Artistic Heritage
#throwback #anniversary

In 2024, Berlin and Tokyo celebrated the 30th anniversary of their city partnership. What connects the two capitals is their diversity. We accompanied the anniversary year with projects showcasing the cultural diversity of Tokyo and Berlin.

To mark the 140th anniversary of the birth of Prague-born writer Franz Kafka in 2023 and the 100th anniversary of his death in 2024, we organised a joint project with the Czech Center Tokyo, the Instytut Polski w Tokio and the Austrian Cultural Forum.

In 2022, the Goethe-Institut Tokyo turned 60. We have been facilitating encounters between Japan and Germany since 1962. Whether language, culture or information: understanding each other better is our maxim.

How did TV and video art influence each other in the 1980s? In screenings, talks and a concert, we showed radical artistic approaches that opened up a new field of experimentation through television - including music videos produced between Japan and Germany, such as ‘½ Mensch’ by Einstürzende Neubauten, directed by Sohgo Ishii.

What innovative potential is the Bauhaus developing in the 100th year after its foundation? Bauhaus Open-End presented surprising new interpretations of the Bauhaus idea from the perspective of students preparing to enter creative professions and scrutinised the Bauhaus myth with current research findings.

To mark the 100th birthday and 35th anniversary of the death of Joseph Beuys, the Goethe-Institut Tokyo organised events and projects to explore the question: What is the significance of the artist's work and agenda today?

50 years after 1968, the question arose: Where do our societies stand today? In symposia, exhibitions, workshops and a film series - with 16 films, live performances and discussions with renowned artists - we cordially invited you to a critical examination of the socio-political developments of the last 50 years in May and June 2018.