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Watanabe Atsushi (I'm here project)

Born in Kanagawa, Japan. Contemporary artist. Watanabe has suffered from acute social withdrawal, known in Japan as hikikomori. In recent years, he has undertaken a number of projects in collaboration with others who have hikikomori, touching on such themes as care and ethnology while exploring issues involved in collaborating with people who live in isolation, the possibility and impossibility of empathy, and social inclusion. His work pursues the potential for art to physically and psychologically engage in social issues and directly impact their resolution. In addition to his artistic output, he has drawn on his experience with acute social withdrawal to speak with the media, present at symposiums, and write articles.

Recent Major Exhibitions and Awards
2022 Aichi Triennale 2022, Aichi Arts Center, Aichi, Japan
2021 Project Exhibition: The Day We Saw the Same Moon, R16 Studio, Kanagawa, Japan
2021 Turn Fes 6, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan
2020 Looking for Another Family, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea
2020 Yokohama Culture Award, Culture and Art Encouragement Prize, Yokohama, Japan