What are the things that are "unnecessary" yet "necessary" in the post-COVID era? The creator talk event "Creative Aliens #002" will be held online on March 25.

Dentsu Craft Tokyo, a creative house where top creators collaborate, will co-host " Creative Aliens #002 " with its sister organization Dentsu Lab Tokyo online on March 25.

First launched in 2019 as a public event, "Creative Aliens" aims to foster innovation through technology and creativity while elevating the entire creative industry. The theme for this second iteration is "The Necessary Unnecessary." Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, where many cultural activities have been deemed "non-essential" and subject to voluntary restraint, the event explores "Why is the unnecessary necessary?" for human life. Guests include Masumi Endo (Stage Director/Performer), Yasuhiro Suzuki (Artist), and Zach Lieberman (Artist/Researcher/Educator). Through creator-led talks and performances, the event explores what constitutes "necessary unnecessary" for each participant.

【"Creative Aliens" Special Site】
https://dentsucraft.tokyo/events/creative-aliens/002/

【Event Overview】
■Date & Time: Thursday, March 25, 18:00–21:30
■Format: Online (YouTube Live Stream)
　　　　　　 https://www.youtube.com/c/DentsuLabTokyo
■Participation Fee: Free
■Speakers:
　 [SPEAKERS] Masumi Endo, Yasuhiro Suzuki, Zach Lieberman
　 ［MODERATOR］ Yuna Tsukada
　 ［GRAPHIC RECORDER］ Junko Shimizu
■Program:
　18:00 - 18:10 Opening Talk
　6:10 PM - 6:50 PM Introduction to Dentsu Lab Tokyo / Dentsu Craft Tokyo
　6:50 PM - 7:40 PM TALK1 & Special Performance: Masumi Endo
　7:40 PM - 8:30 PM TALK2: Yasuhiro Suzuki
　8:30 PM - 9:20 PM TALK3: Zach Lieberman
　21:20 - 21:30 Closing Talk

【Speaker Introductions】

■Masumi Endo Stage Director/Performer
After graduating from the International Dance Academy, she relocated her base of operations to the UK in 2016. Alongside holding UK JAZZ DANCE workshops, she has performed in various settings from media to arts festivals, including European and American Levi's commercials, the LONDON JAZZ FES, and the Edinburgh Fringe.
Currently based in Japan, she works extensively on music video choreography and lectures at Kyushu University. She hosts expression workshops and sessions connecting people and places—from the sea and forests to libraries and schools—through performing arts, engaging participants from toddlers to seniors.
Based in her hometown of Itoshima City, Fukuoka Prefecture, she researches activities that allow people to feel the excitement of diversity and warm connections—whether locally, globally, or remotely—through dance.
https://www.masumiendo.com/

■Yasuhiro Suzuki, Artist
Born in Shizuoka Prefecture in 1979. Graduated from Tokyo Zokei University in 2001. Continues to create works that offer fresh perspectives on existing objects and familiar phenomena, questioning how we see things and perceive the world. Representative works include Blinking Leaf, Zipper Boat, and Air Person. Held solo exhibitions at Art Tower Mito in 2014 and Hakone Open-Air Museum in 2017. Participated in the 4th Moscow Biennale. Represented Japan at the 1st London Design Biennale 2016. In 2020, his public art piece "Shibuya Compass | Hachi's Universe" was permanently installed in the renovated Miyashita Park. Currently exhibiting the outdoor sculpture work "Fruit of Beginnings" at Towada Art Center. Received the 2014 Mainichi Design Award. Published monographs include "Blink and Flutter" and "The Earth Next Door" (Seigensha). Associate Professor at Musashino Art University; Visiting Researcher at the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo.
http://www.mabataki.com/
 

■Zach Lieberman Artist/Researcher/Educator
Driven by the simple goal of surprising people, he creates performances and installations that amplify human gestures in various ways—breathing life into drawings, visualizing voices, and transforming silhouettes into music.
Named one of Fast Company's 100 Most Creative People, he has also received the Ars Electronica Golden Nica and the Design Museum (London) Interactive Design of the Year award. His work has been featured in Time magazine's Best Inventions of the Year. While creating works through coding, he co-developed openFrameworks, an open-source C++ toolkit for creative coding. He also co-founded and teaches at the School for Poetic Computation, an institution exploring the poetic potential of code. He is a professor at the MIT Media Lab and leads the Future Sketches group.
http://zach.li/
 

■Junko Shimizu Design Researcher/Graphic Recorder
Born in 1986. Graduated from Tama Art University's Department of Information Design in 2009 and became a designer. Joined WATER DESIGN in 2012, engaging in business design to create cross-disciplinary ventures. Began activities as Tokyo Graphic Recorder in 2013. Joined Yahoo! JAPAN as a UX designer the same year. Completed a Master's degree in Design at Tokyo University of the Arts in 2019. Currently serves as a full-time lecturer in the Information Design Department at Tama Art University, teaching Media Design. Researches "Reborder"—a state where existing boundaries can be redefined in spaces where diverse people gather. Author of the book Graphic Recorder: A Textbook on Graphic Recording to Visualize Discussions.
https://4mimimizu.net/
 

■Tsukada Yuna Editor/Curator
Representative Director of the general incorporated association Whole Universe. Editor, curator. Editor-in-Chief of "Bound Baw," a media platform communicating global art and science. Launched the "SYNAPSE" project in 2010 with young researchers to connect science with other fields. Served as art curator for Tokyo Electron's "solaé art gallery project" from 2012. Responsible for media strategy for JST/RISTEX's "Human and Information Ecosystem (HITE)" project since 2016. Recent publications include ART SCIENCE is. The Transformation of the World Guided by Art Science (BNN), co-authored works such as Information Enwelt - A Guidebook for Playing Between the Body and AI (NTT Publishing), and edited books including Ai Hasegawa's How to Become a Revolutionary in 20XX: Lessons in Speculative Design (BNN). He is a part-time lecturer in the Department of Art Science at Osaka University of Arts.
http://boundbaw.com/