"Observing the underwater quietness, I started to question: why is there no life? Is it only
because of the season? Is it because of the complex environment of brackish water, slightly
salty water which needs lots of specialization? Or are these ecosystems in danger because of
intense agricultural activities just on the border of the water flow? It is tricky to think of any
trouble in these kinds of landscapes. The feeling of paddling through the wetlands around
Tokachi resembles climbing a mountain next to a vanishing glacier. The view of the
landscape is magical, and by mere sight, it’s easy to idolize, to focus on the solitude, the
colors, contrasts, and the deep blue water with its migrating birds. But unfortunately, there
is another truth. These wetlands were once five times bigger. In the past 100 years, wetlands
in Japan decreased by around 60%, and there is no single restriction on the use of pesticides
in Japan." - Rahel Kraft
Program
- 6:00pm – Welcome and Intro
- 6:10pm – Performance by Rahel Kraft
- 6:30pm – Flute piece and Presentation by Prof. Toshiya Okuro
- 7:00pm – Panel Discussion with Q&A
- 7:30pm – Networking reception
iCal / Outlook
Event start time
-
Boston and New York
5:00AM -
Brazil
6:00AM -
China
5:00PM -
India
2:30PM -
Japan
6:00PM -
San Francisco
2:00AM -
Switzerland
11:00AM
Speakers
-
Rahel Kraft
Rahel Kraft
Artist and ComposerRahel Kraft is an artist and composer. In her work, she shifts boundaries between listener,
maker, memory and the imagined on the threshold of the imperceptible. She performs,
exhibits, and installs her work often in unfamiliar settings or custom-made environments, to
cause friction, overlap and surprise in listening settings. Based on organic, instrumental and
electronic sources, her creations embrace attention to minuscule detail and qualities. Often
present is her background as a vocalist, her interest in physical contexts and psychological
aspects of listening. Both solo and collaboratively she investigates the human-nature
dichotomy. -
Yu Morishita
Yu Morishita
Project LecturerYu Morishita is project lecturer at the University of Tokyo, Institute of Industrial Science (IIS)
and Memu Earth Lab. -
Toshiya Okuro
Toshiya Okuro
ProfessorToshiya Okuro is professor of landscape-ecological studies on land conservation and
restoration at the University of Tokyo.