Eduardo CASTILLO-VINUESA

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Eduardo CASTILLO-VINUESA

Participating Project	International Creator Residency Program (Theme Projects)
Activity Base	Madrid
City / Place stayed	Tokyo
Period	2025.5 - 2025.7

Purpose of the residency

During the TOKAS residency, I will develop an interdisciplinary research project that examines the intersection of climate simulation, weather engineering, and environmental governance, with Japan’s Moonshot Goal 8 as a key case study. The residency offers a unique opportunity to conduct fieldwork and filming in relevant facilities, engage with leading researchers and institutions, and collaborate with local experts. Being based in Tokyo will allow me to study these technologies within their specific institutional and cultural context, and to develop an audiovisual work that reflects on their technical, political, and spatial implications through situated artistic research.

Plan during the residency

• Conduct field research at key institutions involved in climate modeling and weather control, such as RIKEN, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), the Typhoon Research Center (TRC), and the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience (NIED).
  
• Request access to and film inside selected research and simulation facilities related to Moonshot Goal 8 and other national weather resilience initiatives.
• Carry out interviews with researchers and experts from various R&D departments participating in Moonshot Goal 8.
• Collect visual and archival material related to both historical and current weather engineering programs in Japan.
• Develop the audiovisual narrative structure for Synthetic Sky, based on the collected materials and fieldwork.
• Organize one or more public-facing activities (workshops, roundtables, or talks) to foster dialogue with local creators, researchers, and the broader public.
• Collaborate with Japanese artists and researchers where relevant, incorporating local perspectives into the conceptual and aesthetic development of the work. 

Activities during the residency

During my residency in Japan, I focused on the field of weather engineering, collaborating with governmental institutions such as NIED, JAMSTEC, and JST, which enabled me to engage with a wide range of academic and research facilities across the country. My activities included fieldwork at these facilities, where I documented the infrastructures enabling climate sensing, modeling, simulation, and intervention processes. I also conducted interview sessions with experts and researchers delving not only into the technological aspects but also into the regulatory frameworks behind weather modification. Beyond the technocratic domain, I explored the ethnographic dimensions of Japan’s relationship with weather, attending traditional festivals and examining historical practices intended to influence the climate. This approach allowed me to contextualize contemporary weather modification programs within a broader cultural and historical narrative, shedding light on humanity’s enduring desire to understand and shape atmospheric patterns.

Outcome of the residency

One of the key achievements of my residency was gaining an in-depth, firsthand understanding of the Moonshot Goal 8 initiative within the Japanese context thanks to the mediation from TOKAS team. I was able to thoroughly comprehend how the program is structured, its objectives, and milestone. Another significant accomplishment was the exclusive access I gained to profiles and research facilities that are typically off-limits or extremely difficult to access. This residency allowed me to film in these locations, capturing essential footage for my film that would have been impossible to obtain otherwise. In terms of what I would have done differently, I can confidently say that the residency unfolded in an ideal manner.

Creator Information