The Initiative has been in the public eye, most recently as a feature in Architectural Record. The article is a thoughtful and thorough overview of the group’s activities to date. Accompanying the article is a slideshow with some great photos, showcasing important developments from Year One.
The Japan 3/11 Initiative was featured today in MIT News, showcasing upcoming projects for Year Two. Check out the link for updates as well as an interview with Shun Kanda on the intent behind the Initiative.
Check out this excellent video, capturing the story of the Babadoru 5-chome community and the shelter designed for them by the Japan 3/11 Initiative team. The narrative was artfully created by Atsushi Miyazaki.
For Those Within From Those Abroad is a public presentation of works created during this Fall’s class Artistic Intervention: Creative Responses to Conflict and Crisis, within MIT’s Arts, Culture + Technology program. Two group projects on view explore the notion of a gift as a way of responding to situations of conflict and crises from afar. The students specifically address the people of Minami Sanriku that were severely affected by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in the Tohoku region of Japan.
The event will take place in E15-001 (The Cube of the old Media Lab) on December 5 between 7 and 9 pm to see the gifts produced and the context behind them.
Artistic Intervention: Creative Responses to Conflict and Crisis is co-taught
this fall by Initiative collaborators Associate Professor and Program Head Ute Meta Bauer with Lecturer Jegan Vincent de Paul. Continue reading
Professors Shun Kanda and James Wescoat talked about their intervention in the tsunami hardest hit town of Minami-Sanriku in Japan. An intervention, MIT Japan 3/11, was created right after the disastrous tsunami that hit Japan in March this year. The images of the damage formed the collage of our news images for many days and many posts on Facebook read, ‘God Save Japan’. The presentation titled, “Beauty of Place: An Overnight Tragedy” described how overwhelming the task was. MIT collaborated with two universities in Japan, Miyagi University and Keio University. Continue reading
Asahi Newspaper covered the unveiling of the “seed” community center on November 7, 2011.
An English version of the article will follow shortly.
What happens when the community of Heisei no mori joins forces with 3/11 Initiative students, professionals, and professors? A seed is born! The above photo shows the first steps towards a community center in Utatsu. It is the hope that creating a covered outdoor space before winter snows fall will encourage the informal gatherings and brainstorms that have already taken place in the rebuilding.
More updates on the project will be provided as it progresses.
The Haiti and Japan Caucuses at the Harvard Kennedy School will be hosting a relevant event that highlights the long-term impact of natural disasters on mental and physical health today, November 15, 2011 from 6:30 pm – 8 pm at 124 Mt. Auburn Street, Suite 100, Room 106. (Map)
See the flyer for more information on the panelists.
This is a reminder of an event not to be missed: Professors James Wescoat and Shun Kanda will be sharing today (Monday the 14th) about the Japan 3/11 Initiative as part of MIT’s Art, Culture, and Technology lecture series. Details below, and hope to see you there!
Monday, November 14 at 7:00 PM
James Wescoat & Shun Kanda
MIT Japan 3/11 Initiative
Bartos Theater at MIT, Wiesner Building (E15), Lower Level Continue reading
Mayor Jin Sato and other Minami Sanriku residents were recently interviewed by MSNBC, on rebuilding 8 months after the tsunami.