A group of Japanese artists currently based in Germany will present an international exhibition and series of events in collaboration with the West German Artists’ Association. The project began at the exhibition hall of Hawerkamp in Münster, Germany this year 2024, it will travel to Kaunas, Lithuania, and ultimately to Fukushima, Japan in 2026.

All participating artists in the exhibition Double passport – Me – Packed in a suitcase have left their countries of origin and are engaged in the theme of intercultural dialogue. Many have lived and worked in Germany for years while maintaining deep personal and artistic ties to Japan. These dual cultural connections strongly influence their creative practices, including their media choices and cultural identities.

The exhibition explores the ongoing transformation of digital and analogue technologies, cultures, and economies through visually compelling artworks. Participating artists work across a wide range of contemporary art media—painting, printmaking, photography, video, performance, and literature—to express their individual voices and perspectives.

The journey bagan in Münster, Germany, and will continue to Kaunas, Lithuania, before reaching its final destination: the International Art Village in Nishiaizu, Fukushima, Japan. This venue was established in close partnership with the Embassy of Lithuania in Japan. Kaunas, the Lithuanian host city, holds a deep appreciation for the humanitarian actions of former Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara during World War II. It is also a city that embraces profound reflection on human existence and cultural significance— particularly resonant in the complex, post-pandemic world we now face.

Through this project, we aim to open a shared space for exploring questions of identity and belonging with the people of Lithuania, using art as our common language. We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to foster this intercultural dialogue.