Kyoto Digital Archive Project
Preserving our cultural history - the art, architecture and aesthetics of our cities - is one of the most important tasks any generation attends to, especially in an era in which many things feel disposable. The ancient Japanese capital of Kyoto, with a history dating back over 1400 years, has a tremendous wealth of artistic masterpieces that were created originally for temples and shrines. These pieces were once widely viewed and enjoyed, but can no longer be shown publicly, due to deterioration over time. In order to preserve this aesthetic legacy and extend it to the next generation, Kyoto International Culture Foundation has digitally reproduced brilliant sets of fusuma-e (sliding door art) masterpieces. The combination of the cutting edge technology of Digital Archive and the traditional technique would bring cultural treasures of Kyoto, which have been extremely difficult to transport to overseas, to audiences in New York. In New York, the world’s center of art and culture, Onishi Gallery found “Art of Kyoto”. It is a project that would introduce the culture and art of Kyoto and the digital methods describing the process of replicating Japanese works of art renown as cultural treasures of Japan.
head of Kyoto International Culture Foundation, Tatsushi Kani
There are various numbers of amazing traditional cultures and precious important cultural heritages preserved in Kyoto, which we can boast to the world. These assets are what our ancestors have protected wholeheartedly since our history began. It is not too much to say that it is our own responsibility to hand down this globally precious “Kyoto Culture” to posterity. To leave this Kyoto Culture to the posterity, our foundation aims at preserving the cultural properties by utilizing the latest digital technology, introducing them to the world through cultural exchanges, and promoting our mutual understandings. Also, as digitalization will enable us to send out the information worldwide via the Internet, it will open up an opportunity of the new birth of “Kyoto Brand”. Our culture is valuable not because they are old, but I think because any design, sensibility of color, and technical capability are world-class, understood and accepted by the people in the world. In international relations in which sense of values and view of the world are seriously crossed and are against each other, I am immensely convinced that cultural exchanges on the private-sector level is the only way to deepen mutual trust and understandings. I sincerely ask for your understandings for the purpose of this foundation.
There are various numbers of amazing traditional cultures and precious important cultural heritages preserved in Kyoto, which we can boast to the world. These assets are what our ancestors have protected wholeheartedly since our history began. It is not too much to say that it is our own responsibility to hand down this globally precious “Kyoto Culture” to posterity. To leave this Kyoto Culture to the posterity, our foundation aims at preserving the cultural properties by utilizing the latest digital technology, introducing them to the world through cultural exchanges, and promoting our mutual understandings. Also, as digitalization will enable us to send out the information worldwide via the Internet, it will open up an opportunity of the new birth of “Kyoto Brand”. Our culture is valuable not because they are old, but I think because any design, sensibility of color, and technical capability are world-class, understood and accepted by the people in the world. In international relations in which sense of values and view of the world are seriously crossed and are against each other, I am immensely convinced that cultural exchanges on the private-sector level is the only way to deepen mutual trust and understandings. I sincerely ask for your understandings for the purpose of this foundation.
mayor of Kyoto city, Yorikane Masumoto
I believe it is good timing for Kyoto International Culture Foundation to start a new project of digital archive of precious important cultural properties of Kyoto and to promote protection of cultural properties and international cultural exchanges. Kyoto city which was founded in 794 where there was an ancient city Heiankyo is a city of wisdom which not only keeps upholding the old traditions and cultures, but also has free exchanges both domestically and internationally and always has innovative spirits based on the cultures our ancestors built up and creates a new culture. I think it is a clear evidence that new technology and industry are born and brought up in Kyoto by making use of the characteristic of Kyoto that continues creating culture boasting to the world. I also believe that it will be essential activities for this foundation to preserve cultural properties with the latest digital technology, to expand possibilities of traditional handicrafts for their contents and to deepen cultural exchanges by transmission of information to the world from Kyoto in order for the future development of Kyoto. I sincerely wish for continuing prosperity and success of this foundation.
I believe it is good timing for Kyoto International Culture Foundation to start a new project of digital archive of precious important cultural properties of Kyoto and to promote protection of cultural properties and international cultural exchanges. Kyoto city which was founded in 794 where there was an ancient city Heiankyo is a city of wisdom which not only keeps upholding the old traditions and cultures, but also has free exchanges both domestically and internationally and always has innovative spirits based on the cultures our ancestors built up and creates a new culture. I think it is a clear evidence that new technology and industry are born and brought up in Kyoto by making use of the characteristic of Kyoto that continues creating culture boasting to the world. I also believe that it will be essential activities for this foundation to preserve cultural properties with the latest digital technology, to expand possibilities of traditional handicrafts for their contents and to deepen cultural exchanges by transmission of information to the world from Kyoto in order for the future development of Kyoto. I sincerely wish for continuing prosperity and success of this foundation.
521 West 26th Street, New York, NY 10001,U.S.A. © 2006 All rights reserved.