Hanna Saito
She graduated from Tama Art University (Craft Department, Glass Course) with a bachelor's degree in Fine Art. After graduating, she joined metaPhorest (biological / bio-media art platform)in the Laboratory for Molecular Cell Network & Biomedia Art, at Waseda University as an artist and visiting researcher. Since 2021, she enrolled in the Doctoral Program in the Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies, The University of Tokyo (Yasuaki Kakehi Lab.) She’s creating artworks using scientific glass production techniques, organisms, organic matter, image analysis, etc.. She’s main themes are to reconsider the borders of nature/society, human/non-human, and the indivisibility of the expresser and the object of the expression at the interdisciplinary viewpoint.
< Exhibition History >
2024 metaPhorest Biome - Ecosystem of Art in a Biological Laboratory - / WHITEHOUSE
2023 Hill of Science and Art – Matsudo International Science Art Festival 2023 / Togotei
MIND TRAIL Art Museum in the Mind, Oku-Yamato / Shimokitayama Village, Nara Prefecture
Diffusion of Nature 2023, Artist-in-Residence Program at Kumo-no-Daira Lodge, Exhibition GASBON / GASBON METABOLISM
Diffusion of Nature 2023, Artist-in-Residence Program at Kumo-no-Daira Lodge, Exhibition Shibuya / Elephant Studio
2022 Poria cocos and the painter's daughter / UNTITLED space
Sense Island - Island of Sensation - Dark Art Island 2022 / Sarushima
Festival of Unconventional Computing, Protocognition, Arts and Sounds / The Island (Bristol, UK)
Publication Commemorative Exhibition for "Art in the Post-Anthropocene" / TAV GALLERY
Diffusion of Nature: Perspectives on Nature - Artist-in-Residence Program at Kumo-no-Daira Lodge, Exhibition / 5th floor
Mother Nature: Viewing the Interaction between Women, Nature, and Culture in Art / N&A Art Site
2021 Ghostliness / Ghost
Artificial Intelligence Aesthetics Art Exhibition: The Hard Problem of Aesthetic Sensibility / Bougakusou
Open Space 2021 New Flatland / ICC
3331 Art Fair 2021 / 3331
Reenactment - Instructions and Procedures / Tokyo University of the Arts Museum
Jacking into the Ecosystem Exhibition / Mihama Garden, Japanese Garden
2020 ROOMS 41 / Shinjuku Sumitomo Building Triangle Square
Non Human Control Exhibition / TAV GALLERY
2019 WRO Media Art Festival / Wrocław, Poland
Tsukuba Science Art Exhibition / Sakura Minka-en
2017 Artificial Intelligence Aesthetics Art Exhibition / OIST
2016 Ibaraki Prefecture North Art Festival 2016 / Hitachiota City, Ibaraki Prefecture
2015 Beyond the Farthest Plane / Akibatamabi
Ontological Snip / Gallery HIGURE
2014 Materializing Exhibition 2: Between Information and Matter / Tokyo University of the Arts Display Hall
2013 Open Space 2013 "Biological Aesthetics Open Lab" / ICC
Special Exhibition "BIOART.JP - Bio Media Art Exhibition" / Akibatamabi
2012 Tama Art University Crafts Department Graduation Exhibition / Spiral
<Awards>
2020 "Eaten Colors Ver.2" won the FRaU Ethical Award at ROOMS41
2017 "Senses of Light" (a collaborative work with Makoto Hanagata and Keita Sumiya) was nominated for the 21st Student CG Contest
2016 "sensors, muscles, circles" won the Judge's Award (Yoichi Ochiai Award) at Art Hack Day's "Technology as a Living Entity"
2015 "Revital HgS" (nominated under a different name at the time) was nominated for the 19th Student CG Contest
2014 Curate Award 2014 Finalist, hosted by Prada Foundation and Qatar Museums (participated as a contributing artist in the curation plan 'metaPhorest' by Kazuhito Hanyu and Hiroki Yoshioka)
<Media Appearances and Contributions>
2024 Contributed an essay titled "How to Feed Slime Mold in the Brain? - Reflections on Non-human Art" to the July 2024 issue of Contemporary Thought Special Feature: The Future of Wiener and Cybernetics
Nikkei Newspaper featured the article "Art that Questions Human Superiority: Co-creating with Slime Molds and Animals. Human Epoch Art Exploration (Part 2)" by cultural researcher Hiroki Yamamoto
HERENESS article "It is Only in Harsh Environments that One Can Be Truly Authentic" - Interview with Contemporary Artist Hanna Saito
Isetan REV WORLDS WWDJAPAN post-interview: "Contemporary Artist Hanna Saito #A World Covered by Fungi"
WWDJAPAN "Mushroom Leather Bolt Threads × Hanna Saito Envisions Fashion in a 'World Covered by Fungi' - Roundtable Vol.4 of 'Five Possible Futures'"
2023 Randonnee Contemporary Artist Hanna Saito "This is Why I Go to the Mountains #23"
2022 Featured in Hiroki Yamamoto's Post-Anthropocene Art (Eaten Colors is on the cover and in Chapter One)
Eureka May 2022 issue "The World of Fungi" – Roundtable Discussion "Ars Combinatoria of Plasmodium - The Bond Between Art and Science" (Jun Matsumoto × Daisuke Karasawa × Hanna Saito)
2021 Shoes × Culture #13 "SLIP-ONs Designed by Slime Mold in Vivid Colors - What Emerges from the Struggle Between Nature and Humanity" / Art of Shoes ABC Mart / Published online
Participated in the discussion event "Futurology Revisited – Examining the Relevance of Sakyo Komatsu Through Practice" / Contemporary Thought October 2021 Extra Issue Special Feature on Sakyo Komatsu
Contributed to the 40th Anniversary Special Issue of AXIS magazine (Issue 213) in the section "Perspectives Required of Designers of the Future" – Messages from Creators
Short review of the movie Solaris in WIRED vol.42
NHK BS1 Tokyo Wonder – The Strange Story of Slime Mold and Her / Played herself (starring role)
2020 Contributed the essay "The Turing Test for Stones - Living as Thinking Matter" to Contemporary Thought June 2020 Issue, Special Feature on Panpsychism
"Mind as a Behavioral Inhibition Network" / Frontiers in Psychology, 11:832
2017 "The Heart of Objects: Creating Together with Materials" / Co-creation Society 1st Annual Conference Proceedings
<Workshops & Lectures>
2024 EAA Talk Series "Designing the Air—Transforming Together" Session 2, supported by Daikin University of Tokyo Lab
PARA Lecture "Non-human Authorship" / Lecturer
2023 "Do Slime Molds Dream of Oatmeal?" Creativity Seminar 2023 / Lecturer
Science Art Lab for Tamagawa Kids Hanna Saito's "Finding Slime Molds and Creating a Terrarium"
Adjunct Lecturer at Tokyo Zokei University
2022 Talk at Birmingham City University, Art Course
Intimacy with Nature - BioArt Residency & Workshop 2022
2019 MIRAI SUMMER CAMP Bio Festival – Let's DIY Bio Tools and Learn About Life Together!