Donate (Copy)
why “collaborative” in our name?
It’s our vision to build this with the community of people who care about this work. We certainly can’t do this alone.
your donation has a lasting imapct
vulnerable films and videos will be conserved in archives
you discover japanese avant garde works through screenings, exhibitions, database, and texts
we continue to identify collections that are in need
Become a member and access our Membership Monthly Feature on our viewing platform, plus discounts on special online screening and event programs.
Your donation will make an impact in helping to preserve, create access to, and document Japanese experimental moving image. If this is a cause that speaks to you, please support this tiny not-for-profit organization by giving a tax-deductible donation.
Here are some ways your funds will be used in the upcoming year
Preservation Projects
Building on the Collection Surveys of works by Keiichi Tanaami and Ko Nakajima in 2018, we still have more works we urgently need to preserve. See here for Preservation Projects accomplished thus far. All preservation projects that have archival-level materials produced, we donate the end-product to archival facilities. Thus far, we have donated works to Tokyo Photographic Art Museum, The Museum of Modern Art, and Keio University Art Center.
A Hidden Gem: Japanese Experimental Animation
Japanese Experimental Animation is a cultural treasure that needs support in order to preserve them for future generations. Film deterioration does not take a pause: even since 2019, the film show signs of decay and near-obsolescence. In our Collection Survey in 2018, we researched the collection of artist Ko Nakajima, who made animations in the early 1960s. During the survey, we discovered the negatives (pictured below left). We searched for funding to digitize this remarkable work, which we (together with the artist), were able to donate to The Museum of Modern Art for archival safekeeping. The collection survey work (pictured in 2 images on the left below) has resulted in preservation and exhibition of works by Ko Nakajima.
Ko Nakajima, Seizoki / 精造機 ｜1964, 4 min, 16mm film, color, sound (excerpt)
Exhibition of works by Ko Nakajima at White Box Harlem gallery, April, 2019.
Our previous public events featuring experimental animations demonstrate
that this cultural treasure is of interest to not only the scholarly researchers, but by a variety of audience. In 2019, we invited Nakajima to New York and Philadelphia for screenings of his newly digitized works. The response and turnout of the events were overwhelming—young artists and media art supporters came to the event in New York, children through elderly enjoyed the workshop event, “History of Japanese Animation—Edo-era Magic Lanterns to 1960s Avant-Garde Animation” in Philadelphia. This is the time to save these works.
We are currently fundraising to organize our next Collection Survey research, which is the base for all of our dissemination projects (exhibitions, screenings, essays, etc.) that derive from this initial research.
What we do: BACKGROUND
Established in 2015, Collaborative Cataloging Japan (CCJ) has steadily tackled the issue around the preservation of Japanese experimental moving image works. CCJ is dedicated to preserving, documenting, and disseminating the legacy of Japanese experimental moving image made in 1950s —1980s, in order to enable their appreciation by a wider audience. Without this effort, the unique sector of Japanese cultural heritage, which historically has been underrepresented and unsupported, would remain available to only a very few. Buried in artists’ studios or independent archives, many works are in danger of literal disappearance as film and video mediums continue to deteriorate. The scope of moving image focus includes: fine art on film and video, documentations of performance, independently produced documentaries, experimental animation, and experimental television. In the short span of time, we have thus far accomplished the following projects:
3 Collection Survey research with full reports
3 International Professional Exchanges with 5 fellows
10 Preservation projects which are now housed at museum and research facilities 1 Database Project
1 Printed Publication (January 2020)
3 Online Essay Publication in English & Japanese
9 Workshops & Lectures
8 Published Interviews & Artist Talk documentations
18 Artists Profiles
39 Screenings & Exhibitions
Increase in Awareness
With the series of projects launched this spring (and also postponed or cancelled unfortunately due to the Coronavirus outbreak), subscribers to our newsletter, social media accounts, and visits to our webpage have all increased. Even at halfway point in 2020, our website visits have gone up 57.2% since the total last year. The recent announcement of our publication launch was well received, with a click rate of 52.2%, and 800 organic reach on Facebook. Since the launch of our online on-demand screening, it has received interest from people from a wide geographic range: U.S., Japan, Germany, and India.
Long-term Impacts
Archive
Films and archival digital master files that have been donated MoMA and Tokyo Photographic Art Museum, are part of their permanent collections. This means that these archival materials will be kept in the best condition possible, at their state-of-the-art facilities. No longer sitting in an artists studio in Japan, where humidity degrades these works year to year, we will have an near-everlasting way to view these important historical works.
Access
The access copies of the works are made available as excerpt previews on our website, allowing anyone to learn about these works and artists. The data we collect from our Collection Surveys are published on our website, as well as on our Database prototype, to be launched very soon.