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Taihei Shii, Founder and CEO of Startbahn, the company building Startrail, a blockchain infrastructure for creative industries, will publish a new book entitled "A New Form of Art: What Does NFT Art Change?" on Tuesday, September 20, 2022 with Heibonsha. Using the affinity between NFTs and art as a springboard, the book takes a deep look at the intrinsic value of art and its relationship to provenance and catalogue information. It also includes a discussion with Toyotaka Sakai, professor at Keio University, Junya Yamamine, curator and co-representative at Tokyo Art Acceleration, and Toru Takeda, professor at Senshu University, on the themes of contemporary art, society, economics, and media.
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![heibonsha-book](//images.ctfassets.net/oj6q4dp9lpx9/12GtXifs22LNNIrbpP3FLt/07f35c8b95554695f38cdc094c82a954/heibonsha-book.png)
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__■ Contents__
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Introduction
Chapter 1: Are NFTs the "Last Punch" of the Information Revolution?
Chapter 2: What is Art in the First Place?
Chapter 3: The "Present Place" of NFT Art
Chapter 4: NFTs as Infrastructure for Creating the Future
［Special Talk] Archives and Champagne - Toyotaka Sakai × Taihei Shihei
［Special Talk] Adding Cultural and Social Value -  Junya Yamamine × Taihei Shii
［Special Talk] Incentives for Adventurers - Toru Takeda × Taihei Shii
Conclusion
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__■ Book Information__
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[ Title ] A New Form of Art: What Does NFT Art Change? (Original title in Japanese: 新しいアートのかたち　NFTアートは何を変えるか)
[ Publisher ] Heibonsha
[ Release Date ] September 20, 2022
[ Price ] 1,056 yen (tax included)
[ ISBN-13 ] 978-4582860122
[ Author ] Taihei Shii
[ Author's Profile ] Born in 1977, Taihei Shii is a contemporary artist and entrepreneur. In 2014, while still a graduate student at the University of Tokyo, he founded Startbahn, a company that provides infrastructure to ensure the reliability of artworks and support the transmission of their value. The core of his business, "Startrail," received a grant from the Ethereum Foundation in recognition of its benefit to the public good. He has been a visiting researcher at the University of Tokyo's Institute of Industrial Science and a member of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's Study Group on Art and Economic Society.
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▼ Pre-orders and purchases of the book can be made here on Amazon
[https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/4582860125/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_3R7633AJG9MPSJ6PWHZX](https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/4582860125/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_3R7633AJG9MPSJ6PWHZX)
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__■ About Startbahn__
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Startbahn is a leading Japanese art company aiming to enrich society by providing blockchain technology to empower artists and the greater creative industry. Startbahn operates Startrail, a sustainable and scalable blockchain infrastructure that assures the reliability, authenticity, and traceability of artworks, including NFTs. Statbahn’s clients include notable auction houses, artists, galleries, private collectors, and IP content holders, amongst others.
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[https://startbahn.io](https://startbahn.io)
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__About Startrail__
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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, ecommerce platforms, art fairs, collectors, artists, and foundations.
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[https://startrail.io/](https://startrail.io/)


heibonsha-book

The first book by Taihei Shii, CEO of Startbahn,  "A New Form of Art: What Does NFT Art Change?"  will be published  on Tuesday, September 20, 2022

![image](//images.ctfassets.net/oj6q4dp9lpx9/IQ8NTiH1vvoPsvjwySpHk/7dc1107756896c96d2d3444dd3c0dc6f/image.png)
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Startbahn is a leading Japanese art tech company that operates Startrail, a sustainable and scalable blockchain infrastructure that assures the reliability, authenticity, and traceability of works. In 2021, Startbahn announced a strategic partnership with SBINFT to expand their NFT business and empower artists alike.
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We are pleased to announce that Startrail Registry Record (SRR), NFTs on Startrail, issuers can now sell their work on SBINFT Market, unlocking a new sales distribution channel for issuers via fixed price and auction sales. 
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This feature update highlight’s Startrail approach to interoperability where the SRR’s terms and conditions of the artwork and the royalty can be scaled across different platforms and marketplaces. Royalties will now be automatically distributed at secondary distribution on SBINFT Market according to the royalty terms that were set at the time the work’s SRR was issued. Along with this latest royalty integration with SBINFT Market, Startrail is always seeking ways to increase interoperability with the greater ecosystem.
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__■ About Startbahn, Inc. and Startrail__
Startbahn is a leading Japanese art tech company aiming to enrich society by providing the technology needed by artists and those involved in art and creative industries around the world. Startbahn operates Startrail, 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, ecommerce platforms, art fairs, collectors, artists, and foundations.
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[https://startbahn.io](https://startbahn.io)
[https://startrail.io/](https://startrail.io/)
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__■ About SBINFT Co.,Ltd and SBINFT Market__
SBINFT Co.,Ltd, which operates a public chain-based NFT marketplace, aims to create a DAO (de-centralized authority) ecosystem and to create new businesses that will lead Web 3.0, beyond the business model centered on the NFT marketplace. SBINFT is also working to utilize advanced technologies such as blockchain and strengthen collaboration with external partners.
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[https://sbinft.co.jp/](https://sbinft.co.jp/)
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SBINFT Market is an NFT trading platform service that allows users to sell (primary sales) NFTs created by authorized content holders, NFT sellers, and individual crypto-artists, and to trade (secondary sales) NFTs held by other users. SBINFT Market is operated by SBINFT Co.,Ltd.
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SBINFT Market：[https://sbinft.market/](https://sbinft.market/)


