Takayama Akira

Born in 1969, he returned to Japan after his theater activities in Germany and formed Port B in 2002. Since 2006, he has been working on projects to develop theatrical ideas in urban spaces based on physical research. In 2010, he attracted attention by publishing Complete Evacuation Manual, which set up “religious facilities”, “share houses”, “homeless people’s gatherings”, and “meeting cafes” that exist in the city as “refugees” and had “refugees (participants)” visit these places. Since then, he has been involved in various projects in cities both in Japan and abroad, including the Refugee Referendum Project, Tokyo Heteropia, and Yokohama Commune, which bring to light cities from a human perspective while involving artists across genres.

Reference Works : Akira Takayama, Babel, the City and its Towers, 2016. Installation view at “Roppongi Crossing 2016: My Body, Your Voice”, Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, 2016. Photo: Nagare Satoshi. Image courtesy of Mori Art Museum, Tokyo