Born in Tokyo in 1941, Ko Nakajima graduated from the University of Tokyo in 1964 and then taught at a photography school. From 1963 to 1983, he produced many videos and participated in various festivals throughout the world. From 1965 he worked in the field of experimental animation. As of 1983, his work started to take a decisive turn towards new technologies. He participated in the exhibition The Artist And The Computer, in which he hosted a workshop with the Aniputer. The Aniputer is a personal computer designed by Ko Nakajima to produce graphic designs. It was created with the research department of the Japan Victor Company (JVC) and allows the user to manipulate video and images on the computer, thus becoming an actor in the creation of animated images. Ko Nakajima would regularly host workshops with this computer, thus contributing to the dissemination and popularisation of the electronic image. A pioneer of art video, and animation in particular, he has participated in various other exhibitions on the theme of computing and computer-aided animation, regularly providing workshops in order to raise public awareness concerning these new practices.

However, these tools do not prevent him from focusing his themes on nature. The video Mount Fuji (1984) combines computer-generated images and photographs. This mountain is the highest peak in Japan. It is a volcano, which is still considered active even if it has not erupted since 1707. After a succession of photos that pay homage to the beauty of the site so greatly celebrated by the Japanese, Nakajima simulates an eruption in computer-generated images. Using the Aniputer, the photos of the mountain are animated on-screen, creating a dynamic sequence and a multi-image composition showing the diversity of imagery of Fujiyama. In 1988, he made Rangitoto, the name of a volcano on an island in New Zealand, for a New Zealand television channel, thus continuing his work on nature and volcanoes.

He is fascinated by Asian art history, Taoist philosophy and its influence on Japanese culture. His work draws inspiration from the five important elements of Taoist theory – trees, fire, earth, stone and water – and simply by nature as a whole. The most important element for him is earth, since it procures life for the plants that are essential to humankind. His videos essentially evoke these elements. Since these films are based on the idea of nature's cycles, the artist intends to link them together as a huge installation. In his latest works, the artist systematically presents these videos inside structures made from natural elements – soil, branches, tree trunks, foliage etc. The screens are positioned at variable heights and angles, inviting spectators to move their bodies, thus engaging in a physical relationship with the image and transforming the relationship to the electronic environment, which is basically designed for office use. For the Auckland Arts Festival in 2011 in New Zealand, the artist presented five video installations, showing a performance with Buto music and dancers. While he asserts his culture, he is also firmly attached to his era, hence the choice of this exclusively Japanese dance that nonetheless breaks with tradition. In keeping with his pedagogical and participative approach, the artist also set up a workshop with his Japanese colleague, Kentaro Taki, exploring ways of combining obsolete electronic material with the latest hi-tech equipment, in order to raise questions regarding technological development, consumerism and environmental issues.

Patricia Maincent