Japan - VIDEO HIROBA
artscanada, Oct. 1973, v. 30, no. 4, pp. 52-53
This article documents the timeline of the emergence of video art in Japan and the formation of VIDEO HIROBA, a Japanese video collective initiated by the efforts of artists who participated in Japan's first video exhibition, Video Communication do-it-yourself-kit in February 1972. Many seminal video shows are listed in addition to this initial exhibition. In August 1973, VIDEO HIROBA maintained five active members: Katsuhiro Yamaguchi, Nobuhiro Kawahaka, Itakudo Kobayashi, Tetsuo Matsushita, and author Fujiko Nakaya.
The second part of the article details the projects of VIDEO HIROBA, including Kobayashi's street projects Lapse Communication, and Heavy Smokers. In addition, Toshio Matsumoto and Masao Komura are featured as artists who have a focus on computer-controlled video systems, while Nakayama and Kobayashi's work Supporters of Minamata Victims is socially and politically grounded.
ITEM 1973.002 – available for viewing in the Research Centre
Videos, Artworks and Artists Cited
Stones (1971) – Tomoko Fujii
Playback No. 1 (1972) – Nobuhiro Kawanaka
Hakudo Kobayashi
Lapse Communication – Hakudo Kobayashi
Heavy Smoker – Hakudo Kobayashi
Intersection – Toshio Matsumoto
Metastasis – Fujiko Nakaya
Supporters of Minamata Victims – Fujiko Nakaya
How to Stand an Egg – Katsuhiro Yamaguchi
Katsuhiro Yamaguchi
Eat – Keigo Yamamoto
Water and LIght
Confirmation by Doing no. 4