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Japan Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Japan Times
What can Kenji Yanobe's cosmic cats teach us about humanity?
On a placid lake at the Nordic-themed Metsa Village park in Hanno, Saitama Prefecture, a giant inflatable feline in a neon-orange spacesuit lies curled on its own island. A peek inside reveals it's a nesting cat doll of sorts, filled with smaller cats diving, napping or painting classical art. Called 'Ship's Cat Island,' this creation of artist Kenji Yanobe can be accessed only via boat and is part of Hyper Museum Hanno's inaugural exhibition of the same name that runs through Aug. 31. Yanobe has been tackling thorny social issues with various lovable characters since the 1990s, and his spacesuited felines will be familiar to those who have visited the Nakanoshima Museum of Art in Osaka or Tokyo's Ginza Six shopping complex last year. In front of the former, a cat statue stands as if a guardian, while in the mid-air display titled 'Big Cat Bang' in Ginza Six, two space mousers ride through the lofty atrium on a spacecraft modeled after Tower of the Sun, the postwar artist Taro Okamoto's avant-garde monument for Expo '70 in Osaka. The exhibition 'Ship's Cat Island' at Hyper Museum Hanno also includes an island installation of the same name that features a giant inflatable space cat. | Hyper Museum Hanno The spacesuited cats in Yanobe's art are imagined as products of an eruptive event occurring billions of years ago that sent them hurtling through the cosmos, with some of them landing on Earth. | Hyper Museum Hanno Yanobe has long considered Okamoto an aspirational figure , saying in interviews that he considers Tower of the Sun the measure by which he gauges his own works. According to Yanobe's fantastical mythology, his cosmic cats are an update to Okamoto's 'Tree of Life' theory of evolution portrayed with a sculptural installation inside the Tower of the Sun. Yanobe also says that his felines embody Okamoto's maxim 'Art is an explosion' as they are imagined as products of an eruptive event occurring billions of years ago that sent them hurtling through the cosmos. Some of the alien kitties landed on our planet, specifically Hanno's Lake Miyazawa, as explained in the newly detailed fable presented at the exhibition. From there, they preserved life on Earth through five extinction phases until humans emerged, when they began teaching us cave painting and other art fundamentals. That's the story, anyway. As outlandish as it may seem, like all of Yanobe's wild tales, it serves a purpose: to cultivate what he calls the 'grand fantasies' needed to create a future even while humanity threatens its own existence. Ruins of the future Future fantasies are Yanobe's original source of creativity. The Osaka native grew up in the shadow of Expo '70, predecessor of the world fair that is currently being held in the city 55 years later. Having visited the site after its closure, Yanobe describes seeing its deconstructed pavilions as limitless potential for creation and re-creation. 'It was like a time trip to the ruins of the future,' the artist says. 'I realized there that I could create anything.' Yanobe repeatedly returns to the Tower of the Sun in his work, both physically and metaphorically. In 2003, he reenacted a Vietnam War protester's infiltration of the tower during the 1970 expo. Yanobe, wearing an atomic radiation protection suit, scaled the structure in what he called 'a search for another exit to the future,' a daring feat described in the film "Tower of the Sun Hijacking Project: Special Edition" (2007) and also discussed in a documentary screened at the current exhibition. The artist seems to still be looking for this portal — the theme of living in an untenable world riddled with conflict and environmental destruction is deeply rooted in his art. After 2011, Yanobe, whose art warns of disasters, pivoted to more whimsical expression but with the same message. | Hyper Museum Hanno Early in his career, an accident at the Mihama nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture in 1991 started Yanobe down the path of building mecha-like sculptures meant to withstand apocalyptic disaster. 'Yellow Suit' (1991) is a set of lead and steel armor for protection against radiation. Fitted with a Geiger counter, it comes with a matching outfit for a pet dog. 'Survival System Train' (1992-97) is a locomotive unit that can lay its own tracks. Equipped with food, water and oxygen, it is designed as a self-propelling escape device. The culmination of Yanobe's preoccupation with catastrophe was his visit to Chernobyl in Pripyat, Ukraine, in 1997. There he staged a photoshoot documenting himself wandering through the nuclear evacuation zone in an Astro Boy-inspired antiradiation suit — this time created as much for function as symbolism. After returning to Japan, those experiences were embedded in his future artworks. In 1998, he posed for a photo with the Tower of the Sun (still standing in Expo '70 Commemorative Park) in his helmeted Chernobyl costume; he faces the camera with his back to the back of the tower, where a black face representing the past is painted. The image is open to multiple interpretations: perhaps Yanobe is saying with his physical stance that he's looking in the opposite