MUTEK.JP PRO | Day 1

Exploring Digital Creativity Through Participation, Networks, and Flow

On the first day of the MUTEK.JP Pro Conference, we dive into the evolving landscape of collaborative, networked, and participatory creativity. From Québec’s pioneering digital ecosystem to innovative Japanese studios, Day 1 highlights how artists, researchers, and cultural institutions are shaping the future of digital art through shared systems, physical engagement, and cross-border collaboration. Sessions explore immersive experiences, onchain experimentation, and the fluid intelligence — where technology, society, and artistic practice intersect.

Pro Conference Overview

• Dates: November 20 (Thu) – 21 (Fri), 2025
  

• Venue: Hikarie Hall B, Shibuya Hikarie
  

• Hours: Doors 11:00 / Start 11:30 / Close 17:30
  

• Admission: Free (Advance Registration Required)

Day 1 Registration / Info

Day 1 Program

11:30–12:15 (English) — Québec Digital Creativity: Meet the Industry

Québec’s visionary digital-creativity ecosystem gave rise to the first MUTEK in 2000 and continues to thrive. This session offers a fast-paced overview of the scene where artists, studios, presenters, distributors, and cultural venues collaborate at the forefront of digital creation.

Participants:

• Agence Consors
  

• Après Minuit (Charlie Leroy & Sébastien Samyn)
  

• PHI Studio (Myriam Achard & Rory Seydel)
  

• Scintilla (Charles Stéphane Roy)
  

• Normal Studio (Sébastien Grenier-Cartier)
  

• Museum of Civilization (Coline Niess)
  

• Couzin Films (Camilio Vides Pérez)
  

• paysages studio (Daniel Boisclair)
  

• AFK Break (Charlie Suo & Sora Andrews)
  

• Society for Arts and Technology (Véronique Paradis)
  

• Independent artists (Amélie Barrette & Laurence Wells)
  

Moderators:

• Sandra Felteau, Advisor, Development & International Partnerships, Xn Québec
  

• Alain Mongeau, Founder & Artistic Director, MUTEK Montréal

12:30–13:15 (English) — Participatory Futures: Rethinking Technology Through Physical Experience

This session explores how digital tools translate into embodied, site-aware experiences that encourage audience participation and social connection. Presenters share methods including prototyping with communities, multi-sensory engagement, accessibility, and sustainable public-facing pipelines.

Speakers:

• Normand-Pierre Bilodeau (Producer, Head of Tokyo Office, Moment Factory)
  

• Daniel Boisclair (Co-Founder & Creative Producer, paysages studio)
  

• Mikaël Frascadore (Executive Producer, MUTEK Village Numérique)
  

• Véronique Paradis (Chief Innovation Officer, SAT)

Moderator: Claudine Hubert (MUTEK)

13:30–14:15 (English) — Onchain, Networked, and Intelligent

In 2025, art operates in a hybrid ecosystem: onchain tools are maturing but still imperfect, and physical exhibitions remain vital. Success increasingly depends on coupling digital presence with real-world experiences, as artists navigate authorship, AI collaboration, and networked culture.

Speakers:

• Saeko Ehara (Artist)
  

• Masako Shiba (Art Manager & Curator, New York-based)
  

• John Provencher (Artist, New York-based)
  

Moderator: Benoit Palop

15:30–16:15 (Japanese) — Ghost in the Shell Exhibition: Across All Anime Series

Has the “future” imagined by Ghost in the Shell already arrived? This session introduces initiatives behind the 30th-anniversary exhibition, featuring the “Cyber VISION Experience Ticket,” which allows AR viewing through Major Motoko Kusanagi-inspired glasses for immersive cyberization experiences guided by Tachikoma.

Speakers:

• Isao Kuwana (Mori Building / Creative Director, TOKYO NODE)
  

• Daichi Sasa (Kodansha / Producer, Ghost in the Shell)
  

• Satoshi Sunahara (KDDI / Expert, Business Creation Division)
  

• Shuhei Matsuyama (Enigma Inc.)
  

Exhibition Details:

• Dates: Jan 30 – Apr 5, 2026
  

• Venue: TOKYO NODE Gallery A/B/C
  

• Official Website: [Link]

16:30–17:15 (English) — Special Talk & Q&A: Alva Noto (Carsten Nicolai)

Title: Copy and / against Duplication - Dissolutions in / of / with Xerrox series (2007–2024)

Carsten Nicolai (aka Alva Noto) discusses his Xerrox series, from vol.1 (2007) to vol.5 (2024), exploring fundamental creative acts, duplication, and perception. The session emphasizes the inseparable relationship between artist, work, and audience, providing insight into radical thinking and practical approaches.

Moderator: Eiichi Sawatari (Musician)

L’Effet Québec: An initiative of Xn Québec, in collaboration with MUTEK Montréal, SODEC, the Canada Media Fund, the Québec Government Office in Tokyo, and MUTEK. JP featuring a Québec delegation of studio producers, creators, presenters, distributors, and cultural venues in digital creativity to take part in MUTEK.JP 2025, on the occasion of the event’s 10th anniversary.