination and creation<\/h2><\/div>
<\/div><\/div>

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.<\/p>\n<\/div>

more info<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Meeting of creativity and learning<\/div><\/div>

village<\/h2><\/div>
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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.<\/p>\n<\/div>

more info<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
A new cultural hub born from a postwar orphanage<\/div><\/div>

ShinAiKan Project<\/h2><\/div>
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Once an orphanage that protected children in the aftermath of the war, this building has now been reborn as a cultural hub. Connecting island life with artistic expressions from around the globe, ShinAiKan \u00d7 usaginingen embraces the challenge of creating new cultural possibilities through art and festivals.<\/p>\n<\/div>

more info<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Member<\/h2><\/div>
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Emi Hirai<\/h4>Visual Artist<\/div><\/div>

Emi Hirai<\/h4>\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Shinichi Hirai<\/h4>Musician<\/div><\/div>

Shinichi Hirai<\/h4>\n
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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.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Minagu Hirai<\/h4>Punks<\/div><\/div>

Minagu Hirai<\/h4>\n

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.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Harmonizing Dichotomies<\/h2><\/div>

Harmonizing Dichotomies<\/h2><\/div>

A Journey Beyond Contrast through Art and Performance<\/h2><\/div>
View video<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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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.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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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.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

instagram<\/h2><\/div>
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