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The Prix Ars Electronica Archive is a collection enabling search and viewing of all the submissions since 1987. The award-winning projects are documented with catalogue texts and audio-visual media. All other submissions can be searched by title/artist and displayed with year, category in list form. Please cite the credits (artwork name, artist and photographer) and only use the materials if your article is related to Ars Electronica.
Tsukuba Series
Maywa Denki
Original: PR_2003_tsukuba_002_o.jpg | 1269 * 1269px | 1.4 MB
Original: FE_2003_MaywaDenkineu_004_o.jpg | 2320 * 1564px | 561.0 KB
Original: FE_2003_MaywaDenkineu_009_o.jpg | 1268 * 1268px | 116.8 KB
Original: Tsukuba Series - Edelweiss Series sperm armor | 344 * 1231px | 180.6 KB
Original: Tsukuba Series - Edelweiss Series matsu-kyo oil (1) | 1270 * 886px | 400.1 KB
Original: Tsukuba Series - Edelweiss Series mustang (1) | 505 * 1361px | 153.4 KB
Original: Tsukuba Series - Edelweiss Series mustang (2) | 1278 * 733px | 187.0 KB
Original: Tsukuba Series - Edelweiss Series Newton gun | 1268 * 1268px | 248.3 KB
Original: Tsukuba Series - Naki Series UKE-TEL | 1268 * 1268px | 528.6 KB
Original: Tsukuba Series - Naki Series NA-CORD | 1268 * 1268px | 613.4 KB
Original: Tsukuba Series - Naki Series na-tate-goto | 1268 * 1268px | 466.6 KB
Original: Tsukuba Series - Naki Series pachi-moku | 1268 * 1268px | 440.4 KB
Original: Tsukuba Series - Naki Series SAVA-0 | 1268 * 1268px | 320.9 KB
Original: Tsukuba Series - Naki Series tumi-na 1-go | 1761 * 1761px | 728.6 KB
Original: Tsukuba Series - MARIMCA | 1107 * 1399px | 418.0 KB
Original: Tsukuba Series - mecha-folk | 965 * 1061px | 478.8 KB
Original: Tsukuba Series - takedamaru | 1268 * 1268px | 479.8 KB
Maywa Denki is an art unit produced by Nobumichi Tosa. It was named after the company that his father used to run in bygone days. The costume is designed as a typical working uniform of Japanese electric stores, symbolizing small / medium-sized enterprises that once supported Japan's economy during its high-growth period. Its unique style is indicated by a term he uses: For example, each piece of Maywa Denki's work is called "a product" and a live performance or exhibition is held as "a product demonstration." The products produced so far include "NAKI Series," fish-motif nonsense machines, “Tsukuba Series," original musical instruments, and "Edelweiss Series," flower-motif objets d’art.
Although Maywa Denki is known and appreciated as an artist, its promotion strategies are full of variety: exhibition, live stages, performances, producing music, videos, writing, merchandising toys, stationery, and electric devices. As Nobumichi is still looking for a new scheme for a different approach to the public, Maywa Denki is now beginning in earnest to extend its activities to overseas, holding exhibitions in Europe (Paris and London). In 2002, it was the 10th anniversary of Maywa Denki and memorial events; a concert tour "Jamboree" and exhibitions "Romance Engineering," were held in large cities in Japan.
Tsukuba Music
According to the spread of IT apparatus, such as a sampler, a synthesizer, and a personal computer (Internet) these days, music has been separated from "a substance" (= a musical instrument) and is now considered as "information." The style of enjoying music has changed, and as a result, people talk about music in the fashion of: "I know such a maniac song", "I can remix the original song like this" or "I have a lot of music data". People are pleased by gathering "information on the music" that can be heard only through the speakers.
Tsukuba Music is designed to stir people's attention to notice the fact that "the live musical sound is created from a substance" - which the music once used to be in years past and they have totally forgotten.
Tsukuba Series is played by the movement of motors and / or electromagnets at 100V and makes a sound by physically beating/knocking a substance. It is a challenge to revive a live music sound with the power of machines. Tsukuba was named after Tsukuba City, a technological city in the Ibaragi prefecture in Japan.
Unique and original genres of music have often been born in specialized cities like Liverpool and Motown, the famous industrial cities. Maywa Denki dreams that the next, new type of music will be created and spread worldwide from Tsukuba, the city of the most advanced technology in Japan.
Although Maywa Denki is known and appreciated as an artist, its promotion strategies are full of variety: exhibition, live stages, performances, producing music, videos, writing, merchandising toys, stationery, and electric devices. As Nobumichi is still looking for a new scheme for a different approach to the public, Maywa Denki is now beginning in earnest to extend its activities to overseas, holding exhibitions in Europe (Paris and London). In 2002, it was the 10th anniversary of Maywa Denki and memorial events; a concert tour "Jamboree" and exhibitions "Romance Engineering," were held in large cities in Japan.
Tsukuba Music
According to the spread of IT apparatus, such as a sampler, a synthesizer, and a personal computer (Internet) these days, music has been separated from "a substance" (= a musical instrument) and is now considered as "information." The style of enjoying music has changed, and as a result, people talk about music in the fashion of: "I know such a maniac song", "I can remix the original song like this" or "I have a lot of music data". People are pleased by gathering "information on the music" that can be heard only through the speakers.
Tsukuba Music is designed to stir people's attention to notice the fact that "the live musical sound is created from a substance" - which the music once used to be in years past and they have totally forgotten.
Tsukuba Series is played by the movement of motors and / or electromagnets at 100V and makes a sound by physically beating/knocking a substance. It is a challenge to revive a live music sound with the power of machines. Tsukuba was named after Tsukuba City, a technological city in the Ibaragi prefecture in Japan.
Unique and original genres of music have often been born in specialized cities like Liverpool and Motown, the famous industrial cities. Maywa Denki dreams that the next, new type of music will be created and spread worldwide from Tsukuba, the city of the most advanced technology in Japan.
Maywa Denki (JP) was created in 1993 as an art unit of two brothers, Masamichi and Nobumichi Tosa. They started their career as an exclusive art unit belonging to Sony Music Entertainment, and later in 1998 transferred its management agency from SME to Yoshimoto Kogyo Co. Ltd. On Masamichi's retirement on 31st March, 2001, Nobumichi succeeded as the president. Nobumichi Tosa was born in 1967 and holds an MA from the Tsukuba University.