AIR 3331

[Talk]
"Human as a Body"
By Nurana Rajabova (Azerbaijan)

When: May 20 (Wed) 17:00–18:00
Where: AIR 3331 Residence & Studio
https://residence.3331.jp/en/access/
Entry: Free

Nurana Rajabova is a writer with a primary focus on philosophy. Interested in exploring the human as a bodily being, during her residency she has aimed to explore this subject from two angles, namely, the philosophy of body in Japanese tradition of thought, and the relationship between character and the human body.

For the former, she has researched Nishida Kitaro’s work, particularly his concepts like “the world as the body” and “the unity of subject and object”.

For the latter, she has interviewed theatre actors to explore layers of character as a phenomenon, the relationship between the subject/agent and the role of the body in its emergence. During the event she will be presenting the pivotal points of her philosophy of body, along with the findings of her research.

About the artist:
Nurana Rajabova
https://residence.3331.jp/en/artists/019909.html
日本語：
ヌラナ・ラジャボヴァ
https://residence.3331.jp/artists/019910.html

[Exhibition]
"Tokyo-Ga"
By Erik Hadife (Lebanon)

When: May 8 (Fri) - May 10 (Sun), 2026
17:30-20:00 (Fri), 14:00-18:30 (Sat & Sun)
Where: AIR 3331 Residence & Studio
https://residence.3331.jp/en/access/
Entry: Free

A series of photographs intuitively taken across Tokyo. People, objects, signage – whatever caught the eye. Some are quick, others more still, but all share the same instinct: to look and hold onto something for a moment. Taken together, they form a record of things that lingered, and a way of assembling a place from what stands out. Not a full picture of a city, but a personal version – partial, subjective, and open-ended.

About the artist:
Erik Hadife
https://residence.3331.jp/en/artists/019907.html
日本語：
エリック・ハディフェ
https://residence.3331.jp/artists/019908.html

[Exhibition]
"BEWARE! THE FLOWERS WILL BITE!"
By Jesse Mineo (United States)

When: April 30 (Thurs) - May 2 (Sat), 2026
17:00-20:00 (Thurs), 13:00-16:00 (Fri), 13:00-16:00 (Sat)
Talk: 19:00 on April 30 (Thurs)
Where: AIR 3331 Residence & Studio
https://residence.3331.jp/en/access/
Entry: Free

Jesse Mineo is assemblage and installation artist from New York City. He will be exhibiting work created during his residency in Iwamotocho. These newest assemblages are an exploration of memory and are inspired by the questions: What is the nature of memory? How are memories held in the mind, body and soul? Why do we experience nostalgia? And if nostalgia is so beautiful, why does it bite? The work is comprised of materials and components from long standing electronic parts and supplies stores in Akihabara.

About the artist:
Jesse Mineo
https://residence.3331.jp/en/artists/019915.html
日本語：
ジェシー・ミネオ
https://residence.3331.jp/artists/019918.html

[Exhibition]
"Fluffy Emptiness"
By Sze-Wing Chan (Hong Kong)

Dates: April 24 (Fri) - April 26 (Sun), 2026
Hours: 18:00-21:00 (Fri), 11:30-21:00 (Sat), 11:30-16:00 (Sun)
Where: Yubido 2F Gallery (Jimbocho)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/6edeHCNL8qFGnAA7A
Entry: Free

"Fluffy Emptiness" explores the formation of space through soft, tactile materials such as foam, sponge, and polyethylene foam. Emphasizing fluffiness as a sensory condition, the work investigates how specific materials produce distinct sensory conditions that give rise to new spatial perceptions.

Taking as its starting point the Japanese tearoom—an archetypal space within Japanese architecture—the project draws from contemporary reinterpretations by architects such as Kengo Kuma, Togo Murano, and Hiroshi Sugimoto.

Constructed from materials not typically used as primary architectural elements, the exhibition proposes a new spatial experience that invites curiosity and wonder, reimagining the tearoom as a lightweight, temporary, and reconstructable environment, where structure softens into atmosphere.

About the artist:
Sze-Wing Chan
https://residence.3331.jp/en/artists/019893.html
日本語：
チャン・シー　ウィン
https://residence.3331.jp/artists/019897.html

[Exhibition]
"Shared Ground"
By Sophia Herrington (Canada)

When: March 26 (Thurs) - March 27 (Fri) 16:00-20:00
March 28 10:00-14:00
Opening Reception: March 26 (Thurs) 18:00-20:00
Where: AIR 3331 Residence & Studio
https://residence.3331.jp/en/access/
Admission: Free

"Shared Ground" presents a series of prints shaped by my time spent in Japan, where everyday encounters with street-level greenery shifted my understanding of urban space. Small, cared-for plants, placed outside homes and shops, became moments of quiet surprise and attention. Focusing on often-overlooked details, these works document my encounters through linocut prints. which have been extended with drawings of the surrounding environment. Made while living and working in Japan, these works reflect both observation and personal growth, considering how care, routine, and environment shape the experience of a city.