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Startrail Further Integrates with  SBINFT Market -  Artists to Receive Royalties from Secondary Distribution 

__Keisuke Ota, Executive Officer at Startbahn, will be speaking at Interop Tokyo Conference 2022 both at Makuhari Messe and via online. Keisuke will join a panel session titled “NFT and DeFi: Myths and Reality” on June 15th.__
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![interop](//images.ctfassets.net/oj6q4dp9lpx9/3DaYiH47HWkcYXjjJAWXQn/9c5c277e39fdfcd26316c1298257a5d5/interop.png)
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__■ About Interop Tokyo__
Interop Tokyo is Japan’s premiere internet and technology conference. Since 1994, hundreds of companies and organizations from Japan and abroad have participated in the event every year, providing information on technology trends and business applications through on-site demonstrations and seminars. Interop Tokyo has been a part of the history of the Internet and technological innovation in Japan, and visitors to Interop Tokyo can get a first-hand look at the trends in the Internet field.
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__■ Details of the session “NFT and DeFi: The Myths and the Reality”__
Date: Wednesday, June 15, 2022, 10:30-11:50 
Place: Makuhari Messe International Conference Hall
(Registration required and charged)
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Discussion points:
What are NFT and DeFi and what can they do for us?
Technologies supporting NFT and DeFi
Challenges that have become apparent as NFT and DeFi have interacted with society
How can these challenges be overcome technologically and in terms of policy?
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__■ More details / Sign up here (in Japanese):__
[https://f2ff.jp/conf/2022/06
](https://f2ff.jp/conf/2022/06)

interop

Keisuke Ota, Executive Officer at Startbahn, will be speaking at Interop Tokyo Conference 2022.

![kaiyodo-1](//images.ctfassets.net/oj6q4dp9lpx9/3M0Oun8QzIrSvGWv3SnN2i/fdea64a10eafd0c44e2d448202a7b6a4/kaiyodo-1.png)
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Startbahn, Inc., and KAIYODO Co.,Ltd. have partnered to promote digital projects and community revitalization through the use of NFT.__
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As a first step, SBINFT will support the first NFT project announced by KAIYODO at the opening sale of SBINFT Market, released on March 17, 2022 by SBINFT Co.,Ltd.
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__■ About the First Lineup__
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As of 2022, KAIYODO has developed a wide variety of figurines, including animal figurines, artworks by Japanese and international artists, a selection of contemporary and classical art, Buddhist statues, as well as anime and manga characters.
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Now, as a newly created "receptacle for figurative subjects," KAIYODO is entering the field of NFT to offer figurative expression to users in a new realm. We are proud to present the first five pieces from the first lineup of the "Japanese Animals Collection," which gave birth to the figure movement in Japan, and which then gained tremendous popularity when it was first sold in 1999.
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[https://kaiyodo.co.jp/nft/](https://kaiyodo.co.jp/nft/)
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SBI NFT Market KAIYODO page
[https://sbinft.market/partners/KYD](https://sbinft.market/partners/KYD)
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__■ About Startbahn__
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Startbahn is a leading Japanese art tech company providing blockchain infrastructure to empower stakeholders across the entire art market spectrum. Startbahn operates Startrail, a sustainable and scalable blockchain infrastructure that assures the reliability, authenticity, and traceability of artworks, including NFTs. Statbahn’s clients include notable auction houses, artists, galleries, private collectors, and content holders, amongst others. 
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[https://startbahn.jp/en/](https://startbahn.jp/en/)
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__■ About Startrail__
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Startrail is a sustainable and scalable blockchain infrastructure that assures the reliability, authenticity, and traceability of artworks, including NFTs. Startrail has a strong focus on the art ecosystem and a long-term perspective to protect and increase artworks’ value. Startrail maintains and assures the value of artworks by permanently recording provenance as well as auction and exhibition history. Artists can also set terms for their issued artworks, including royalty rights, that may be triggered after their primary sale.
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[https://startrail.io/en/](https://startrail.io/en/)
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__■ About KAIYODO__
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Founded in 1964. Starting with garage kits, the company has produced items for the general market such as action figures and Shokugan, as well as official figures for museums, zoos, and aquariums in Japan and overseas, including the British Museum in England. KAIYODO is involved in many other projects, such as collaboration with major newspaper companies. 
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[https://kaiyodo.co.jp/](https://kaiyodo.co.jp/)
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__■ SBINFT Market__
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SBINFT Market is a marketplace for NFT minting, sales, and secondary distribution, through a public chain developed and operated by SBINFT Co.,Ltd. Authorized artists and affiliated content providers can sell NFT such as digital art, music, photographs, game characters, and tickets. The general public can also purchase these NFTs and conduct transactions between individuals through the secondary distribution function. Payment methods include crypto assets (Ethereum and Polygon) and credit card payments.
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[https://sbinft.market/](https://sbinft.market/)

kaiyodo-1

Startbahn and KAIYODO Partner To Promote Digital Projects Using NFT — KAIYODO’s First NFT Project Will Be On SBINFT Market

