Study：大阪関西国際芸術祭 | 2025 Study: Osaka Kansai International Art Festival 2025

<Archive video released>
Sugiyama Ou EXPO PLL Talks "Art & Impact: Thinking about the Post-EXPO World with Innovators" vol.16

This time, for the 16th time, we welcomed as our guest Sugiyama Ou (CEO of Shinryokai Inc. / Art+Tech Producer), who is the planning director of the Signature Pavilion "Proof of Life" at the Osaka-Kansai Expo. Mr. Sugiyama, who has been involved in the launch of facilities such as "TeamLab Borderless" and "TOKYO NODE", aims to create a completely new art experience at the Osaka-Kansai Expo, based on the theme of urban memory and human dialogue.

You can watch the event on the official YouTube channel.

<Excerpts from the talk at the event>

Creating art in the city - Mori Building's challenge and its perspective as an "ally of artists"
Sugiyama's career has been consistent in creating "experiential art" in the city. As a student, he was deeply interested in the relationship between urban space and people, and was immersed in creating works that combined art and technology, such as performing guerrilla art expressions in the city.
After that, he joined Mori Building and was involved in urban development projects such as Roppongi Hills and Toranomon Hills, focusing on designing points of contact between artists and cities. In particular, he led the planning of the Mori Building Digital Art Museum: EPSON teamLab Borderless together with teamLab, the world's largest experiential art facility.
Sugiyama has always considered himself an ally of artists and has worked hard to create an environment where artists can use the city freely. He creates spaces that are not just "places to display artworks," but "where the space itself becomes a work of art." His unique approach, which involves "experience design" that allows viewers to actively immerse themselves in the experience, transcends the boundaries of art, entertainment, and urban development.

"Dialogue and Memory" at the Expo ~ "Proof of Life" pavilion renovated from an old school building ~
At the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo, Sugiyama will be involved in the overall design of the architecture and experiences at the signature pavilion "Testimony of Life," produced by Naomi Kawase, as the planning director.
Rather than building a new building from scratch, this pavilion was created by dismantling and relocating a closed wooden school building. The design allows visitors to immerse themselves in a "space filled with memories," allowing them to experience emotions and nostalgia that transcend time and space.
Inside, an installation will be set up in which the audience will have a 10-minute conversation with "someone" through a screen. In a situation where you don't know who the other person is or where they are, this will visualize the pure connection between people. Through Naomi Kawase's "unscripted film"-like direction, the structure will highlight the "humanness" and "relationships" that cannot be replaced by AI or VR.
Sugiyama describes the pavilion as "art created by everyone," proposing that the experience of inheriting memories and fostering dialogue is what creates new value in art.

Event Overview

Date and time: Monday, March 17, 2025
Venue: Akasaka Gradation (Akasaka Sacas Square)
Guest: Sugiyama Ou (CEO of Shinryokai Co., Ltd. / Art+Tech Producer)
Moderator: Suzuki Daisuke (CEO of ARTLOGUE Inc., General Producer of Study: Osaka Kansai International Art Festival)
Organized by: 2025 Japan World Exposition Association, Osaka Kansai International Art Festival Executive Committee (ARTLOGUE Inc.)