TOKAS Project Vol. 8: “Entangled Protocol and the Flowing Edge”

Participating artists include the Swiss duo Monica Studer/Christoph van den Berg; Basel-based Leonardo Bürgi Tenorio; and Tokyo and Aichi-based Rika Nakashima. Coming from different countries and speaking different languages, each artist sheds light on the hidden complexities of our everyday lives and opens up new ways of perceiving the world.

Monica Studer/Christoph van den Berg have been creating immersive virtual spaces using CG and programming since the 1990s, navigating the boundary between reality and simulation. Their multimedia installation in this exhibition centers on an imagined AI research facility and explores the potential for artificial consciousness. Based in Basel, the duo is also active in research and education, and their work has been widely exhibited throughout Europe.

Leonardo Bürgi Tenorio focuses on the life cycles embedded in fermentation and fungal networks. During his stay in Japan, he delved into the depth of koji culture and visualizes the entanglement between nature and human culture through sculptural expressions using wood and other natural materials.

Rika Nakashima presents a sound installation inspired by her research into assisted dying in Switzerland. Her work prompts us to reconsider the relationships between life and death, the individual and society, and challenges the boundaries of perception and awareness.

Come and experience the culmination of artistic dialogue between Switzerland and Japan — a rich and evolving exchange shaped through 15 years of creative connection.

Dates: August 23 (Sat) – September 28 (Sun), 2025
Hours: 11:00–19:00 (Last admission: 18:30)
Closed on Mondays (except open Sept. 15 / closed Sept. 16)
Venue: Tokyo Arts and Space Hongo (2-4-16 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo)
Admission: Free
More info: Official Exhibition Page
Organized by: Tokyo Arts and Space (Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture)
Supported by: Embassy of Switzerland in Japan

In connection with the exhibition, Kaoru Murakami —who returned from Basel in June— will also give a presentation in Tokyo sharing her experiences from her stay in Basel, focusing on cultural and ecological aspects of Swiss society and her papermaking research using locally collected plant fibers. The talk, titled Walking, Making, Thinking in Switzerland – Art and Environment Seen from Basel, will take place on Sunday, 7 September 2025 (14:00–16:00) at THE BASES, Tokyo, in Japanese. It will include images and videos from her fieldwork, souvenirs from Switzerland, and space for dialogue with participants. 

Date: September 7 (Sun), 2025
Hours: 14:00–16:00
Venue: THE BASES (2-10-15 Gakuen Nishimachi, Kodaira-shi, Tokyo)
Language: Japanese

About Atelier Mondial

Atelier Mondial was established in 1986 by the Christoph Merian Foundation (*). In 2014, it relocated to the Dreispitzareal district, a vibrant new hub for the arts. The facility offers seven combined studio-residences for international artists and seventeen studios for Swiss artists, along with a spacious exhibition area. The same building also houses a media art center, photography studio, galleries, and more. A university of the arts is located on the premises as well.
*Note: The program was originally named IAAB (“Internationales Atelier- und Austauschprogramm der Region Basel”) and has operated under its current name since 2014.
More info: Atelier Mondial