__Startbahn, Inc.’s partner, SBINFT Co.,Ltd., releases a new service named SBINFT Market on March 17, 2022. On SBINFT Market, NFTs can be issued to manage their sales, both primary and secondary.__
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![Screen Shot 2022-03-02 at 12.58.20](//images.ctfassets.net/oj6q4dp9lpx9/7tiiel2TKzZERzz6lti9iQ/6aec88ef9a54e3c40f1a6ba132022de0/Screen_Shot_2022-03-02_at_12.58.20.png)
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SBINFT Market is a rebranded and expanded version of nanakusa, the first NFT Marketplace in Japan. This release reflects Startbahn and SBINFT’s vision to expand and popularize the SBINFT Market and to promote the implementation of Startrail. Startbahn and SBINFT have partnered in September 2021, and will continue to develop the automatization of secondary distribution management and payment of royalty fees for creative works to be traded on the new platform.
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__■ About Startbahn__
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Startbahn is a leading Japanese art tech company providing blockchain infrastructure to empower stakeholders across the entire art market spectrum. Startbahn operates Startrail, a sustainable and scalable blockchain infrastructure that assures the reliability, authenticity, and traceability of artworks, including NFTs. Statbahn’s clients include notable auction houses, artists, galleries, private collectors, and content holders, amongst others. 
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[https://startbahn.jp/en/](https://startbahn.jp/en/)
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__■ About Startrail__
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Startrail is a sustainable and scalable blockchain infrastructure that assures the reliability, authenticity, and traceability of artworks, including NFTs. Startrail has a strong focus on the art ecosystem and a long-term perspective to protect and increase artworks’ value. Startrail maintains and assures the value of artworks by permanently recording provenance as well as auction and exhibition history. Artists can also set terms for their issued artworks, including royalty rights, that may be triggered after their primary sale.
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[https://startrail.io/en/](https://startrail.io/en/)
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__■ About SBINFT__
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SBINFT Co.,Ltd  is an SBI Group company that operates the NFT marketplace "nanakusa" (‘SBINFT Market’ since March 17). Through the NFT marketplace, SBINFT provides a variety of content based on the latest technologies such as blockchain and virtual space, as well as comprehensive services related to the NFT business such as community building, technical support, and consulting for sales strategy planning.
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[https://sbinft.co.jp/](https://sbinft.co.jp/)

Screen Shot 2022-03-02 at 12.58.20

Startbahn's Partner, SBINFT, Launches SBINFT Market, A New NFT Marketplace 

__Startbahn, Inc. (hereinafter Startbahn) is thrilled to release the English version of the white paper for Startrail, a sustainable and indispensable infrastructure supporting the development of the fine arts ecosystem by furthering its trust and credibility.__
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![200313 WP-EN PDF1.0 ページ 01-1-1358x1920](//images.ctfassets.net/oj6q4dp9lpx9/48DzMovD2hAofLhESMF3Vd/37e5a33b6d5ca981ca03d0d8b54437a0/200313_WP-EN_PDF1.0___________01-1-1358x1920.jpg)
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Startrail is an open infrastructure for the distribution and evaluation of artworks. Its design and governance structure that focuses on its social implementation and public nature is specifically designed not to undermine the credibility and value-creating processes that the art industry has built up over the course of history. 
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The Japanese version of the white paper for Startrail was released in October 2019 to promote a deeper understanding of Startrail to potential users by disclosing details of its design and governance structure. With today’s release of its English version, we hope to reach a larger audience for its further understanding and use by artists and those involved in the art business globally. 
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Download the white paper (English and Japanese) here:
[https://startrail.io/](https://startrail.io/)
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__◾️ About Startrail__
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Startrail is an infrastructure supporting the development of the fine arts ecosystem by furthering its trust and credibility with blockchain technology. By issuing Startrail Blockchain Certificate that records artwork information, an issuer can manage the distribution of the artwork such as recording its provenance across all stakeholders involved in the distribution. Startrail also enables artists to automatically execute their own rulesets regarding the distribution and usage of their work as well as the royalty-type revenue on the secondary distribution by every transaction. 
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The blockchain project was first announced in July 2018 and has improved significantly in a year of the demonstration period. After taking constructive and valuable feedbacks from partner businesses in the art industry, we proudly released its white paper in October 2019. Then, we renamed this infrastructure from “Art Blockchain Network” to “Startrail” in March 2020 and plan to further expand our business. 
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To ensure its independence and fairness, Startrail will be operated by “The Startrail Consortium,” a voluntary organization led by Startbahn. In the future, we plan for this consortium to be jointly led by multiple experts, companies, and organizations.
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__◾️ Overview of Startbahn__
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Startbahn is a company that aims to realize a richer society by providing the technology needed by artists and people involved in art all over the world. We are promoting the development of Startrail, a blockchain infrastructure for art distribution and evaluation. After its test net release in October 2018, we have received a variety of valuable feedbacks on Startrail from our partner businesses in the art industry and released its white paper in October 2019. We are planning Startrail mainnet release later on.
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[https://startbahn.jp](https://startbahn.jp)
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__For Inquiries About This Release__
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Startbahn, Inc.
PR Officer: Risa Mizuno
Email address: pr@startbahn.jp


200313 WP-EN PDF1.0 ページ 01-1-1358x1920

Startbahn Releases a White Paper for Startrail, a New Infrastructure for the Entire Art Ecosystem

