Date

2025/8/22 (Fri)12:40-14:10（JST）

Field

C-TICAD (Culture TICAD – Art)

Venue / Event Format

Exhibition Hall / In-person only

Co-Host

JICA

Background

Today’s international community faces complex crises, with "division" manifesting in various forms. Within Japan, there is a growing indifference towards international cooperation. In such circumstances, it is more crucial than ever to overcome differences in values and collaborate in achieving human security. Underlying division and indifference is an unconscious barrier against "things that are different or distant from oneself." In response, JICA aims to establish a mutual learning relationship between Africa and Japan, using culture as a starting point, through the "Africa and Culture" Series.

Key Questions

• How can art and design contribute to social transformation and social inclusion?
• What can we learn from examples of encounters between African and Japanese art and “handworks”?
• In a world where divisions are deepening, what role can art play, and how can it connect people?

Objective

Art has the power to connect people across borders, potentially serving as a gateway to social inclusion. In this event, we will explore the role art can play in social inclusion and transformation, as well as the significance culture can bring to international cooperation in our time, alongside practitioners from Africa and Japan involved in "handwork" such as visual arts, crafts, and dyeing. This will be an opportunity to rediscover the cultural connections between Africa and Japan through their stories of creation and to engage with diverse perceptions of the world.

Materials

Speakers

Hiromi Kurosawa

Project Professor at Tokyo University of the Arts, Chief Art Officer at HERALBONY Co., Ltd.

Serge Mouangue

Founder of WAfrica, artist, designer.

Toshiharu Nakasu

CEO, AFURIKA DOGS