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This session explores how diverse values can transcend temporal and spatial boundaries to enhance the appeal and potential of emerging cultures through two focused panel discussions:

Panel 1: Timelessness and Fashionability – Finding Essence in Evolution The first panel examines the delicate balance between evolving trends and enduring principles across cultural landscapes. In an era of rapid technological advancement, alongside renewed appreciation for traditional and indigenous wisdom, we will reconsider what truly constitutes "newness" and which values remain constant despite changing contexts.

Panel 2: Cultivating Fertile Ground for Cultural Coexistence The second panel addresses how diverse cultural values can meaningfully coexist despite regional, religious, and political differences. We'll examine whether cultural harmony emerges from identifying commonalities, maintaining balanced relationships while preserving uniqueness, or collaborating on shared societal challenges. Through this exploration, we'll deepen our understanding of the meaning of diversity and its role in nurturing innovative cultural expressions.
*Due to circumstances, Suzanne Lacy has been replaced by Lauren Bon.

*Simultaneous interpretation is available in both English and Japanese. Please bring a smartphone, tablet or other internet-enabled device with earphones to listen.

Subtitles for this program are available at the URL below.

EXPO2025 Theme Weeks 「Create new cultural base」
<Subtitles URL> https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87412928524

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【Program Summary】
The session “Creating a New Cultural Base,” held as part of the Theme Weeks at Expo 2025 Osaka-Kansai, was organized with the aim of exploring the potential of contemporary cultural expression and laying the groundwork for cultural co-creation toward the future. The session addressed a wide array of perspectives—including the interplay of tradition and innovation, multicultural coexistence, indigenous wisdom, and the relationship between culture, environment, and technology—to consider how the foundationsof culture are cultivated and sustained.
A diverse group of practitioners from fields such as contemporary art, culinary arts, performance, and traditional culture gathered to share insights from their respective disciplines, each delving into the fundamental roots of culture.
Moderator Mami Kataoka, Director of the Mori Art Museum, framed the “soil of culture” not merely as a platform for artistic expression, but as a site where social values intersect and dialogue emerges. She encouraged reflection on cultural continuity and change through the lens of fueki ryūkō—a Japanese aesthetic concept referring to the balance of permanence and transience. In today’s world, where globalization and digitalization bring diverse values into contact, the session emphasized that culture serves not only as a means of self-expression, but as infrastructure that nurtures empathy and connection among people.

【Speaker Summary:Mami Kataoka】
Mami Kataoka, Director, Mori Art Museum / Director, National Center for Art Research, served as the moderator for the session “Create new cultural base.” At the outset of the program, she posed a key question: how can diverse values coexist across time and space? Reflecting on the 1970 Osaka Expo, which was held under the theme “Harmony and Progress for Mankind,” she noted that Japan was then in the midst of rapid economic growth and filled with hope for the future. In contrast, she observed that today’s world has seen the development of multiculturalism, in which increasing respect is paid to diverse cultures beyond the Western framework and coexistence is actively pursued. However, she also pointed out that this shift has brought about cultural conflicts and clashes of differing notions of justice. In contemporary society, therefore, it is essential not only to respect individual cultural backgrounds, but also to reimagine the future of the planet from the perspective of universal humanity and life beyond the human.
In the first part of the session, the discussion centered around the theme of fueki ryūkō—the coexistence of unchanging essence and evolving values—as a way to explore how tradition and innovation can intersect. Kataoka emphasized the growing recognition of traditional culture and Indigenous wisdom in recent years, especially in the context of technological advancement, and stressed the importance of reexamining the very meaning of “newness.”
In the following segment, artists active across a variety of cultural contexts took the stage to share their reflections on how diverse values can coexist and how cultural foundations are formed. Addressing the question of coexistence, Kataoka proposed that it is important to consider both the approach of identifying commonalities across cultural, religious, and political differences, and the approach of maintaining a respectful balance among these differences. She further suggested that the collaborative process of solving social issues may itself lead to the creation of new shared cultural foundations.

【Speaker Summary:Lu Yang】
Lu Yang, a contemporary artist based in China, creates works that integrate digital technology, Eastern philosophy, and bodily expression. In this session, she focused on her digital avatar project series “DOKU,” where she constructed six digital worlds based on the six realms of rebirth in Buddhist cosmology. Through this project, Lu visualizes abstract themes such as body and spirit in digital space, providing new forms of spiritual experience for viewers.
Her works freely navigate the boundaries between reality and virtuality, tradition and cutting-edge technology, thereby challenging conventional cultural norms and perceptions of the body. For example, by incorporating Balinese dance movements into her own body and transferring them to her avatar using motion capture, she simultaneously extends her self and absorbs other cultures. This process gives rise to immaterial expressions that transcend the physical limitations of the body, presenting a realm where even the state between life and death can be reimagined.
Lu’s avatars, particularly DOKU, are genderless beings that embody both masculine and feminine characteristics. This represents a resistance to fixed gender norms and bodily constructs, while also serving as a strategy to fluidize identity itself. Her style, which fuses religious iconography with advanced technologies, poses shared spiritual questions to audiences worldwide.
Lu views art not merely as a visual experience, but as something that physically and spiritually resonates with individuals. Through the DOKU series, her goal is to create a space where people from different religious and cultural backgrounds can share the same spiritual vibration. Just as traditional religious rituals have carried social and cultural significance, her art functions as a contemporary ritual made possible through technology.
In this way, Lu Yang’s artistic expression embodies both the inheritance and innovation of culture. Her practice is highly regarded as an avant-garde approach to cultivating new cultural foundations in digital space.