Startbahn Cert. will be introduced at an exhibition "Power of one painting" held online and at PROJECT 501, on April 30 - May 31, 2020. The Blockchain Certificate with an IC tag will be issued to about 20 works in the exhibition.
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The Blockchain Certificate will record information about the work and its terms of use. The artwork owner can view the information at any time by reading the IC Tag attached to the artwork with a smartphone or other devices.
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__Below are the details of the exhibition.__
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![power-painting 2020logo v2-1920x596](//images.ctfassets.net/oj6q4dp9lpx9/4XJBPHmHStyRTsOwNW6d0I/ea73ce51e165ab1f344e491da3039ba9/power-painting_2020logo_v2-1920x596.jpg)
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__Feel the "Power of one painting" that never fades__
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An exhibition that starts online
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__∈Y∋ / Kiichiro Adachi / ARIKA / Everyday Holiday Squad / Maki Ohkojima
Kasetsu / Akira Kamo / Keeenue / Takuro Tamayama / DIEGO / Kosuke Nagata
Sakurako Hamaguchi / BIRDMAN / BIEN / Naoya Hirata / Rintaro Fuse__
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__The exhibition "Power of one Painting" will start online from April 30 with the art e-commerce "OIL by Bijutsu Techo" . The actual exhibition will be held at PROJECT 501 from May 20th (Wed) to May 31st (Sun). (Reservation required.) A part of the exhibition proceeds will be donated to artists working diligently to express themselves despite this situation and those suffering from the new coronavirus's effects with support from the Eastern Culture Foundation.__
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Many have been spending more time at home than usual due to the new corona virus's spread. We would like to sincerely thank those of you who are still working under these circumstances.
We have wondered if there is any way to convey the unchangeable power of expression even in these difficult times; That is why we have started a project called " Power of one painting."
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The "Power of one painting" will be exhibited online on OIL by Bijutsu Techo.
We will donate the proceeds from the exhibition to artists sincerely working on their art and those suffering from the new coronavirus effects.
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The work price is mostly 130,000 yen, of which 100,000 yen will be used to return the money to the artists and cover the system management costs, and 30,000 yen for donations. Donations above 30,000 yen are also welcome and are up to the customers' choice. "Eastern Culture Foundation" will support those affected by the new coronavirus with those donations (*).
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We let it sink in that there have been predecessors who kept painting during the Great Depression and war. Even today, artists are working quietly in their studios and diligently working on their paintings. What we have always done was to bring people together with their artworks; this is what we must do now as well.
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With the help of Dr. Yuki Wasano, an otolaryngologist himself, we will be exhibiting at PROJECT 501 and will also be presenting works in 3D archive and video. (Scheduled for May 20-31)
[http://project501.tokyo](http://project501.tokyo)
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If you like what you see on the web, you will receive your work in a short time. With an artwork, we are encouraged by reflecting on people around us. We are looking forward to seeing it arrive at your home.
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![sub1](//images.ctfassets.net/oj6q4dp9lpx9/5CFuYWiVfHDBSwDq9OPMee/7c2f29119d39f39e1ffddccc19bb9483/sub1.png)
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*Eastern Culture Foundation: founded by Yoshitoshi Nakano, former president of Terada Soko, after receiving the Mont Blanc International Cultural Award (2018). It aims to establish a conflict-free Eastern cultural area by creating a borderless creative network and providing cultural support across regions and borders in Tokyo and Asia. They support Startbahn Cert., Blockchain Certificate issuing service with IC tags for art and plan to offer it in this exhibition.
[https://www.m-ecf.com/en/news/20200325/](https://www.m-ecf.com/en/news/20200325/)
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Power of one painting
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■Where: OIL by Bijutsu Techo(ONLINE) / PROJECT 501 (501 Villa Bianca, 2-33-12 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001, Japan)
■Artists: ∈Y∋ / Kiichiro Adachi / ARIKA / Everyday Holiday Squad / Maki Ohkojima
Kasetsu / Kamo Akira / Keeenue / Takuro Tamayama / DIEGO / Kosuke Nagata
Sakurako Hamaguchi / BIRDMAN / BIEN / Naoya Hirata / Rintaro Fuse
■When: 2020. 04.30 - 05.31 (ONLINE)| 05.20 - 05.30 (PROJECT 501)
■Opening Hours: Always open online | PROJECT 501 takes an Appointment System (TEL 03-6874-3273)
■URL: [https://oil.bijutsutecho.com](https://oil.bijutsutecho.com) | [http://project501.tokyo](http://project501.tokyo)
■Planning: HARUKAITO by island (island JAPAN Inc.)
■Cooperation: Eastern Culture Foundation
■Images and captions:  Download from the link here: [https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1UXTRwukeo9OPWYyXTSb4KNvrK16Xz6pA?usp=sharing](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1UXTRwukeo9OPWYyXTSb4KNvrK16Xz6pA?usp=sharing)
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"Power of one painting" originated at "Art Action 3331" in 2011, the year of the Great East Japan Earthquake. With the hope that a painting has ever-lasting power, we donated money to an art NPO AID, through a donation box placed on the exhibition. We did the same thing on NADiff's 7th anniversary; at that time, we exhibited some of the paintings at the HiyoriArt Center in Ishinomaki and held a "Picture Parade" where we walked the streets with the paintings. And in 2017, it was held at BLOCK HOUSE, with the theme of art's role in the changing media environment.
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![sub2-1631x1920](//images.ctfassets.net/oj6q4dp9lpx9/7mdP07l8fWveazGlH7DdMh/be7661145ad953afe9158d5fdd970f32/sub2-1631x1920.jpg)
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Kiichiro Adachi
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![sub3](//images.ctfassets.net/oj6q4dp9lpx9/18CcWfrtpcpYyVVSCI3lsy/05a2fc0a02bbee95b1f838916a1efb70/sub3.jpg)
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Maki Ohkojima 
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![sub4](//images.ctfassets.net/oj6q4dp9lpx9/3mKFQ2HIRCv0QlMwa39sE5/d078ef79e49bae48710243c63e362026/sub4.jpg)
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BIEN 
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![sub5](//images.ctfassets.net/oj6q4dp9lpx9/2m1DEwHeTGBfR2D6XNhCpU/ee685284a30911777c583a7c166bf912/sub5.jpg)
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BIRDMAN
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![sub7](//images.ctfassets.net/oj6q4dp9lpx9/5fa8SVx4AmAUtrtCHUCESF/4dcccb429b56ebe417ec2508d9afe8fc/sub7.jpg)
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Naohiro Hirata 
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▼ Learn more about Startbahn Cert.
[https://startbahn.jp/en/press-startbahncert-20200325/](https://startbahn.jp/en/press-startbahncert-20200325/)

power-painting 2020logo v2-1920x596

Startbahn Cert. Is Introduced At An Exhibition “Power of one painting” Hosted by island JAPAN.

