With technical cooperation from DENSO, Smiles will exhibit an artwork at the 6th Echigo-Tsumari Triennale, which will be held from July 26th to September 13th. The title of the artwork is "Niigata-grown Rice Soup That Pierces Your Heart, 300 Yen."

On the 16th, an event was held where Smiles President and CEO Masamichi Toyama and DENSO WAVE President and CEO Mitsuhiko Sakeki spoke about their thoughts on the artwork. According to the explanation at the event, the artwork expresses three contexts: "food," "technology," and "hospitality."

The artwork will be exhibited at the former Nakayama Elementary School, a closed school in Tokamachi, Niigata Prefecture. When customers enter a separate room with their soup purchased for 300 yen, they will encounter a robot developed specially by DENSO WAVE, which will perform some kind of action with the soup they have received. Toyama mentioned keywords like "black vinegar" and "Michelangelo's The Birth of Adam," but the details were left to the audience.

The motivation for creating this piece was the belief that "the 20th century was the era of economics, and the 21st century is the era of culture. Art, in particular, is value itself." Both Toyama and Sakegi acknowledged that "there are some aspects of this piece that are difficult to clearly articulate in words," but Sakegi smiled and said, "It's fun to take on a challenge." Toyama also commented, "I'd be happy if I could look back on it five years from now and understand the reason."

The second half of the event featured a talk session titled "What Business Can Learn from Art." In addition to Toyama and Sakegi, panelists included Echigo-Tsumari Triennale general producer Fram Kitagawa and art journalist Yoshio Suzuki. Regarding the relationship between art and business, Toyama stated, "There's something you want to do, and while observing the trends of the world, you turn it into a reality, gain recognition from others, and continue to do so." This is something that is common not only to business but also to art. Furthermore, Sakegi, a former designer, shared his views on design and beauty, saying, "The English translation of design is 'design.' I believe design is about deriving optimal solutions based on the times and technology. Just as the parabolic curves of optimal solutions in three dimensions and on the time axis are beautiful, so too are refined optimal solutions." Kitagawa, who has been working to revitalize the Echigo-Tsumari region through art since 2000, commented, "Art is similar to technology. If you can't survive in the harsh environment of your hometown, there's no need for art. Art is something that exists within nature and humans. I also believe that food and technology are art."


【Exhibition Information】
Work: "Niigata Prefecture Heart-Piercing Rice Soup for 300 Yen"
Venue: Former Nagaoka Elementary School, 1498 Sanada Hei, Tokamachi, Niigata Prefecture
Period: July 26th - September 13th
Admission Fee: 500 yen admission to the venue facility "Asian Photo and Video Gallery" + 300 yen for soup
Closed: Open every day during the exhibition period
Admission Hours: 10:00 - 17:00 (there may be preparation time during the period)