This is a citizen-participation art project and work-in-progress from the project Pneuma, launched by Kumiko Ueda, that focuses on “breathing = pneuma” and “listening.” “Breathing Training Pool” serves as a practice ground where humans and other living creatures swim together in the air, which is like a sea filled with the merged “breathing = pneuma.”

Official Website: http://kiac.jp/event/2999/

Date :
August 2 – 13, 2024: Research & Creation
August 14 – 16, 2024: Open Laboratory Days
Venue: Kinosaki International Arts Center, Grand Hall

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When Ophelia falls from the tree and drowns, microorganisms in the water welcome the dead maiden as a “feast,” while the trees extend their branches to compete for sunlight, and the earth keeps spinning. If theater does not attempt to tell these layered parallel worlds, it can appear as a ritual where only humans are excited about the manifestation of human energy—a ceremony of human worship.
Before the modern self was invented, Shakespeare’s works and Greek epic poems featured a macrocosmos of nature interacting with the microcosmos of the characters. However, modern productions of these plays might have minimized them into dramas focusing on human microcosms. Has theater, which has depicted human love, hatred, justice, and evil to energize people, truly contributed to the world and brought knowledge to it?
Kumiko Ueda, questioning this, began exploring ways to coexist human society viewed from up close and the biome of the universe seen from a bird’s-eye view within a single story.

As a work-in-progress of this project Pneuma, Ueda applied for the artist-in-residence program at Kinosaki International Arts Center, where she conducted experiments with citizens to recreate the scene of Ophelia’s death in the Grand Hall.

In the first half of her stay in Kinosaki, international artists like miu from Düsseldorf, who are active in the global theater scene, contributed ideas as project researchers, and they examined the structure of a citizen-participation laboratory.

In the last three days of the residency, during the “Open Laboratory Days,” citizens joined the experiments. Those who became collaborators in the experiment played non-human roles—bacteria, insects, aquatic plants, etc.—and became part of the world of the work.
Participants didn’t express through dancing, speaking lines, or performing something specific. Instead, they listened, observed their bodies, slightly altered their breathing, and gently moved their bodies. Through this process, they tried to witness the death of Ophelia as a different life form, not as humans.

To more specifically imagine what creatures exist in Ophelia’s world, Kazutoshi Tsuda, a bio-researcher, prepared data by sampling water from the river around Kinosaki.

Click here for PDF file of program

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Presented by
Projectumï
Kinosaki International Art Center

Supported by
Fondation franco-Japonaise Sasakawa
The Saison Foundation

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Kumiko Ueda, Navigation and text

miu miu, sound and system
Originally from Shimane Prefecture. Studied sonology/electronic music at the National University of Music and The Hague Royal Conservatory (Netherlands). The main activities are the production, performance, and exhibition of stage works, sound performance works, and installations. He considers phenomena such as gaps and errors in communication, misunderstandings and transformations, and the virtualization of memories that occur between different cultures, languages, and eras as important motifs in his work, and “While being in a certain place, The core of his work is the observation of people and events that do not belong to the world. Lives in Düsseldorf since 2014. https://milch-labor.com/ (German only)

Kyoko Takenaka, performance and text
Moved to France in 2011. Obtained French acting national qualification in 2016. Based in Paris and Japan, in addition to acting, he also gives lectures and workshops. Main works include “The Fairy Problem”, “Madama Butterfly” (directed by Satoko Ichihara), and “The Last Geishas”.
(Directed by Shingo Ota). He was in charge of producing, writing, and starring in the movie Modern Edition In Kinosaki,” which won the Excellence Art Award at the Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival 2022. In 2014, he wrote his first play and performed Care and Acting”. Currently, he is producing his first full-length feature with director Shingo Ota’s latest film, “Numakage Municipal Pool.” https://mill-co-run.com/

Shingo Ota, video and performance
Born in Nagano in 1985. Graduated from Waseda University, Faculty of Arts, majoring in philosophy and narrative theory. His first full-length documentary film, The End of the Special Time We were Allowed (2013), was distributed in 12 countries around the world. Also directed and starred in the feature film “Liberation Zone”
(14), the documentary film Imagination” (21), and the feature film Modern Edition: In Kinosaki” (22). As an actor, he made his stage debut in chelfitsch’s Five Days in March” in Hong Kong (2010). Appearances include KAAT produced “Unrequited Ghosts and Monsters”, Sai no Kuni Saitama Arts Theater I Am a Battlefield of Many Narratives”, etc.

