In commemoration of the 155th anniversary of the founding of Ritsumeikan and the 125th anniversary of the founding of the Academy, we are pleased to announce the upcoming symposium 'Visualizing Art and Technology through Future Research Design: A Transdisciplinary Challenge in Digital Public Humanities,' organized by the Ritsumeikan Advanced Research Academy (RARA) and co-organized by the Art Research Center (ARC). The event will be held on Saturday, July 12, 2025.

As technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace--particularly with significant advances in generative AI and XR (extended reality technologies that blend the physical and digital worlds)--fundamental questions have reemerged: What does it mean to be human? Where does creativity originate? As technology grows more sophisticated, there is a renewed appreciation for the embodied experiences and values of art and design, leading to new forms of cross-disciplinary collaborations on a global scale.

The Ritsumeikan Advanced Research Academy (RARA) is dedicated to fostering "nodes" of connection that bridge the sciences, humanities, and the arts--generating new knowledge through interdisciplinary dialogue inside and outside the university.

In order to share and deepen knowledge, this symposium is held to explore how art and technology can visualize and expand human wisdom, experiences, places, and the very process of research itself.

Featured speakers include Prof. Ryo Akama (College of Letters), Director of the Art Research Center (ARC); ARC-affiliated faculty members Prof. Takanobu Nishiura and Prof. Satoshi Tanaka (College of Information Science and Engineering); and Dr. Monika Bincsik, Diane and Arthur Abbey Curator for Japanese Decorative Arts at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Visiting Senior Researcher at the ARC.

We warmly invite you to join us for this interdisciplinary discussion.

Date: Saturday, July 12, 2025, 13:00-17:40 (doors open at 12:30)

Venue: Learning Infinity Hall, 2F, Building H, Osaka Ibaraki Campus (OIC), Ritsumeikan University + Online Livestream

Capacity: 200 on-site participants / 500 online participants

Details & Registration (free) → https://rararits250712.peatix.com (in Japanese)

This event will be held in Japanese.

Co-organizers: Art Research Center (ARC); Asia-Japan Research Institute; Committee for Establishment of the College of Art and Design, Ritsumeikan University