【Soon】Symposium “Botanical-Themed Art – A Perspective from Japan and Taiwan”

2025.02.15
ACADEMIA

Date and Time: Saturday, 15 February 2025, 13:30–17:00 (Doors open at 13:20)
Venue: Intermediatheque 2F, Lecture Theater ACADEMIA
Admission: Free (no reservation required)
The number of seats is limited to 48. Your understanding is appreciated.
Languages: English and Japanese with interpretation
Organizer: The University Museum, The University of Tokyo (UMUT)
Support: Yoshino Gypsum Art Foundation; JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number JP23K00232

This symposium will bring together curators, art historians, artists, and botanists from Japan and Taiwan to deliver talks and hold discussions based on their diverse research interests and creative activities under the theme of “botanical-themed art.”
The term “botanical-themed art,” as used in the symposium’s title, refers to “art that uses plants as its subject matter.” This concept bridges art and science, encompassing a wide range of works – from art that features plants as its primary motif or material to scientifically produced botanical illustrations.
In this symposium, we aim to introduce the concept of “botanical-themed art” to the broader public and examine it from various perspectives, drawing on the expertise and experiences of art and academic professionals from Japan and Taiwan. Through this exploration, we seek to reconsider the traditional boundaries of the art domain, foster its development in new directions, and create a platform for cultural exchange between Japan and Taiwan.
This symposium is a related event to the special exhibition “Formosa Orchids Blossom - Tokyo Edition.”


●Program

○ Introduction by TERADA Ayumi, UMUT (Art Studies / Museology)

○ Part 1: Talks
TERADA Ayumi, UMUT (Art Studies / Museology)
CHEN Yi-an, National Museum of History, Taiwan (Museology / Cultural Studies)
KURATA Aiko, Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology, the University of Tokyo (History of Modern Japanese Art)
KIKUCHI Toshimasa, UMUT (Cultural Heritage Conservation Science)

○ Break

○ Part 2: Talks
Diego Tavares Vasques, Koishikawa Botanical Garden, Graduate School of Science, the University of Tokyo (Plant Taxonomy)
HU Jer-Ming, Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, National Taiwan University (Plant Systematics)
CHI Wei-ting, Wild Treasure Botanical Art and Illustration (Botanical Artist)

○ Part 3: Discussion and Q&A
Commentators:
IKEDA Hiroshi, UMUT (Plant Taxonomy); YAMANAKA Masumi, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (Botanical Artist); CHAI Chen-hsiao, National Museum of History, Taiwan (Cultural Anthropology / Museums and Cultural Performance); HUNG Shih-yu, Director of National Museum of History; NISHIAKI Yoshihiro, Director of UMUT
Discussants:
Part 1 and 2 speakers

Photography, filming, and recording of the event:
- This event will be photographed and filmed by the organizer. Photographs may be made public by the organizer and speakers in the future through publications and the Internet. No videos will be made public.
- Visitors are not allowed to take photographs, videos, or recordings during the event.
Thank you for your understanding.

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Special Exhibition “Formosa Orchids Blossom – Tokyo Edition”
2025.2.15-6.8