__Startbahn, Inc. (hereinafter Startbahn) officially announces a logo design of its own service, “Startbahn Cert.”. We have also included this logo design in an “Artwork Management Tag with an IC chip (hereinafter IC Tag)” and decided its Original design.__ 
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__Startbahn Cert. is a service that allows certificate-issuing organizations to issue both Startrail Registry Record (hereinafter SRR)* and an IC Tag. With this design update, we aim to expand our business to a larger audience.__
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__■ Logo Design__
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In this logo design, we try to show our objective of this service, “The value of artworks ‘constantly changing throughout their history’ on Startrail is secured by the trustable User Interface (UI) of Startbahn Cert.”
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![2020-05-26 17.52.36](//images.ctfassets.net/oj6q4dp9lpx9/76qfFjqfjh7C3lCSQZVD0c/9e3f2897b2fde78bec016d5aea6e7c8a/2020-05-26_17.52.36.png)
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Artworks do not only show their aesthetic value but also include stories in time such as future transitions of their owners and their potential value increase. These stories of transition are accurately recorded on Startrail, blockchain network for art distribution. Then, this service, “Startbahn Cert.,” functions as a UI to access the stories. The logo design of Startbahn Cert. that is created with a combination of the circle and the square demonstrates “relationship between network and interface.” As a logo color, we have adopted black based on navy blue that is a symbol of credibility. 
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__■ IC Tag Original Design__
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Artwork owners can view information recorded on SRR by scanning an IC Tag attached to the artwork with their smart devices. We provide two types of IC Tags, stickers or cards, to be attached accordingly to the shape and material of the artwork. We have updated an original design for this IC Tag by including the official service logo.
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![アセット-1-1920x593-2](//images.ctfassets.net/oj6q4dp9lpx9/6Q6x2ySxTqrWpu9zzofTUH/8569a0fab2b1b96355595b77dfeddc6c/____________-1-1920x593-2.png)
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Original Design for IC Tag Card (Left: Front; Right: Back) 
*The design and texts on the back are subject to change
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![CERTシール0514 数字タグ](//images.ctfassets.net/oj6q4dp9lpx9/5bsjPeXMLz6IcwYIRY270l/65ef069f9885a1fa3dba383e3e27e559/CERT_________0514_____________.jpg)
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Orginal Design for IC Tag Sticker 
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A serial number of the IC Tag is written inside the square on the left side of the sticker and at the bottom left of the card. You can easily distinguish different IC Tags and recognize which artwork each tag should be attached to. We have designed the IC Tag in this way for everyone to manage it easily so that no one makes a mistake of attaching a wrong sticker or card.
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![CERTシール0514-1-1920x1260](//images.ctfassets.net/oj6q4dp9lpx9/20CjR2uXAVRk5GMhgbfwUf/f2a923194df5ae80f2cccb89fd555ae1/CERT_________0514-1-1920x1260.jpg)
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Image: When you attach an IC Tag Sticker on the Back of Artwork
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You are more than welcome to use an IC Tag with an original design shown above, but you can also customize it  inserting an issuer’s name or logo. Any kind of art-related organizations such as galleries, art schools, and organizations which issue artwork certificates can provide customized IC Tags of their own brand.
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We are already open for business. So, if you are interested in the IC Tag, please contact us by filling out the inquiry form on the Startbahn Cert. website ([https://cert.startbahn.io](https://cert.startbahn.io)).
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__■ About Startbahn Cert.__
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Startbahn Cert. is a service that allows certificate-issuing organizations to issue and manage "Startrail Registry Record” for artworks and an IC Tag linked to information on the record. IC Tags are available in two types: stickers and cards. An artwork owner can view his/her artwork’s SRR information by scanning the IC Tag with his/her smart devices. Organizations involved in the distribution of artworks can issue and transfer SRR through the online interface. 
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Startbahn Cert. has been developed based on Startrail, a blockchain platform for managing the custody of artworks and their circulation. With Startbahn Cert., it is now undemanding to match the provenance information on blockchain to the real status of the artwork since users can manage both information of the SRR on Startrail and an artwork itself linked by an IC Tag attached to the artwork.
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▼ Details about Startbahn Cert. 
[https://cert.startbahn.io](https://cert.startbahn.io)
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__*About Startrail and Startrail Registry Record (SRR)__
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Startrail is an infrastructure supporting the development of the fine arts ecosystem by furthering its trust and credibility with blockchain technology. 
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Issuing a SRR, we can record a variety of information on blockchain such as the basic information of the artist and artwork, its history, and a ruleset about its distribution and use. Not only can we use the SRR as an alternative to current paper-based artwork certificates and sales certificates, but also we can guarantee authenticity of artwork by utilizing trustable blockchain technology with its near tamper-proofness and high transparency. In addition, it will be easier to manage distribution of artworks because an artwork history and its ruleset including royalty-type revenue is automatically executed every time a transaction is made.
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Startrail will be run by “Startrail Consortium,” an organization led by Startbahn, to maintain independence and fairness of its public platform. In the future, we plan for this consortium to be jointly led by multiple experts, companies, and organizations.
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▼ Details about Startrail
[https://startrail.io](https://startrail.io)
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__◾️ For Inquiries about This Release__
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Startbahn, Inc.
PR Officer: Risa Mizuno
Inquiry URL: [https://cert.startbahn.io](https://cert.startbahn.io)
Email address: pr@startbahn.jp


