OTA Emma

Profile

Ota is a curator and researcher based in Tokyo. Her practices focus upon media arts and international exchange. She has previously worked for the media arts organization Trampoline (UK/Germany) and has gone on to collaborate with numerous organizations in pursuing her independent practice. She is guest curator at Ginza Art Lab, an independent artist run space and was also co-curator of Space Rabi Adesso, Koenji in 2008. Ota is the director of Dislocate, festival for art, technology and locality held annually since 2006 in Tokyo/Yokohama. As a researcher Ota is investigating the development of media arts in Asia and its relation to specific social and cultural contexts, in particular ideas of place, these investigations have led her to China, Korea, India, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia.

http://www.dis-locate.net　

About works / performance

Ota has realized a diverse range of projects, working with many different generations, from young children to senior citizens, as well as collaborating with individuals and organizations in cities in many different parts of the world. In her attempt to promote creative cross-cultural collaboration she has initiated projects such as Traversing Territories (an annual exchange project between Japan and UK universities) and Inter-play (international creative communication workshops for children). Dislocate is a key focus of her activities, bringing together international artists and experts in the discussion and debate of the role of new media in relation to our surrounding environment, examining how new technologies are changing the spaces we inhabit and the ways in which we locate ourselves within these. Ota has presented her practical and theoretical research in relation to this at leading media art festivals such as Transmediale and ISEA.