【Speaker Summary:Kylie Kwong】
Kylie Kwong, a chef and social entrepreneur based in Sydney, Australia, integrates Buddhist philosophy with sustainable food practices. Drawing from her identity as a Chinese-Australian, she creates cuisine that reflects a fusion of multicultural backgrounds and spiritual values, offering a grounded and ethical approach to food.
Her former restaurant, 'Lucky Kwong,' operated not just as a dining space, but as a collaborative hub involving local farmers, Indigenous communities, young entrepreneurs, and refugee support organizations. All ingredients were sourced through organic or sustainable channels, making her food a direct expression of environmental and ethical responsibility. At the core of her philosophy lie Buddhist teachings such as compassion, harmony, and the middle way, which she applies in practical and contemporary ways through her culinary work.
Kwong emphasizes that food is one of the most fundamental and profound cultural practices. She underscores that cooking, eating, and sharing meals all carry significant social and cultural meanings. She also highlights her respect for Indigenous cultures, actively incorporating Aboriginal knowledge and ingredients into her cooking to present a model of coexistence. This perspective—that culture is not only inherited but also co-created—is central to her practice.
Moreover, Kwong is engaged in empowerment efforts through food, aiming to create systems that allow young people and minorities to participate confidently in society. She considers food not only a sensory experience, but also deeply embedded in social and political contexts, giving her role a dimension beyond chef—that of a cultural activist.
Her practices clearly demonstrate that food is a vital cultural resource. In this session, her perspective shed important light on how cultural foundations can be cultivated by illuminating societal issues and reconstructing culture through the rhythms of daily life.

【Speaker Summary:Reijiro Izumi】
Reijiro Izumi, tea master of Urasenke, spoke about the essence of 'Chanoyu'—the Japanese Way of Tea—and its relevance to contemporary society. He emphasized that the tea ceremony is not merely about aesthetic formality but a cultural practice that fosters deep spiritual interaction by creating 'ma' (intervals) and 'suki' (intentional gaps) between people.
He particularly focused on the concept of 'suki. This openness gives rise to a sense of spaciousness, enabling interpersonal resonance and subtle communication. Izumi's approach reflects the idea that what is important in cultural inheritance is not the “completed form” but the “generation of relationships.”
He also highlighted the tea ceremony’s flexibility to incorporate diverse cultures, sharing his experience of collaborating with contemporary artists from Europe and Asia to explore new possibilities for the tea room. Such activities demonstrate that cultural transmission is not about preserving tradition rigidly, but about dynamic reinterpretation and openness to the present.
Izumi further emphasized the importance of bodily learning—such as the physical transmission of movement and mentorship. In today’s increasingly digital world, regaining a sense of space, time, and connection through the body is essential to sustain cultural depth. Chanoyu provides a model for such engagement, teaching respect for others and coexistence with nature through the spirit of hospitality.
His remarks affirmed that culture is a 'living practice' embedded in human relationships, and that cultivating such soil is essential for the co-creation of future cultures.

【Speaker Summary:Ho Tzu Nyen】
Ho Tzu Nyen, an artist based in Singapore, uses a variety of media—including video, sound, installation, and algorithmic systems—to reconstruct the history and mythology of Southeast Asia. His works are characterized by a critical stance toward official national historical narratives, instead offering multi-layered reinterpretations of memory and storytelling that reconfigure cultural consciousness.
In this session, Ho introduced major projects such as 'The Nameless' and 'The Critical Dictionary of Southeast Asia.' These works involve re-editing historical and cultural records and reconstructing them through audiovisual forms, revealing themes such as colonialism, nation-building, and the human relationship with nature. This process is described as 're-enacting the archive,' bringing history into the present.
Particularly notable is Ho’s use of symbolic motifs, such as tigers and surveyors. Tigers represent nature but were also targets of fear and control under colonial governments—symbols of how nature was domesticated during modernization. Surveyors serve as metaphors for spatial governance and memory reconstruction. These motifs function not only as historical references but as critical lenses on knowledge and representation.
Ho’s work challenges the very framework of how knowledge is organized, asking fundamental questions such as: What is recorded as history? What is forgotten? He suggests that cultural soil is not uniform, but multilayered and dialogical, always in a state of formation.
He further emphasized the complexity of Southeast Asia, a region defined by linguistic, ethnic, and religious diversity. This complexity resists any single cultural narrative, constantly demanding negotiation and renewal. His perspective offered profound insights into the core theme of the session—how to cultivate new cultural foundations.

