creatives

Maria Adriana Verdaasdonk (Netherlands/Australia)

Maria Adriana Verdaasdonk based herself in Tokyo in the early 1990s to study the Japanese martial art aikido and dance-theatre butoh. In 1994 she co-founded 66b/cell as a result of work combining body movement and multimedia. Collaborative investigation involves digital technologies to explore new possibilities for the multi-layering of visual and sonic textures where the dancer/performer potentially shapes and is shaped by these media. In 2007 she completed a practice-led PhD at Queensland University of Technology investigating interdependencies between performing bodies, visual and sonic media through the notion of ‘poetic felt space’. Performances include Ars Electronica 2002, ISEA2002, The Japan Virtual Reality Society, 2003 Seoul International Dance Festival and 2008 World Dance Alliance Global Summit. She received an RSA Encouragement of Arts Award for visual research on the Japanese art concept of ‘ma’ in 1996 and the Peter Elkin Drama Prize for Faust II Project in 1997.

Tetsutoshi Tabata (Japan)
Tetsutoshi Tabata is a visual installation artist who studied the Japanese dance-theatre butoh with Yoshito Ohno and Akiko Motofuji from 1992-1996 and became deeply involved with dance performance and projected scenography. In 1994 he co-founded 66b/cell, a collective using real time and pre-recorded computer graphics and animation to create different textures, lighting and kinetic effects. Performances and presentations include Ars Electronica 2002, The Japan Virtual Reality Society, the Seoul International Dance Festival, the Adelaide Festival, the Brisbane Festival, as well as performances and installations in NYC, Europe and Asia. Currently, Tetsutoshi is an invited researcher at Rikkyo Amusement Research Center (Rikkyo University) where he is investigating sound and visual environments for performance.

Junji Watanabe (Japan)
Junji Watanabe received his PhD in Information Science and Technology from the University of Tokyo in 2005. He received an honorary mention at Ars Electronica "NextIdea" 2004 and his artworks exhibited at the Ars Electronica Center from 2007 to 2008. He also works in the area of stage design and dance with media performance unit 66b/cell. Collaborative works include test-patches, performed at Ars Electronica in 2002 and Seoul International Dance Festival in 2003, and the performance/installation project Living Lens (2005~). A further interest includes devices to facilitate individual audience experience such as the Moving Ultrasonic Speaker (MUS) and Saccade-Based Display.

Takahisa Sasaki (Japan)
Takahisa Sasaki graduated in mechanical engineering at The University of Tokyo in 1999. He studied 3D computer graphics animation at Digital Hollywood, an innovative IT and digital content college that acts as a bridge between industry and academia in Japan. In 2000 his real time 3D imaging software was awarded the graduation prize in the programming category. With several years experience working as an industry professional in graphics and network solutions, Takahisa is currently a member of media drive unit Cell, where, in collaboration with visual artists, dancers and performers, he is developing an integrated visual system that can be synchronised to other equipment and be displayed on multiple screens