2020-05-26 17.52.36

Startbahn Officially Decided a Service Logo and an Original Design for an IC Tag of “Startbahn Cert.”: Blockchain Registry Record Issuing Service with IC Tags for Artworks.

Startbahn would like to express our sincere sympathy to those who have been affected by COVID-19 and their families and hope their speedy recovery. Things seem to gradually return to normal in Japan as Tokyo has recently lifted the state of emergency; however, please take care of yourselves regardless during this difficult time. 
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To protect our colleagues and their families, all employees at Startbahn have worked from home since Tokyo’s declaration of the state of emergency on April 7th. On May 14th, we have conducted a survey asking employees for their opinions on the working style after the state of emergency is lifted. According to this survey, nearly half of them expressed, “It is not necessary to go to the office.” Furthermore, no one answered, “They wanted to go to the office every day.” 
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We were fully operational and able to maintain our productivity without facing any serious difficulties caused by remote working. Given that, we have decided to continue encouraging employees to work remotely from June onward to respect our employees’ voices.
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Startbahn is taking new initiatives as follows to improve the working environment for our employees.
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__■ Cutting Office Space__
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Our company currently has two locations: the head office and the annex. In light of the fact that productivity did not decline during the work-from-home period, we have decided to close the annex office. Reduced costs will be used to update the benefits program explained below. The head office will remain at the University of Tokyo's South Research Building and will continue to function for administrative purposes and minimal meetings that require in-person connectivity. 
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__■ Improving Benefits Program__
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We have updated our benefits program to maintain a comfortable and productive working environment at home for each employee. From May, all employees have been provided an allowance to improve their working environment at home. In addition, we have lent office equipment such as monitors and office chairs that sat in our office for employees if necessary.
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__■ Steps to Maintain Well-being__
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We take it seriously that a new working environment may cause unexpected inconvenience and stress. In order to maintain employees’ mental health and improve their motivations, we are creating an environment where employees can care about each other while they can reach out for casual conversations. Not only do we promote “Remote Nomikai (online dinner chat),” but we are also holding a weekly “Online Coffee Break” on Fridays, where all members of the company can join and relax.
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Due to the continuation of the remote working, we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, and appreciate your understanding in this regard.
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__■ For Inquiries About This Release__
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Startbahn, Inc.
PR Officer: Risa Mizuno
Email address: pr(at)startbahn.jp

Startbahn Continues to Encourage Employees to Work Remotely After the State of Emergency Is Lifted

__Startbahn, Inc. (hereinafter Startbahn) is excited to release the Simplified Chinese version of the white paper for Startrail, a sustainable and indispensable infrastructure supporting the development of the fine arts ecosystem by furthering its trust and credibility.__
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![アセット-3-1-1920x1320](//images.ctfassets.net/oj6q4dp9lpx9/zAgFcQ9C9e80tFj8QBbQ9/cc203b047c4c3eaa67200419f786ad10/____________-3-1-1920x1320.png)
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Startrail is an open infrastructure for the distribution and evaluation of artworks. Its design and governance structure that focuses on its social implementation and public nature is specifically designed not to undermine the credibility and value-creating processes that the art industry has built up over the course of history. 
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The Japanese version of the white paper for Startrail was released in October 2019, followed by the English version released in May 2020.  Releases of these white papers aim to promote a deeper understanding of Startrail to potential users by disclosing details of its design and governance structure.
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With today’s release of the Chinese version, we hope to reach a larger audience for its further understanding of Startrail and to lead to its use by artists and those involved in the art business globally. 
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Download the white paper (Japanese, English and Chinese) here:
[https://startrail.io/](https://startrail.io/)
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__◾️ About Startrail__
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Startrail is an infrastructure supporting the development of the fine arts ecosystem by furthering its trust and credibility with blockchain technology. 
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Issuing a SRR, we can record a variety of information on blockchain such as the basic information of the artist and artwork, its history, and a ruleset about its distribution and use. Not only can we use the SRR as an alternative to current paper-based artwork certificates and sales certificates, but also we can guarantee authenticity of artwork by utilizing　trustable blockchain technology with its near tamper-proofness and high transparency. In addition, it will be easier to manage distribution of artworks because an artwork history and its ruleset including royalty-type revenue is automatically executed every time a transaction is made.
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Startrail will be run by “The Startrail Consortium,” an organization led by Startbahn, to maintain independence and fairness of its public platform. In the future, we plan for this consortium to be jointly led by multiple experts, companies, and organizations.
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Find more information about Startrail here:
[https://startrail.io/](https://startrail.io/)
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__◾️ Overview of Startbahn__
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Startbahn is a company that aims to realize a richer society by providing the technology needed by artists and people involved in art all over the world. We are promoting the development of Startrail, a blockchain infrastructure for art distribution and evaluation. We are also developing Startbahn Cert., a service using Startrail, and working on joint projects with other companies.
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__■ For Inquiry__
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Startbahn, Inc.
PR: Risa Mizuno
pr(at)startbahn.jp


