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Takahiko Iimura

Takahiko Iimura has been a pioneer artist of Japanese experimental film and video, working in film since 1960 and with video since 1970. He is also a widely established international artist, having numerous exhibitions in Japan, the USA, and Europe. One of his early films, "Onan", was awarded Special Prize at the legendary Brussels International Experimental Festival, 1964. Recently he has been involved in using the computer, publishing multimedia interactive CD-ROM combining video, text, graphics, and photos as well as DVDs putting together film/video works.

Iimura came to the USA in 1966 as a fellow of the Harvard University International Seminar (headed by Dr. Henry Kissinger) in Boston sponsored by the Asia Foundation, Tokyo. Since then, he has received fellowships from the Japan Society, New York, 1966-68; the German Academy Exchange Service, Berlin, 1973-74, 1992; the Creative Artists Program, New York, 1976; the National Endowment for the Arts, Washington, 1979; the Canada Council, Ottawa, 1981; the Australia-Japan Foundation, Melbourne, 1984; the New York Foundation for the Arts, New York, 1986; the Japan Foundation, Tokyo, 1982, 1985, 1989, 1992; the Saison Foundation, Tokyo, 1991; the Japan Arts Fund, Tokyo, 1994, 1997, 1998, 2000; the Great Britain-Sasakawa Foundation, Tokyo, 1998; Foundation Franco Japonaise Sasakawa, Tokyo, 1999; the Taikou Foundation, Nagoya, 1997, 1999; and the Pola Art Foundation, Tokyo, 1999. He has worked in residence at the Experimental Television Center and the Institute for Electronic Arts. As an internationally recognized artist, Iimura has been invited to exhibitions and lectures at many universities, museums and festivals.

Major individual film and video exhibitions, including installations and live performances, have been held at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1975, 1981; the Whitney Museum, New York, 1981; Cinematheque Francaise, Paris, 1974; Centre George Pompidou, Paris, 1977; the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, 1982, 1985; the Saison Museum, Tokyo, 1991; the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, Tokyo, 1995; the Japan Cultural Center, Rome, 1997; the Lux Centre, London, 1998; the Filmmuseum, Munich, 1998; and the National Gallery Jeu de Paume, Paris, 1999. Reina Sofia National Museum, Madrid, 2000. Barcelona Contemporary Museum, Barcelona, 2000. National Laboratorio Artealamedia, Mexico City, 2001. Anthology Film Archives, New York, 2004.

Cite this record

"Takahiko Iimura." Video History Project, Experimental Television Center, 2011. https://www.videohistoryproject.org/takahiko-iimura.

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Summary

Takahiko Iimura is a pioneer of Japanese experimental film and video, working in film since 1960 and in video since 1970; his early film Onan won the Special Prize at the Brussels International Experimental Festival in 1964. He moved to the USA in 1966 as a Harvard University International Seminar fellow sponsored by the Asia Foundation and subsequently received numerous fellowships, including the Japan Society, New York (1966–68), the German Academy Exchange Service, Berlin (1973–74, 1992) and the National Endowment for the Arts (1979). He has published multimedia interactive CD-ROMs and DVDs, worked in residence at the Experimental Television Center and the Institute for Electronic Arts, and held major solo exhibitions at institutions such as MoMA (1975, 1981), the Whitney (1981), Centre Pompidou (1977) and Museo Reina Sofía (2000).

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Last modified 18 June 2011