Startbahn Presents "Gravitation", an NFT Exhibition by Jukan Tateisi, Shōei Matsuda, and Takeshi Yasura at SRR Project Space on May 26th, Exploring the Universal Value of Gravity

Startbahn, Inc. (Headquarters: Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director: Taihei Shii, hereinafter Startbahn) is pleased to announce the opening of “Gravitation” from May 26 to June 24, 2023 at SRR Project Space, Shimokitazawa, Tokyo. Jukan Tateisi, Shōei Matsuda, and Takeshi Yasura are three leading next-generation Japanese contemporary artists. “Gravitation” marks the first time they collaborate on a joint NFT project, minted on Startrail, Startbahn’s own blockchain infrastructure.





Starting on May 26th, 2023, SRR Project Space will hold “Gravitation”, a special exhibition presenting a new joint installation by artists Jukan Tateisi, Shōei Matsuda, and Takeshi Yasura. Dealing with the theme of gravity, the exhibition will present both physical and digital works that explore the laws of physics and the nuances of gravitational forces.

“Gravitation” is a remark on our post-pandemic world, in which physical and digital realities are intertwined under a new gravitational pull. With the introduction of digital tools accelerating, amplifying, and flattening physical reality, this exhibition goes back to the universal law of gravity to analyze the new force pulling physical reality to the screen.

The three artists were previously based outside of Japan. Tateisi lived in London, where he completed his MA at the Royal College of Art, while Matsuda pursued his performance and internet-based art practice in Berlin, and Yasura completed his MFA at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. They met after their respective return to Japan following the pandemic.

“Gravitation” is unlike a traditional group exhibition, in which each artist presents their individual works under a common curatorial theme. Rather, the exhibition introduces a new collaborative installation, conceptualized and co-produced by the artists together.

Video works will be presented at SRR Project Space’s window gallery, while an installation with physical works will be on view inside the adjacent main gallery.



Jukan Tateisi, Shōei Matsuda, Takeshi Yasura, Gravitation, 2023. Still, single-channel video. Image courtesy of the artists.


■ Exhibition Outline

[Title] Gravitation
[Artists] Jukan Tateisi, Shōei Matsuda, and Takeshi Yasura
[Dates] May 26 - June 24, 2023
[Venue] SRR Project Space
[Address] 2-22-2-1 Kitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 155-0031
1min walk from Shimokitazawa Station, Odakyu Line, Southwest Exit
2min walk from Shimokitazawa Station, Inokashira Line, West Exit
[Opening hours] Open Saturdays and Sundays only, 13:00 - 19:00
*May 27 - 28 (Sat, Sun): 11:00 - 18:00
[Admission Fee] Free

[Instagram Handles]
Artists: @JukanTateisi @ShoeiMatsuda @Takeshi_Yasura
Venue: @SRRProjectSpace
Organized by: @Startbahn

[Graphic design] Utanosuke Izumiyama

[Press and General Inquiries]
Sophie Mayuko Arni, PR and CEO’s Office, Startbahn Inc.
sophie@startbahn.jp


Notes to editors

■ Artists’ Biographies (in alphabetical order)

Jukan Tateisi (b. 1986, Chicago)
Jukan Tateisi is a visual and sound artist based in London, Tokyo, and Nagano. His practice synthesizes dichotomic boundaries between virtual and real, natural and artificial, production and management, with installations using artificial intelligence, stereophonic sound, video, performance, and the development of food products. Tateisi has also launched art spaces throughout Japan. He is the co-founder of The 5th Floor, a contemporary art venue in Tokyo, as well as TOH and TŌGE Projects, developing food, education, and housing projects based on the concept of a new metabolism of people, nature, and artifacts.

His previous exhibitions include “To The Fog” (KITTE, 2021), “The drowned world anchor“ (SPIRAL HALL, 2019), “Le Jardin Convivial” (Kyoto Botanical Gardens, 2019), “Allscape in a Hall” (Artists’ Fair Kyoto, 2020), for exhibitions, and “Re: Incarnation” (PERROTIN, 2021), “Kotobaodoru” (NHK, 2019), “Voyage in Sound” (AirBnB, 2017).

