Artwork for Peace with Kyoto Children at Ace Hotel Kyoto

The “NAKED GARDEN ONE KYOTO” is a next-generation art project that treats the Kyoto area as a single “garden” and allows visitors to enjoy Kyoto in various areas through a crossover between the real and virtual worlds of the metaverse. supported by Mitsubishi UFJ Bank”, a next-generation art project that allows visitors to enjoy Kyoto in various areas.

As part of the project, “DANDELION PROJECT x Ace Hotel Kyoto @ Shinfukan”, a work created in collaboration with Kyoto children, will be exhibited in the courtyard on the first floor of Shinfukan until December 25, 2012.

DANDELION PROJECT” is an art project by artist Ryotaro Muramatsu to install dandelion art objects “DANDELION” around the world and make flowers, a symbol of peace, bloom all over the world.

This year’s project is a triple collaboration with Shinpukan and Ace Hotel Kyoto. It is also a collaboration with students of the art club of Kyoto Municipal Kyoto Oike Junior High School. Visitors can experience a different “DANDELION” from other venues, where flowers painted by children with their wishes for peace will bloom.

At the ceremony on December 8, Nicholas-James Black, General Manager of Ace Hotel, and Yukane Hori, Art Club Director of Kyoto Municipal Kyoto Oike Junior High School, took the stage along with Ryotaro Muramatsu, representative of Naked, the overall director, to celebrate the first unveiling of the work.

First, Muramatsu said, ” I thought it would be great to have a variety of flowers so that DANDELION could be placed in various places, and I am very happy that the local Kyoto Oike Junior High School students actually designed flowers forthe event. As a project that connects people around the world, DANDELION is valuable in connecting with various places through its network. We are very honored to be able to realize this project with the local students, the Ace Hotel, which values local arts and crafts, and the Shinpukan, which used to be a telephone station connecting different places, all connected in a roundabout way.” He expressed his thoughts on this “special work of art.

Ace Hotel Kyoto Mr. Nicholas then commented, ” When we were approached about this project, we thought about how we could get the local community involved through Ace Hotel, rather than directly participating in the project. When I had previously spoken about the SDGs as part of a class at Kyoto Oike Junior High School, I was very impressed by the enthusiastic attitude of the students, who will be responsible for the future. I asked them to participate in this project because I wanted to provide a venue for the children to create their own “peace flowers” at Ace Hotel, which they would create with their own free ideas.” commented on the background behind the creation of the collaborative work.

Mr. Hori, the head of the art department, commented, “We are very happy to be able to participate in NAKED’s activities this time. With this work, I hope that art will not be something only for a few people, but will be integrated into the city of Kyoto and enjoyed by many people. I hope that through the DANDELION PROJECT, the wish for peace in the world will be conveyed to people’s hearts. He expressed his joy of being involved in the project and his wish to reach people through their work.

At the end of the ceremony, a collaborative work with the Kyoto City Oike Junior High School Art Club was unveiled for the first time. Mr. Hori, the leader of the club, was nervous as he experienced “DANDELION. When the participants held up their smartphones to the digital artwork of dandelions, the fluff spread out and the ground of Shinpukan was decorated with beautiful flowers that the club members had created with their wishes for peace.

We hope you will join us at the “DANDELION PROJECT × Ace Hotel Kyoto @ Shimbukan,” a collaboration that can only be experienced at this time of year, and send your wishes for peace to the world on the flowers drawn by children in Kyoto.

What is “NAKED GARDEN ONE KYOTO supported by Mitsubishi UFJ Bank”?

NAKED GARDEN ONE KYOTO is a next-generation art project planned by NAKED, INC., a creative company that sees Kyoto as a single garden, transcending the boundaries of all genres to bring Kyoto together, and co-created with Kyoto City, Uji City, and Otsu City in Shiga Prefecture, and with Mitsubishi UFJ Bank, Ltd. and CyberAgent as project support partners.

In the real Kyoto, we will promote walking around Kyoto for both tourists and locals to fully enjoy Kyoto until nighttime with Naked art events and the “DANDELION PROJECT,” an art project that connects prayers for peace, and in the metaverse Kyoto, we will transmit Kyoto culture to the whole world through virtual experiences at Kyoto’s famous places that will serve as metaverse venues. The Kyoto Metaverse will disseminate Kyoto’s culture to the world through virtual experiences at Kyoto’s famous landmarks. Currently, 20 participating locations have been selected.

Ceremony (photo session)

Mr. Hori’s DANDELION experience

Group photo in front of this collaborative work

Students with joyful expressions on their faces.

Event Outline

Event Name： “NAKED GARDEN ONE KYOTO supported by Mitsubishi UFJ Bank

DANDELION PROJECT x Ace Hotel Kyoto @ Shinfukan Media Ceremony

Venue：Shinpukan 1F courtyard

Address：586-2, Bano-cho, Anekoji-sagaru, Karasuma-dori, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8172

Period：Thursday, December 8, 2022 – Sunday, December 25, 2022

Hours：17:00 – 21:00

Hosted by：Naked Co.

Co-sponsored by：Shinpukan, Ace Hotel Kyoto

Cooperation: Kyoto Municipal Kyoto Oike Junior High School Ceremony

〈Speakers at the Ceremony〉

Mr. Nicholas James Black, General Manager of Ace Hotel Kyoto,

Ms. Akane Hori, Art Club Director, Kyoto Oike Junior High School, Kyoto, Japan,

Ryotaro Muramatsu, Representative of Naked Inc.