Previously at Life Science Fashion Studio PJ (Arts Council Tokyo), we were thinking about “What are people wearing in Tokyo 10 years from now?”. But this time, at Dr. Betti’s Philosophy Cafe, we discussed about “In the first place, what is Tokyo?”
Japanese, foreigners, those who are living in Tokyo, those who come from rural areas… the meaning of “Tokyo” is different for each person. A place where tradition and modernity coexist, a chaotic fusion of west and east, and elusive space… a bizarre deviation and discomfort seems to exist between image from the outside and reality inside. Betti analogizes it as “Kaleidoscope”: an infinitely changing composition that you cannot be fully grasped even if we reach it out.
The discussion was continued with the focus of “something” important that we should not forget, that we are trying to express as future wearable.
“Methodology of Transdisciplinary Research: Theory and Practice” (TSE.C317) is one of the courses of Transdisciplinary Science and Engineering Department, School of Environment and Society, Tokyo Institute of Technology, which aims to learn about various examples of “fusion” in the creative field and find clues for new industries, businesses, and academic researches. To be more specific, this course explores urban design, fashion, AI, biotechnology and information with case studies and methodology.
Lecture Information Lecturer: Eugene Kangawa Date: November 29, 2017 (Wednesday) Time: 18:30 – 20:00 Location: Shibuya Hikarie COURT Capacity: 20 people (participation limited to the Tokyo Tech students enrolled on the course)
Lecture Summary Half century has passed since the publication of Stanley Kubrick’s “2001 – A Space Odyssey” in 1968, Blade Runner’s original work, and Philip K. Dick’s “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep”. How much things have progressed from the future image that humankind once drew? And in the next half century, how should I/you act? Eugene Kangawa from THE EUGENE Studio, “Deep Mode – expanding fragments for new paradigm” was invited to give keynote lecture of the course. Eugene’s activities span from AI Agency, to automobile research and development, Biotechnology, agriculture, and cities. This lecture aims to explore a vision of the future from integrated technology on various crossing areas.
During the beginning part of his speech, Eugene’s gave exercise using KeyNote to randomly fragment and arrange some keywords. The obtained results were interesting match-up such as “Artificial Intelligence (AI) and agencies”, “Function and Communication”, “Game Engine and the Old Testament”, “Objects and the whole”, and “Multiple Fields and Paranoia”. The purpose of this exercise was not to sympathize with the floating arguments on the surface, but rather to understand them intersection systematically.
Eugene’s remarks was as follow: instead of looking at technology in general, we should look at the contents in detail as well. Instead of causing huge innovation, it should be building the “world” from the relationships of the series of detailed technological process. Also, while crossing specific disciplines, the discussion should be gradually abstracted by itself.
Eugene then moved on the specific discussions of the previous obtained keywords. The lecture ended with vibrant Q&A during which Eugene expressed his positive exception of the future of creative AI.
(Summarized from TSUDA Hiroshi’s report in Japanese)