direction, to the future; maybe he's suggesting through the juxtaposition that Okamoto's generation has sent his into exile, toward some brave new world. From survival to revival The Great East Japan Earthquake of March 2011, which saw a triple disaster of earthquakes, tsunami and nuclear plant meltdowns in the Tohoku region, marked an inflection point in Yanobe's career. Disheartened that the warnings of his art had failed to prevent calamity, he decided a new approach was required and shifted his focus 'from survival to revival.' The tone of his works changed as well, from irony-laden grimness to pop-driven cheerfulness. Still, Yanobe insists his message is as serious as ever, it's just the delivery that is different. He says he does not believe that art with a weighty subject necessarily needs to feel heavy. 'If anything, I think that can backfire,' he told The Japan Times at Hyper Museum Hanno last month. 'I want to create accessible works inviting further thought.' Having spent time as a child near the site of the Osaka Expo '70 and playing under Taro Okamoto's Tower of the Sun monument, Kenji Yanobe's work often references Okamoto's work. | Hyper Museum Hanno Collaborations with Japanese lacquer artisans and animators are also on show, and a Roomba-mounted kitty moseys around the room. | Hyper Museum Hanno This stance also seems to be the modus operandi for his current exhibition. Displays include large and small sculptures of the white cat, illustrations (some hand-drawn and others AI-generated), and even an NFT project in which backers can 'return' a Ship's Cat figurine to 'space.' A balloon launch from Oarai Sun Beach in Ibaraki Prefecture is planned for later this summer. Collaborations with Japanese lacquer artisans and animators are also on show, and a roomba-mounted kitty moseys around the room. Outside, a 3-meter-tall Ship's Cat with wings looms sphinxlike in front of the building. 'Ship's Cat Island' also exhibits other characters and their recent iterations. 'Lucky Dragon Concept Maquettes' (2009/24) is a large metal ark alluding to a 1954 incident in which a U.S. hydrogen bomb test near Bikini Atoll hit a Japanese fishing boat with radioactive fallout. Yanobe's ship is filled with several of his self-made icons addressing issues of atomic weaponry and power. Another noteworthy piece is 'Blue Cinema in the Woods' (2006), a set of sculptures featuring Torayan, the character based on a ventriloquist dummy invented and publicly performed by Yanobe's father. Footage of Torayan's adventures plays on a mini theater perched on the back of an aluminum-plated elephant. Anyone curious about the evolution of Yanobian lore and the relationships among his characters should watch the four films about the artist at the exhibition, shown with English subtitles on loop for a total of 120 minutes. Outside Hyper Museum Hanno a 3-meter-tall Ship's Cat with wings looms sphinxlike. | Hyper Museum Hanno There is, however, a nagging contradiction between the message of Yanobe's works –– a stark warning about human-led environmental destruction –– and the questionable sustainability of producing them, many of which are massive metal and plastic objects. NFTs and AI have also generally been criticized for their sizable carbon footprints. 'I think it's about balance,' Yanobe said, explaining that he feels artists with a social conscience do have an obligation to be consistent in how they make their works, but that to truly leave no trace, he would need to abandon his art entirely. 'I want to make work with a broad vision that speaks to but looks beyond its time,' he said. 'I hope its impact will override its imperfections.' 'Ship's Cat Island' runs through Aug. 31 at Hyper Museum Hanno in Hanno, Saitama Prefecture. For more information, visit
See - Sada Elbalad
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- See - Sada Elbalad
IDSC: Cultural Palaces Continue Operations at Full Capacity Across Governorates
Ahmed Emam Egypt's Minister of Culture, Ahmed Fouad Hanno, has firmly denied recent rumors suggesting the closure of cultural palaces, houses of culture, or rented apartments used for community-based cultural activities. In a statement to the Cabinet's Information and Decision Support Center (IDSC), the minister emphasized that no decisions have been made to shut down any cultural establishments that play a genuine role in serving the public. Hanno clarified that the Ministry of Culture remains committed to operating all cultural facilities at full capacity across various regions and governorates, continuing to offer a wide range of cultural and artistic services to the public. 'There will be no closure of cultural palaces or rented spaces that add value and serve as active community hubs,' Hanno said, stressing the government's commitment to preserving and enhancing cultural outreach. He further explained that the ministry is currently conducting a comprehensive evaluation process aimed at reviewing operations, reorganizing work structures, and improving the efficiency of some facilities — both in terms of infrastructure and human resources. He assured that this is still in the planning and coordination phase, and no final decisions have been made. The minister's remarks come amid public concern following media reports alleging the shutdown of several cultural centers, which he described as containing significant inaccuracies. