Japanese PM Shinzo Abe's special meeting with PM Narendra Modi in heritage city Kyoto

Japanese PM Shinzo Abe went to Kyoto as a special gesture to Indian PM Narendra Modi

In Kyoto PM Abe oversaw the ceremony where an MoU was signed by Indian Ambassador to Japan Deepa Wadhwa and Daisaku Kadokawa, Mayor of Kyoto. The Partner City Affiliation MoU marks the launch of smart heritage city programme between the two countries, to prepare a detailed road-map of cooperation. PM Modi's consitutent city Varanasi will be developed as a "Smart City" in partnership with Kyoto - a confluence of heritage and modernity. PM Modi also plans to create 100 smart cities in India.

 Shūnyatā: Visual Translation of the Void in Contemporary Japanese Art & Design

by Dr. Anu Jindal

Art Historian-Artist

Abstract

The Buddhist concept of shūnyatā (Sanskrit) kū (Japanese) variously translated as emptiness, void or non-substantiality was articulated by the Indian scholar Nagarjuna as a state of “neither existence nor nonexistence” which described the true nature of all things.

In Contemporary Japanese Visual Arts shūnyatā manifests as purity, tranquility, austerity, simplicity in contrast to the stress and turmoil of the world today. Shūnyatā also expounds on the latent potential inherent in life which can express itself at any time. Visual translation of the void encourages active participation by the viewer, prodding the memory bringing forth subliminal thoughts to rise into the consciousness.

This paper discusses shūnyatā in Japanese aesthetic renditions taking examples from contemporary art and design works.

copyright Anu Jindal 2014

(Full paper after presentation)