【Speaker Summary:Haegue Yang】
Haegue Yang, a Korean artist, is known for her abstract and symbolic installations crafted from diverse materials such as metal, fabric, and bamboo. In this session, she discussed how her works express cultural memory, multicultural coexistence, and the legacy of violence.
Yang’s practice often starts from symbols and rituals rooted in Korean folk traditions, which she reinterprets using modern materials and formats. Her abstract forms frequently contain critical reflections on historical trauma—such as the Korean War, authoritarian regimes, and Confucian hierarchies. Through her installations, she evokes the ambiguity of memory, the violence of forgetting, and history inscribed on the individual body, requiring the viewer to engage through imagination and physical presence.
Her spatial installations are sculptural in their construction, inviting the audience to walk through and physically 'read' the space. This experiential approach reflects her belief that culture is not merely intellectual knowledge but something embodied and felt. Each exhibition space becomes a cultural field of encounter and interpretation.
Yang is also deeply attentive to the tactile quality of materials, preferring textures that exist between industrial and handcrafted, thereby expressing tensions between tradition and modernity, local and global. One notable example is her reconstruction of military metal components into aesthetic objects—a transformation that turns memories of violence into a medium for cultural dialogue, far from mere decoration.
She describes her own identity as 'plastic'—ever-changing and fluid—arguing that deconstructing fixed notions of nationality and cultural identity is a responsibility of contemporary art. In her view, culture is a continual process of transformation through interaction, a principle that underlies all her work.
Through her poetic and critical approach, Yang offered a compelling response to the session’s theme, contributing a deep exploration of how cultural foundations can be built through intersections of material, memory, space, and the body.

【Speaker Summary:Lauren Bon】
Lauren Bon, an artist based in Los Angeles, leads Metabolic Studio—an initiative that combines art, ecology, and community engagement. Her work centers on exploring new relationships between humans, the environment, culture, and infrastructure, especially focusing on the role of water as a natural and symbolic resource.
In this session, she presented her long-term project aimed at revitalizing the Los Angeles River, once inhabited and sustained by Indigenous communities but now fragmented due to urbanization and infrastructure development. Through art, she attempts to 'revive' these lost landscapes and memories, transforming them into living, present-day spaces. Her projects bridge science and art, policy and poetic imagination, and serve as platforms for multilayered dialogue.
Bon stated that 'water is a medium that carries memory.' She visualizes the reconnection of people, landscapes, and history through the natural cycle of water. For example, one of her installations temporarily restored former wetlands by diverting water from the Los Angeles River, creating a 'time-machine-like' space where the past and future of the city intersect.
A key component of her projects is collaboration with Indigenous communities. She emphasized that listening to those who carry the memory of the land is essential for building a sustainable future. Her practice demonstrates how art can function as a tool for social transformation, reaching beyond the boundaries of conventional artistic expression.
Bon’s remarks reaffirmed that the cultivation of cultural foundations is deeply tied to the natural environment, and that 'culture' is woven into the interrelations between people and the land.

【Discussion Summary】
The concluding discussion of the session revolved around three key themes: 'Cultural Continuity and Transformation,' 'Body and Space,' and 'Resonance with the Other.' Each panelist offered unique insights, weaving a rich, multifaceted dialogue.
Kylie Kwong emphasized the emotional and mnemonic power of food, stating that 'values, not forms, are the core of tradition.' She noted that the act of eating can embody ethical and cultural principles, especially when grounded in respect for community and the environment.
Reijiro Izumi discussed the role of spatial and temporal gaps—concepts such as 'ma' and 'suki'—in enabling cultural transformation. He stressed the importance of bodily engagement and non-verbal communication, highlighting how the tea ceremony fosters relational creativity and mindfulness.
Lu Yang argued that the dichotomy between technology and tradition is a false one, suggesting that Buddhist notions of non-substantial and non-linear time could offer new frameworks for integrating the two. Her perspective bridged ancient spiritual philosophies with contemporary digital practice.
Ho Tzu Nyen presented the act of questioning as a cultural practice in itself, focusing on issues of representation and power in the organization of knowledge. He advocated for a dynamic and participatory understanding of history and culture.
Haegue Yang emphasized the need to re-evaluate the aesthetic and symbolic dimensions of unconscious cultural exchange. She proposed that non-verbal, sensory experiences are crucial to the communication of cultural meaning, especially in transnational contexts.
Lauren Bon highlighted the embedded memories within infrastructure and environment, suggesting that visualizing these memories is key to cultural reconstruction. She linked ecological awareness with cultural vitality, making the case for art as a medium for societal renewal.
Serving as the moderator, Mami Kataoka emphasized the importance of not fixing tradition as a mere formality but of preserving its core values while allowing it to evolve in response to change. She concluded by noting that values such as “trust,” “respect,” and “intuition” were central to the discussion, and summarized that culture should not be static but should remain a continuous process of inheritance and transformation. In closing, she expressed her gratitude to the participants and the audience, commending the session as a meaningful opportunity for everyone to reflect on the future of culture through dialogue.