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News Egypt confirms denial of airspace access to US B-52 bombers News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia News Australia Fines Telegram $600,000 Over Terrorism, Child Abuse Content Arts & Culture Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's $4.7M LA Home Burglarized Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Sports Neymar Announced for Brazil's Preliminary List for 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers News Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies Arts & Culture New Archaeological Discovery from 26th Dynasty Uncovered in Karnak Temple Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War Arts & Culture Zahi Hawass: Claims of Columns Beneath the Pyramid of Khafre Are Lies
Al-Ahram Weekly
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Culture ministry issues 50% student discount for museums, theatres - Society
The Ministry of Culture has introduced a 50 percent discount card for students to boost engagement with national museums, art institutions, theatres, the National Circus, and innovation centres. Culture Minister Ahmed Fouad Hanno said the initiative is part of broader efforts to expand cultural access and encourage school and university students to engage with the arts. He noted that the programme seeks to deepen students' aesthetic and intellectual awareness while strengthening their connection to Egyptian national identity. The 'Welcome Students' card will be rolled out in coordination with the Ministries of Education, Higher Education, and Scientific Research. Hanno described the card as the first step in a larger plan to integrate students into Egypt's cultural life, offering them meaningful exposure to artistic experiences and supporting young talent. He also praised the collaboration between educational and cultural bodies in making the initiative possible. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Buzz Feed
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
13 Weird Facts About Popes Throughout History
The new Pope Leo XIV was elected this week, but the title of Pope has been bestowed 267 times over thousands of years, starting with Saint Peter around 30 AD. With a timeline that long, it's no wonder that the Catholic Church and the papacy have a long and storied past. From political intrigue to botched embalmings to corpses on trial, here are 13 of the weirdest facts about popes through history: Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis were both honorary members of the Harlem Globetrotters. They honored the popes for their "extraordinary character and achievement" and "humanitarian efforts," respectively. Both popes even got jerseys. Pope Pius XII requested an "alternative" embalming method, which resulted in him "exploding" while lying in state due to a buildup of gas in his body. The pope passed in October of 1958 and had requested that none of his internal organs be removed as part of the embalming process. He was preserved with resin and oils, but the heat of the papal summer estate caused him to decompose quicker than expected. His body slowly exploded; his nose and fingers fell off, and he reportedly smelled so badly that the Swiss Guards had to be changed out every 15 minutes. Pope Leo X received an elephant from King Manuel I of Portugal in 1513. The elephant's name was Hanno, and the pope liked him so much that he personally wrote a letter to Manuel thanking him. After Hanno died, Pope Leo X commissioned the artist Raphael to create a mural of him, which was unfortunately later destroyed during renovations. Hanno is buried underneath the Vatican courtyard minus his tusks, which were removed and stored elsewhere. After Pope Formosus died in 891, his successor and political enemy, Pope Stephen VI, dug up his corpse and put it on trial. During the event known as the "Cadaver Synod," Formosus was found guilty of being a bishop in two places at once and had the three fingers on his right hand that he used for blessings chopped off. His body was then thrown into the Tiber Stephen VI was overthrown less than a year later by a Roman mob angry about his treatment of Pope Formosus, and Pope Stephen VI's successor, Pope Theodore II, ended up recovering Pope Formosus's body. Pope Theodore II was only pope for 20 days before passing away unexpectedly, and eventually, Pope Formosus was buried in St. Peter's Cathedral under Pope Theodore II's successor, Pope John IX. Pope Benedict XII was elected by accident, during the first round of voting in 1334. The conclave voted for longshot and "throwaway" candidate Cardinal Jacques Fournier while attempting to get an idea of how others were voting, but a majority was inadvertently reached. Once there's a majority, no re-votes can be held — so he officially became Pope Benedict XII. As Pope Innocent VIII lay on his deathbed in 1492, he drank breastmilk from a wet nurse as it was believed that was the only thing he could digest. According to a witness at the time, he also allegedly tried drinking the blood of three young boys, who all died (the pope died as well). Saint Hormisdas and Saint Silverius are the only known legitimate father and son who have both been popes. Hormisdas was married prior to