A symposium led by international experts working at the forefront of the arts and sciences. After an introductory address by panel moderator ASADA Akira (social philosopher), the symposium began with short lectures by the following panelists: Marvin MINSKY (artificial intelligence specialist, professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Media Laboratory, USA) on the thought mechanisms of the brain and ensuing cultural ramifications; Roy ASCOTT (media and art theorist, director of the Centre for Advanced Inquiry in the Interactive Arts, Gwent College of Higher Education, Wales, United Kingdom) on the transformations in consciousness and the arts brought about by digital technology; ISOZAKI Arata (architect) on the urban and architectural meltdown caused by shifts in the information age; HASUMI Shigehiko (literature and film critic, vice president of The University of Tokyo) on the “second birth” of electronic media; and Jeffrey SHAW (media artist, director of the Institute for Visual Media, The Center for
Art and Media Technology Karlsruhe [ZKM], Germany) on the new kinds of relations brought about by media technologies that link artworks and their admirers. Discussion branched into such topics as the new shape of museums and the importance of interactivity. With perspectives from both art and science, the debate offered a lively exchange of opinions.
The electronic information technology that has made multimedia possible has caused rapid transformations of society and economy, and at the same time has dramatically influenced the world of art and culture. Although art and technology are born of the same function, modern society put in place a distinction between the subjective, expressive form of art and the austere system of technology. At present, new media technologies are closing this gap, but in a different manner. Taking this situation as a springboard, the symposium’s discussions turned to topics that transcended conventional genres. Considering multimedia as a “cultural concern” of the 21st century, the symposium offered the expression of new perspectives amidst the informationalization of society. Further, this symposium was presented simultaneously on the Internet.

Panelist: Roy ASCOTT, Marvin MINSKY, Jeffrey SHAW, ISOZAKI Arata, HASUMI Shigehiko, and ASADA Akira