Gaël Sall, performance
Studied at the Acting International and Conservatoire (10th arrondissement) in Paris and worked as a film and stage actor. Appeared in Robert Wilson’s Jungle Book” (Théâtre de la Ville de Paris and on international tour) for several years. It’s 2017 He has appeared in many works by Yuval Rozman. In 2021, he will appear in Morin Oles’ “Vers le spectre” and in 2024, in Leoni/Mazarin Pinjot’s “Je suis Gréco”. Production is currently scheduled for fall 2025 with Yuval Rozman. He is currently working on writing hisAu nom du ciel”.

Mikiko Kawamura, movement and performance
Started full-fledged dance activities in 2011. She won the Toyota Choreography Award and the Yokohama Dance Collection EX2015 for her first performance of Inner Mommy” in 2014. Moved to France in 2016 and held a six-month residency at the National Dance Center. Perform the steps. Works he has appeared in include the filmN.P” directed by Lisa Spilliaert and based on Banana Yoshimoto, the musical play The Bacchus – The Holstein Female” directed by Satoko Ichihara, and the operaThe Clown / The House Chivalry” directed by Kumiko Ueda. ”, Satoko Ichihara’s “Yakuboshi”, and Takao Kawaguchi’s “Rose Colored Dance: Criticism of Pure Sexuality”. In addition to writing his own books and producing original songs, he engages in a variety of activities, including the unit Ijiha'' with Yasushi Watanabe, and the miscellaneous goods storeKawamura Sangyo.” https://kawamuramikiko.com/

Kazutoshi Tsuda, Bio Research
Born in 1981 in Shinjo Village, Okayama Prefecture. He is interested in issues of the environment, resources, and sustainability, and engages in cross-disciplinary initiatives centered on engineering and design. While promoting collaborative production and workshop development with a variety of artists, designers, and researchers, we are also attempting to share our work with society at large. Associate professor at Kyoto Institute of Technology, Future Design and Engineering Organization, and expert committee member at Yamaguchi Center for Arts and Media [YCAM].

Tomomi Nakamura, Scenography
Stage designer, scenographer. Born in 1988 in Kashiwazaki City, Niigata Prefecture. Mainly active in stage, dance, and opera works. Recent participating works include the opera “The Crane” (directed by Toshiki Okada), Festival d’Automne à Paris 2022 “Luxury and Poverty” “Wakarouto”
I think so.” He also participates in research-type projects and workshops in local areas that are not limited to theater spaces, and his hobbies include visiting public baths. Part-time lecturer at Women’s Art University.

Akihito Hirano, Interpreter and Concept adviser
Translator (Japanese, French and Italian). In addition to working on a wide range of works, from plays to psychoanalysis to non-fiction, he also works as an interpreter specializing in performing arts. In addition, in recent years he has been appearing on stages both domestically and internationally as a performer. His major translations include Pure Humans” (Eiji Publishing),My Neighbor Hitler” (Iwanami Shoten), and “I Can’t Be Alone” Syndrome (Kodansha).

Keiko Sekishita, Production
As a public theater producer, he is involved in the planning and management of a variety of projects, including inviting foreign works, citizen lectures, creating new works, and professional training programs for young dancers. From 2023 to 2024, the French performing arts
With the theme of researching the co-system, the training was based at the National Center for Contemporary Dance (CNDC – Angers) in Angers, France, and the National Center for Dance (CNDC) in Paris (Pantin), while visiting various facilities and festivals. Go.

Scenographic concept cooperation: Masayuki Inaida (Yamanaka Komuten Co., Ltd.) “Kian”
https://www.sukiya-kyoto.com/kian/

Kinosaki International Arts Center (KIAC)
Director｜Reiko Shiga
Artistic Director | Satoko Ichihara
Assistant Director | Kazuaki Ogawa
Program Director｜Yuichiro Yoshida
Regional Collaboration Director | Maki Hashimoto
Coordinator | Chinami Yoda
Technical | Kanami Fukada, Kaito Fujiwara, Mao Kakizoe
Administrative assistant | Keiko Yasuda Environmental maintenance staff | Kenya Tamura Night management staff | Kanji Nukuda, Mitsuo Takeshita

◆Special thanks to◆
Aoi Takaoka Yuko Takamatsu Mayumi Yamanaka Rie Ishida Koko Kitano Kayo Yukawa Yuko Murakami Mizutoshi Kane Ayako Wakamiya A-MIYAKE Chie Yamaji Emiko Rika Sorimachi Eri Matsuno Ikoma Hishida Kawa Toshiko Hosokawa Tetsu Yuki Azuma Sae Imamoto Aya Kubota Kou.Mihoko Miwako Miyamae Natsue Hatamoto Yoshiko Akiba BANG GYEONGMI Tomoko Iizuka Emi Kobayashi Masatomo Kobayashi Francoise Reiko Saito Miyamae Family Akiko Kamada Rie Yamane entosen Takenaga lily Nozomi Kudo Kazue Omi K.S. Waka Hisano Otaki Nari Takaoka Rie Morita