becoming pope, and his marriage produced a son who was later elevated to the position. Hormisdas was pope from 514 until his death in 523 A.D., and Silverius held the title from 536-537 A.D. Silverius was banished by his rival Vigilius, who succeeded him. Pope John Paul II was the victim of an attempted assassination in 1981. He was shot in his hand and abdomen. Two bystanders were also shot. Everyone injured survived the attempt, as did the attacker, Mehmet Ali Ağca. Pope John Paul II forgave Ağca, and later visited him in prison. He also asked that Ağca be pardoned by the Italian government, which happened in 2000 (he was extradited to Turkey to complete a sentence there). The assassination attempt also encouraged the addition of bulletproof glass to the popemobile. Pope Clement VI held the title during the Black Death (the bubonic plague), and in 1349, he consecrated (made sacred) the Rhône River in France so that people's remains could be thrown into it and washed away. Cemeteries had become so full that people needed another way to dispose of infected bodies, and this allowed them to use the river instead of burying the dead. Pope Pius XI was a scholar and avid mountaineer, and even wrote a book on mountain climbing, published in 1923. Prior to his death shortly before the start of WWII, he also wrote protests against Hitler's Third Reich. Pope John Paul I was the last pope to use the sedia gestatoria in 1978, which is a portable throne carried by 12 footmen. (Pope Paul VI, his predecessor, is pictured here using the throne.) The sedia gestatoria was eventually replaced by the popemobile as the Church moved away from a monarchical-style model. The longest-reigning documented pope was Pope Pius IX at 31 years, seven months (1846-1878), and the shortest was Pope Urban VII at only 13 days (September 15, 1590- September 27, 1590). The oldest pope elected was Pope Leo XIII at 81 (1878), and the youngest was Pope Benedict IX, who was elected around age 18 (1032). Pope Pius IX died naturally at the age of 85; Urban VII died of malaria at age 69. Pope Leo XIII (pictured here) remained pope until his death at the age of 93; Pope Benedict IX was actually named pope three times before being expelled from Rome. And finally, Pope Benedict XVI had an organ donor card. After questions arose in 2011, the Catholic Church was forced to issue a statement that becoming pope meant he could no longer donate his organs. Vatican officials said that "after a pope dies, his body belongs to the entire Church and must be buried intact." They also indicated concern that the organs would become relics inside other bodies if he were ever made a saint. Now I have to know: which one of these facts was your favorite? Let us know in the comments.
Egypt Independent
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Egypt Independent
Egypt calls for ethical standards for AI use in arts and culture during India-hosted Global Media Dialogue
Culture Minister Ahmed Fouad Hanno affirmed Egypt's commitment to preserving cultural heritage and protecting it from distortion, as well as promoting cultural justice through the integration of modern technologies. Speaking at the opening of the Global Media Dialogue during the 2025 World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES), which kicked off in Mumbai, India, on May 1, he emphasized that culture and arts are essential tools for realizing development and social justice. The minister called for international cooperation to establish ethical standards for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in culture and arts, ensuring content authenticity and respect for cultural contexts, according to a press release by the Culture Ministry on Friday 2/5/2025. He highlighted the summit's importance in fostering creative partnerships amid rapid technological changes, noting that India's rich cultural heritage makes it an ideal host. He stressed that Egypt's cultural policies prioritize youth empowerment, infrastructure development and the safeguarding of tangible and intangible heritage. Digital transformation, he noted, has democratized content creation, enabling marginalized groups—especially women, youth in remote areas, and cultural minorities—to share their stories globally and enhance cultural diversity. Hanno warned of AI's potential to falsify cultural content and alter collective memory, urging global vigilance and regulatory frameworks. He concluded by praising India's hospitality and the summit's professional organization, calling it a true platform for cultural and technological collaboration. WAVES 2025 is a four-day summit with tagline 'Connecting Creators, Connecting Countries'. It brings together creators, startups, industry leaders, and policymakers from across the world. At WAVES 2025, India is also hosting the Global Media Dialogue (GMD) for the first time, with ministerial participation from 25 countries, marking a milestone in the country's engagement with the global media and entertainment landscape. WAVES 2025 witnesses the participation from over 90 countries, with more than 10,000 delegates, 1,000 creators, 300+ companies, and 350+ startups. The summit will feature 42 plenary sessions, 39 breakout sessions, and 32 master classes spanning diverse sectors including broadcasting, infotainment, films, and digital media.