About the artist:
Sophia Herrington
https://residence.3331.jp/en/artists/019903.html
日本語：
ソフィア・ヘリントン
https://residence.3331.jp/artists/019904.html

[Exhibition]
"From Sea to Studio: Print by Print"
By Nicholas Mangels (Brazil)

When: March 6 (Fri) 18:00-20:30 / March 7 (Sat) 13:00-18:00
Artist Talk: March 6 (Fri) 18:00-20:00
Where: AIR 3331 Residence & Studio
https://residence.3331.jp/en/access/
Admission: Free

Shaped by trial, error, and continual experimentation, this work begins with a single underwater encounter in Okinawa. Each print traces the transformation of a digital image into hand-coated prints on washi. In an era of AI frictionless imagery, these prints foreground patience and the act of making. Each attempt reveals shifts in chemistry, exposure, washi variations, and touch. Rather than polished perfection, this body of work embraces the wabi-sabi philosophy, reminding us that imperfection becomes the soul of creation.

About the artist:
Nicholas Mangels
https://residence.3331.jp/en/artists/019894.html
日本語：
ニコラス・マンゲルス
https://residence.3331.jp/artists/019899.html

[Exhibition]
"Ceramic Memories: The Stories Behind the Ink"
By Wang Tat Lau

Schedule: 2/26 (Thurs.) 12:00-18:00, 2/27 (Fri.) 12:00-14:00
Venue: AIR 3331 Residence & Studio
https://residence.3331.jp/en/access/
Admission: Free

By translating the textures and motifs of ceramic artistry into the medium of printmaking, this exhibition traces the journey of each bookmark, drawing inspiration from previous ceramic works and the stories that have breathed life into these impressions.

About the artist:
Wang Tat Lau
https://residence.3331.jp/en/artists/019895.html

日本語：
リュウ・ワンタット
https://residence.3331.jp/artists/019900.html

[Stage Play]

"Backstage Tokyo"

By Yeliz Celebic (Bosnia and Herzegovina & Turkey)

Date: January 26 (Mon), 2026
Time: 19:00-20:00

Place: Theater Brats
〒160-0022 Tokyo, Shinjuku-ku
Shinjuku 1 Chome 34-16 Shimizu Bldg. B1F
https://www.theater-brats.com

Admission: Free of charge

Backstage Tokyo is a hybrid theatre performance inspired by Anton Chekhov's "The Seagull" and incorporates autobiographical elements. Centered on the character of Nina, her monologues are divided between two female actors; one appearing in Tokyo's public spaces and the other on stage––bringing the rhythm of the city into dialogue with personal memory. Video footage produced specifically for Tokyo is woven into the stage action, while music, taste, and memory create a multi-layered narrative extending toward the Balkan and Mediterranean regions. The work explores states of in-betweenness: between backstage and frontstage, role and reality, visibility and invisibility, and between the past and present.

Developed within the framework of the AIR 3331 residency, this project is dedicated to those who bring distant places closer with their friendship.
Visual design: Tadashi Ueda

Air 3331 ''Schoolgirl'' theatre play
January 24 (Sat) 2026
At Buoy
https://buoy.or.jp/about/

Doors open: 15.30
Starting time: 16.00/ Ending time: 16.50

Student price 1000 yen
Standard price 2000 yen
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfCzyWvt4h0qXLOMrp3sh7tvuXEuKB8xARbXe89cO65Bq4m7w/viewform

Kayhan Berkin (İstanbul)

School Girl is a performance and video project developed during a residency at AIR 3331. Reinterpreting Osamu Dazai’s 1939 novella for contemporary Tokyo, the work establishes a dialogue between two girls who never meet: a Japanese schoolgirl walking through the streets of Tokyo in 1939, and a young woman living in Turkey in 2026.

On stage, a Japanese actor performs the 1939 text live in Japanese. On screen, a Turkish actor appears as a 2026 character, speaking in her own language with subtitles. Living in different cities and different times, they face similar concerns: financial hardship, family, fear of the future, loneliness, and expectations related to gender.

Poster design: Önder Sakıp Dündar

[Exhibition]
"Modern Views of Tokyo"
By Jeffrey de Bruin (The Netherlands)

Opening: Dec. 26 (Fri.) 18:00-20:00
Exhibition: Dec. 27 (Sat.)–Dec. 28 (Sun.) 14:00-18:00
AIR 3331 Residence & Studio
https://residence.3331.jp/en/access/
Admission: Free

"Modern Views of Tokyo" is a series of new works inspired by some of Tokyo’s most recognizable landmarks, including Senso-ji, Tokyo Station, and Akihabara Electric Town.

Through a personal visual language that balances precise architectural structure with playful, rhythmic details, de Bruin reinterprets these familiar places as living and breathing spaces.

Rather than documenting the city, the works translate how Tokyo feels — energetic, welcoming, layered, and human — combining urban architecture, flowing crowds, and open skies into a cohesive body of work.

About the artist:
Jeffrey de Bruin
https://residence.3331.jp/en/artists/019873.html
ジェフリー・デ・ブルエイン
https://residence.3331.jp/artists/019876.html