The Bioart Society, in collaboration with the Finnish Institute in Japan and BioClub Tokyo, has run the Tokyo Art & Science Research Residency since 2018. The residency is hosted by BioClub Tokyo in partnership with the Finnish Institute in Japan. The aim of this month-long residency is to establish an ongoing exchange of artists between Finland and Japan working within the art & science field.
Previous fellows include Christina Stadlbauer (2018), Emilia Tikka (2019), Johanna Rotko (2020) and Aaro Murphy (2022). During their residencies, these artists have visited different sites, including art centres, laboratories, factories and developed their ongoing projects in various ways. They have also given presentations and hosted workshop sessions. The residency also offers a lot of networking opportunities with locals as well as with other foreign artists and practicioners stationed in Japan.
The BioClub Tokyo is a Community Bio Space in Shibuya. It was started in 2015 by Georg Tremmel, Shiho Fukuhara, Chiaki Hayashi and Mitsuhiro Suwa, it is supported by Loftwork and co-located with the FabCafe MTRL space. The BioClub organises weekly meetings, a range of entry-level hand-on courses and aims to create a playful, yet critical approach to the emerging biotechnologies and their impact on society.
The Finnish Institute in Japan is one of Finland’s cultural and academic institutes abroad. Serving as a link between Finland and Japan, it enables and develops cooperation between actors in science, culture, research and higher education. The Institute is located in Tokyo and organises programmes and projects with local partners, including several ongoing artist residencies for both Finnish and Japanese artists.