Arts and Culture Japan Project #45098

Create Virtual Tours to Share the Hiroshima Panels

by Maruki Gallery for the Hiroshima Panels Foundation

Project Report | Mar 19, 2021
Filming of the Hiroshima Panels and Editing

By Yumi Iwasaki | Project Leader

As we wrote in the previous report, we finished most of the filming last summer. The final part of the shoot is taking place right now, as the panels that were on loan to other museums finally came back to the gallery.

The recording of the voice-over and narration will also take place at the end of March. Meanwhile, the editing of the film is in progress. Unlike other typical virtual tours, this project will also be an artistic piece and a story which will take you to the world of the Maruki Gallery and introduce you to the people and works that are profoundly intertwined with the Marukis and the Gallery.

We are preparing to hold a gala screening at the Gallery on the opening anniversary (May 5) followed by the release of the complete film before the anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima (August 6) this year.

We will keep you posted on the trailers and the release date of our first virtual tour film!

Thank you so much for all your support!

Links:

To the Land of Mothers - Trailer #1 Link

Permalink

Nov 24, 2020
Message from the Director and a Sneak-peek of the Virtual Tour!

By Yumi Iwasaki | Project Leader

Greetings from the Maruki Gallery for the Hiroshima Panels!

Today, we would like to share a message from the director, Takashi Arai. He has been working very hard to create this Virtual Tour film. He shares his thoughts and appreciation for your support.

+++++

Thank you so much for all of your support in creating the virtual tour of the Maruki Gallery.

This virtual tour is not a typical virtual experience using AR gear. We aim to offer an experience to visit the Gallery cinematically through the eyes of 17-year-old protagonist called Yukina.

This film consists of four parts:

1. Encounters of the protagonist and the artists who have a close connection with the Maruki Gallery

2. Phantasmagorias inspired by some of the Hiroshima Panels

3. Interviews with individuals involved in the Maruki Gallery

4. High-resolution images of the Hiroshima Panels

I remember my first visit to the Maruki Gallery clearly. One summer day, I walked from the train station to get to the Gallery. After 40 minutes of walking, a view of the Toki River spread out in front of my eyes and it captivated me. I entered the unique gallery building which was repeatedly expanded over the years. The Hiroshima Panels were exhibited side by side, within arm’s reach. An encounter with the works of the Marukis is unlike any other experience with a painting. It is a rather multi-dimensional experience in which you get shaken and swayed by emotion. I hope this film will be an opportunity to give you a glance of the experience and eventually lead to a visit to the Gallery.

+++++

Because you made this virtual tour possible, let us share a link to the presentation video so that you can have a sneak-peek of the film! (Please click HERE - Please note that this video is unofficial and for your eyes only!)

Most of this presentation video is only in Japanese, but it should give you a feel for the upcoming film. It shows the 17 year-old protagonist Yukina, who is studying to be an art university student. She learns about the Hiroshima Panels and decides to visit the Maruki Gallery.

It offers the explanation about the 4 elements of the film and samples. The lady in #2 is Hisako Maruki, niece of the Marukis, and #3 is part of an interview with Mr. John Junkerman (in English). Mr. Junkerman filmed “Hellfire: A Journey from Hiroshima,” a portrait of the Marukis in 1986, which was nominated for an Academy Award.

Thanks to supporters like you, we have successfully reached our initial goal of 10,000 USD during the first month of fundraising. However, having so much to show and so many stories to tell about the Maruki Gallery, the film became twice as long as we had originally planned (it was 20 minutes and now approx. 50 minutes), which means we need a bigger budget. We would be very grateful if you could keep spreading the word to your friends and family to fund the entire film.

Thank you again for all of your support! We will keep you posted on our progress!

With gratitude,

Maruki Gallery for the Hiroshima Panels

Links:

SNEAK-PREVIEW VIDEO (for your eyes only)

Permalink

Oct 6, 2020
Progress Report - Most of the filming is finished!

By Yumi Iwasaki | Project Leader

‹ 1 2 3 4 5 6 ›

About Project Reports

Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.

If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.