He graduated with a Master of Arts from the Royal College of Art (UK) in 2020, with a Distinction for his thesis: “It can sing; it can compose; it can shoot”. He was also selected as part of “New Contemporaries 2021” and was awarded the Set Design of the Year “FRAME AWARD 2021” (with ULTRA STUDIO).

Shōei Matsuda (b.1986, Japan)
Shōei Matsuda began his career in social media in 2010, garnering attention as an anonymous artist who has a significant impact on the masses and society. His events, instructions, and performances, which he creates collaboratively with people, are highly regarded as a practice that questions the subjectivity and authorship of the post-social media era and creates new communities by directly intervening in cities and society.

Since 2020, he has started using his real name and has been attempting to update people's perceptions through conceptual and poetic practices on celebrities, economies, and landscapes in the network era, utilizing various media such as installations, sculptures, prints, and videos. ​

Some of his notable solo exhibitions include "The Store" at Shibuya PARCO, Tokyo, "Extreme Conceptual" at Eukaryote, Tokyo, and "Magic Number" at TOH, Tokyo. Shōei has also participated in group exhibitions such as "It knows: When Forms Become Mind" at the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa, Ishikawa, and "ATAMI ART GRANT" at Hotel ACAO in Shizuoka.

In 2016, Shōei received the Prix Ars Electronica Awards of Distinction and was selected for the ISEA Hong Kong. He has also published works such as "A Field Guide to the Snowden Files" in Germany and "Cyberarts 2016" in Austria. Shōei's work explores a wide range of themes and mediums, from contemporary art to technology and media. His work has been exhibited both in Japan and internationally, including in Austria, Germany, Hong Kong, and the Czech Republic.

Takeshi Yasura
Takeshi Yasura is a visual and sound artist based in France and in Japan. His artistic practice derives from the perception of technology, living and non-living things, and human beings on a horizontal rather than vertical axis, acknowledging existence as existence.

His exhibitions include “Material Differentiation” (N&A Art Site, Japan 2022), “We didnʼt know they stacked shit that high” (Gallery TOH, Japan 2022), “Ghostliness” (STUDIO Ghost, Japan 2022), “Le 65e Salon de Montrouge” (Paris, France 2021), “AAIC2020” (Museum of Fine Arts, Japan, 2020), “Jeune Création 69” (Fondation Fiminco, Romainville, France 2019), “Espace de Réflexion” (SPIRAL, Japan 2019).

Yasura graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts in 2018 with a Master of Fine Arts in Sculpture, and an additional Master of Fine Arts from the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in 2020.

■ About SRR Project Space

SRR Project Space is an exhibition space operated by Startbahn, opened in May 2022, and is located at the heart of Shimokitazawa, Tokyo. “SRR Project Space" derives its name from an abbreviation of Startbahn’s NFT "Startrail Registry Record (SRR)” and "Shimokitazawa Rail Road (SRR)", a new urban community part of NANSEI PLUS, developed by Odakyu Electric Railways.

Located on the Shimokitazawa Line Road Street, SRR Project Space is a place of exploration, learning, and development that further promotes the role of art, creativity, and technology in sustainable urban development. It also acts as a bridge between Shimokitazawa's thriving culture and the international art scene, connecting society with new technological trends such as NFTs and inviting artists from outside Japan to exhibit in Tokyo. A window to the world, SRR Project Space is a space for technological innovation and community engagement.

Instagram: @SRRProjectSpace


■ About Startbahn

Startbahn is a leading Japanese art tech company aiming to enrich society by providing the technology needed
by artists and all those involved in the art industry. Startbahn operates Startrail, a sustainable and scalable
blockchain infrastructure that assures the reliability, authenticity, and traceability of works.

For more information, visit: https://startbahn.io/


■ About Startrail

Startrail is a sustainable and scalable blockchain infrastructure that assures the reliability, authenticity, and
traceability of artworks—from physical works such as paintings, sculptures, and installations, to digital works
based on data such as images, video, and audio. Providing seamless management of terms & conditions for
secondary distribution and other permissions, Startrail can serve as a collection management tool, and due to the
nature of blockchain, recorded information cannot be deleted, tampered with, or duplicated. To ensure easy
access to Startrail, Startbahn provides a suite of products, including a web application, APIs, and NFC tags for
physical objects. Startrail is currently in use by major galleries, e-commerce platforms, art fairs, collectors, artists,
and foundations.

For more information, visit: https://startrail.io/