アセット-3-1-1920x1320

Startbahn Releases the Chinese version of the White Paper for Startrail, Aiming to Spread Startrail as an Art Distribution Infrastructure

Startbahn Cert. will be introduced at the exhibition "Contemporary art exhibition - by the curator of -5 allelopathy of the wasteland," held from August 12 (Wed) to 24 (Mon) 2020 at MITSUKOSHI CONTEMPORARY GALLERY in the Mitsukoshi Department Store in Nihonbashi, Tokyo. A Blockchain Certificate with an IC Tag, "Cert." will be issued to the exhibited artworks.
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Startrail contains information about the artwork and rulesets regarding distribution and usage. The artwork owner can view the information at any time by reading the IC Tag attached to the artwork with a smartphone or other devices.
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▼ For more information on Startbahn Cert., click here.
[https://cert.startbahn.io/en](https://cert.startbahn.io/en)
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__Here are the details of the exhibition:__
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![slack-imgs](//images.ctfassets.net/oj6q4dp9lpx9/1esZhA9zbe9IJt5ZPKT7KK/5652331e2dce447db93a1f8fc57b021c/slack-imgs.jpg)
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__"Allelopathy of the Wasteland: A Contemporary Art Exhibition by Five Curators"__
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I will hold "the contemporary art exhibition by the curator of five allelopathy of the wasteland" in MITSUKOSHI CONTEMPORARY GALLERY. This exhibition will present five independent exhibitions by the writer whom five Aristrist, Kenta Ishige, Yu Kurosaka, Keita Saito, Misao Suzuki, Rintaro Fuse chose as a curator in one space.
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Meta curator/curator = Yu Kurosaka
Exhibition writer = Yu Kurosaka
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Curator = Kenta Ishige
Exhibition writer = Muku Kobayashi, Kazquiz
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Curator = Keita Saito
Exhibition writer = Azu, Makiko Yuasa, MADARA MANJI
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Curator = So Suzuki
Exhibition writer = Hachi (BALMUNG), So Suzuki, MLK, Shoichi Aoki, Taka Kono
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Curator = Rintaro Fuse
Exhibition writer = yoichi kamimura, kishi yuma, rintaro fuse
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Title is the land where the Solidago serotina got sterile as for "the allelopathy of the wasteland" and, according to Kurosaka of the curator of this exhibition, says to a characteristic called the allelopathy which a plant doing mackerel Eve has that I find the similarity with the characteristic of the cluster in the subdivided art of Japan and named it.
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Plant - grass and tree - are surely valid while setting up a root. It may be said that the plant lives while facing environment even if there is any wasteland. Sense of values and the field of the modern art continue changing busily these days. And the relation writers to a market changes to call that.
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In this exhibition, I introduce the writers who continue announcing it in various environment and examine the diversity.
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__Meta curator/curator__
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Yu Kurosaka
Profile
Born in 1991, in Chiba Prefecture, Japan
2019, Graduate School of Art, Tokyo University of the Arts Laboratory 3, Department of Oil Painting.
Operates of Yotsuya Unconfirmed Studio. Director of Bus Unit Co., Ltd.
Solo exhibitions include "some rhythm, an inert place" (Yotsuya Unconfirmed Studio, 2020), "be in one place" (space dike, 2016）. Group exhibitions include "the pictorial movement (rough dimension)"（Yotsuya Unconfirmed Studio, 2018).
2019 Shell Art Award.
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__"Allelopathy of the Wasteland: A Contemporary Art Exhibition by Five Curators"__
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Dates: August 12 - 24, 2020
Venue: MITSUKOSHI CONTEMPORARY GALLERY
Address: Nihombashi Mitsukoshi Honten 6th Floor, 1-4-1 Nihonbashi-Muromachi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Phone number: 03-3241-3311
Hours: 10:00-19:00 (closes at 17:00 on the last day)　
Closed: Same as the business days of the Nihombashi Mitsukoshi main store
Fee: free
Click [here](https://www.mistore.jp/store/nihombashi/shops/art/art/shopnews_list/shopnews0330.html) for the website.
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■ For Inquiry
Startbahn, Inc.
PR: Risa Mizuno
pr@startbahn.jp
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【 Official site 】[https://startbahn.jp/en/](https://startbahn.jp/en/)
【 Startrail 】[https://startrail.io/en/](https://startrail.io/en/)
【 Startbahn Cert. 】[https://cert.startbahn.io/en/](https://cert.startbahn.io/en/)


slack-imgs

Startbahn Cert. Is Introduced At An Exhibition: “Allelopathy of the Wasteland: A Contemporary Art Exhibition by Five Curators” Curated by Keita Saito, Kenta Ishige, Rintaro Fuse, So Suzuki and Yu Kurosaka

