My first teaching experience integrating an international study trip.

Is it possible to put together a show – similar to the concept of ‘Sport’ – that will explain another culture?

In spring 2002, for one semester 15 students of the Bauhaus-University Weimar intensively occupied themselves with Japan. Through extensive research, lectures, a movie series, and practical exercises they tried to understand as much as possible about the country, its culture and people. The aim was to express a view about Japan in a creative piece – without ever having been there.

In a second step, in October 2002 the group travelled to Japan – first to Tokyo, then to the small country town of Tajimi, and finally to Nagoya. On the way we visited museums, galleries and universities, we met Japanese students and teachers, and we stayed with Japanese families. In the end we presented our creative works about Japan in an exhibition associated with the International Symposium for Electronic Art 2002 (ISEA 2002) confronting the Japanese public with a potentially wrong picture of themselves and thereby to provoke a reaction.

The Nihon project was documented in two exhibitions: Nihon@ISEA and Nihon Revisited.

Two years later, followed a similar project about the USA: DAF.

Some travel impression:

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