The works of the Slow Art Collective always interact with their surroundings, installing temporary structures made of bamboo, pipes, and other materials that coexist with existing streets and architectural spaces, with the aim of creating places where people in the community can gather. Using string as a free-form material, each participant weaves or ties it into bamboo, gradually creating a large-scale woven architectural structure. Additionally, by combining devices that harness the power of wind and sunlight, the works incorporate mechanisms that allow people to see and hear the sounds and breezes of the city. Emphasizing improvisation and using everyday materials, the collective creates otherworldly, non-日常 spaces. These works, which have been exhibited in diverse environments such as Tokyo, Melbourne, and Queensland, have created various meanings and values depending on the location. In Tokyo, a large art shrine-like space was created, while in the suburbs of Melbourne, it served as a place for Turkish immigrant families to pass on their culture of knotting. In a small rural town in Queensland, it became a place for residents who do not go out to relax and meet. Behind these diverse experiences lies a process in which participants become part of the artwork by freely tying a single string together, sharing space and time. In a long-term project at an elementary school, the children said in unison, “This was the first time we had such deep conversations with our classmates. We became really good friends.” There was no need for forced conversation; simply sharing the space and doing something together led to a gradual opening of their hearts. “Slow Art” is created and played with in connection with the local community, and it becomes a work of art. The results change daily depending on where it is practiced and with whom. In this project, we will collaborate with the Chiba region and develop a project that resonates with the philosophy of the Chiba International Art Festival 2025, creating a new space for creativity and joyful encounters within Chiba City.

This project aims to create opportunities for healing and communication through art at Chiba Children’s Hospital, located in Midori-ward, Chiba City. The project will provide a place of emotional comfort and self-expression for all those who spend their daily lives in the hospital, including children who are forced long-term hospitalization, anxious families, and the doctors and nurses who work under stress every day. In FY2024, a workshop was first held for hospital staff as a preliminary project. Through creative experiences and dialogues such as knitting and sewing, the workshop was positioned as an introduction to explore the future direction by listening to staff’s current situation and thoughts. In FY2025, they plan to welcome curators and collaborating artists to develop workshops and exhibitions that reflect the voices of the field, while considering the characteristics of the hospital. Regardless of the intensive presentation and exhibition period of the Art Triennale (September-November 2025), the program will be implemented flexibly according to the conditions of the hospitals and patients. The core activity is artwork using dolls created based on the “Kiwanis dolls” used in the medical field. Children create their one and only “alter ego” by putting fabric and coloring on the doll. The doll is then used as the main character and taken pictures of scenes such as “going home,” “exploring the hospital,” and “running errands. By sharing these photos with the children, this program is designed to allow them to “relive” the experiences of others while in the hospital room. The plan is to avoid the use of needles and focus on safety-conscious expressive methods such as “ sticking” and ” painting. In addition, in order to accommodate the restrictions of a sterile environment and the physical condition of each patient, the project will carefully consider whether and when to implement the project, while working closely with the hospital. This project is also an attempt to connect and grow relationships between people through art, and to reconsider art as a means of gentle comforts for those who are isolated or experiencing anxiety. 【Guest Artists】Chiho Okuno Visual artist. Born in Kyoto in 1998. Currently pursuing a PhD in Advanced Art Expression at the Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts. Through reinterpreting personal experiences via creatures with unconventional bodies such as rabbits, sea turtles, crabs, and mermaids, or by introducing motifs reached through an associative process similar to a chain of thoughts, the artist creates works that shift the original context and explore alternative causalities. Recent major exhibitions include the solo exhibition ‘Stepping Back from Memory’ (GALLERY b. TOKYO, 2025), TOKAS-Emerging 2024 | Tomoe Okuno Solo Exhibition‘New Body Training: I Want to See My Back’ (Tokyo Arts and Space Hongo, 2024), Tokyo Biennale 2025 Pre-Action ‘Travel Companion’ (CREATIVE HUB UENO “es” · Slit Park Yurakucho, 2024), and ‘Manga Circle’ (Art/Empty House Duo, 2024). Major awards include the Akira Tatehata Award Prize at the Art Award Tokyo 2024 and the Heisei Art Award.

“Konjaku-AR Doubutsu Shakkei(Borrowed Scenery of Animals from Past and Present)” is a project that mainly uses AR (Augmented Reality) experiences on smartphones. Set at Chiba Zoo, the project uses XR technology to exhibit animals thought to have lived in the past and imaginary creatures. For this exhibition, the artist will create special cards featuring imaginary animals depicted in ancient paintings and extinct animals.

Utilizing digital data from the collection of the Chiba City Museum of Art, visitors use their smartphones to read cards of “invisible animals” that are usually unseen, phantom beasts depicted in ukiyoe prints from the Edo period. The animals then appear on the display, creating an experience that makes visitors feel as if they exist in the real world. Chiba Zoological Park’s Animal Science Museum currently exhibits endangered species, and this project will link up with this existing exhibit to provide an opportunity to think about life in the past, present, and future. This project connects past and present, imagination and reality, allowing visitors to experience the diversity of life and the potential of art from a new perspective. Utilizing Chiba City’s cultural assets, the project aims to combine historical art materials, animal exhibits, and the latest digital technology. [Types of citizen involvement] Workshop, Exhibition viewing