__Startbahn, Inc. (hereinafter Startbahn) is incredibly excited to announce that Startrail, the infrastructure supporting the fine arts ecosystem, is now live on the Ethereum mainnet. As of now, more than 100 artworks are registered on the Startrail.  We will continue working hard for its further use.__
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![アートボード-1-1920x1008](//images.ctfassets.net/oj6q4dp9lpx9/775aJzKxPWtcxSEPiVzKxm/ebbe1aee69510302ac5d1827c52164ba/__________________-1-1920x1008.png)
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Startrail is an infrastructure supporting the development of the fine arts ecosystem by furthering its trust and credibility with blockchain technology. Its design and governance structure focuses on its social implementation and public nature, and is specifically designed not to undermine the credibility and value-creating processes that the art industry has built up over the course of history. 
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After going through the demonstration period for more than a year and a half, we released Startrail to several testnets to improve the system and refine it to detail. On August 25th, Startrail was finally released on the Ethereum mainnet.
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As our CEO, Taihei Shii, is also a modern artist himself, we have registered his artwork, “IT II,” on the Startrail as the first registry by using our service, “Startbahn Cert.”. Furthermore, more than 100 artworks have already been registered, and transfer of those information works properly. We will also merge information that has already been registered on the testnet into the mainnet gradually.
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![screencapture-cert-startbahn-io-srr-38726816-2020-09-10-17 38 15](//images.ctfassets.net/oj6q4dp9lpx9/7wlF5aljq0BGz4EJpKiIO4/7b0f57fb24852b594b83516f7aca4bae/screencapture-cert-startbahn-io-srr-38726816-2020-09-10-17_38_15.png)
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The UI of Startbahn Cert.: Registered Information of “IT II”
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![スクリーンショット 2020-09-09 13.32.27](//images.ctfassets.net/oj6q4dp9lpx9/NyaCJtNnTSqFspZtEvTaN/0847a365680fd7c4c20a023a9723c91f/____________________________2020-09-09_13.32.27.png)
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The UI of the Ethereum where you can see information of the registered artworks
You can check that “IT II” is actually registered on the Ethereum by making sure that “Startrail Registry Record” on the Startbahn Cert. and “Token ID” on this screen is matched.
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__◾️ Structure and Operation of Startrail__
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We have already released the white paper for Startrail, disclosing details of the structure and operation of Startrail. Here are some important points:
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__Interoperability__ 
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Startrail is constructed to comply with the standard interface of ERC721, one of the smart contract standards, to increase its interoperability with other services using blockchain. In the early stages of its development, its structure was high in originality and individuality. However, after we had considered the current popularity of Dapps and the situation of solution development, we have decided to build Startrail by using ERC721 standard. We are committed to user benefits, and aim to develop Startrail as an ecosystem that works with various services and operates on a broad scale.
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__System Upgradability__
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Startrail is designed to allow continuous improvement after the mainnet release, while smart contracts, in principle, are impossible to change once they're on the blockchain. The hallmark of blockchain is its falsification resistance; Startrail is constructed to maintain upgradability while keeping it tamper-resistant. We do this by storing and managing the logic, and information which needs protection separately. Startrail also employs a highly flexible data structure that allows new logic and information structures to be added in the future.
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__Privacy Concerns__
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The reliability of the public chain is ensured by the transparency of its information recording and management. Meanwhile, it is not possible to choose who has the access to information on the public chain, which is not appropriate for protecting privacy. To solve this issue, the information recorded on Startrail and on the various services connected to Startrail are completely separated. Information that needs to be shared across services, such as the basic information about the artwork itself and rights on its distribution and use is managed on Startrail. On the other hand, private information such as  the owner's personal information is subject to the privacy policy and terms of use of each service, and will be managed only within the service. 
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__Restricted Access__
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Public chains have a strict limit on the amount of data that can be stored, and is not suitable for storing large files such as images or videos. Therefore, we separate the data recorded on blockchain and the data recorded on a server managed by Startrail. Files and data that should only be accessed by the appropriate rights holders, not just large files, are also stored on the server. The rights information recorded on blockchain will control the access to these information. 
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__Adoption of Ethereum__
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Many have been talking about the number of transactions on Ethereum reaching its highest level in the last 10 months (as of July 2020). This has led to a steady increase in the use of blockchain for real use rather than speculation. Startrail is not committed to operating on Ethereum, and we plan to adopt the most appropriate blockchain from time to time. As for now, considering the power of such popularity, we believe that Ethereum is the best option for Startrail.
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![スクリーンショット 2020-07-08 12.29.26](//images.ctfassets.net/oj6q4dp9lpx9/1FupUnwF84OhkonU3mUYpW/bd331ec985bec7e87695325c8e441322/____________________________2020-07-08_12.29.26.png)
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__◾️ Management by The Startrail Consortium__
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To ensure its independence and fairness, Startrail will be operated by “The Startrail Consortium,” a voluntary organization led by Startbahn. In the future, we plan for this consortium to be jointly led by multiple experts, companies, and organizations. If your company is interested in using or operating Startrail, please contact us at the address below.
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Business Development at Startbahn
email: biz(at)startbahn.jp
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__◾️ Startrail and Startrail Registry Record (SRR)__
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Startrail is an infrastructure supporting the development of the fine arts ecosystem by furthering its trust and credibility with blockchain technology. By issuing Startrail Registry Record that records artwork information, an issuer can manage the distribution of the artwork such as recording its provenance across all stakeholders involved in the distribution. Startrail also enables artists to automatically execute their own rulesets regarding the distribution and usage of their work as well as the royalty-type revenue on the secondary distribution by every transaction. 
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__◾️ Overview of Startbahn__
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Startbahn is a company that aims to realize a richer society by providing the technology needed by artists and people involved in art all over the world. We are promoting the development of Startrail, a blockchain infrastructure for art distribution and evaluation. After  receiving a variety of valuable feedbacks on Startrail from our partner businesses in the art industry and releasing its white paper in October 2019, we have released Startrail on the mainnet in July 2020.
[https://startbahn.jp/en/](https://startbahn.jp/en/)
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__◾️ For Inquiries About This Release__
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Startbahn, Inc.
PR Officer: Risa Mizuno
Email address: pr@startbahn.jp

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