🔶The medium is the message
In the sense that communications theorist Marshall McLuhan postulated “the medium is the message”, we aspire to create mixed-media projects (cross-media art/films, photo exhibitions, books, etc.) to promote and build new bridges where East meets West in artistic, creative and spiritual contexts.
A key to this is to craft enduring messages to serve as the media, reflecting originality and identity, yet universally transcending local/indigenous culture in the global civilization. We strive to link these in a form of human network spreading empathy and egalitarianism through art, media and communications.
Our “media art league” works to expand this linkage on the multi-cultural and ultimately — “omnilateral” — levels.
🔶Being essentially cooperative
Conceivable are such mutual-aid principles as were advocated by Peter Kropotkin (1842-1921) which hold that evolution and human nature are essentially cooperative, rather than competitive; which need to be applied to contemporary society, towards achieving equality out of diversity — through the holistic convergence of the macro and micro-perspective, as is propagated by many ancient wisdoms.
MEDIA ART LEAGUE strives to create a forum of minds & souls with artists, authors, cultural/intellectual leaders, philanthropists and entrepreneurs throughout Asia, Europe and the Americas.
For the sake of better communication towards mutual understanding, our media focuses on inspiring peace, igniting the awareness to share with each other, so that ultimately the medium might be a massage for the soul (Marshall McLuhan).
🔶About Us
MEDIA ART LEAGUE is media and art centred network comprising professionals from various walks of life and cultural backgrounds including: artists, academics, editors/journalists, language professionals, curators, moviemakers, scientists, etc.
Collaborating with Japanese art foundations, museums/libraries, media & academic organisations, governmental institutions, etc., we are involved in milestone international projects of civic and cultural merit, incl. art & cultural activities, audio-visual planning/production, borderless media & communications projects as well as educational & research activities.
MEDIA ART LEAGUE endows museums, libraries, universities, and other public institutions with visual/photographic works, publications, etc. pertaining to Japanese/Asian/Eurasian culture.
🔶Objective & Contribution
- Borderless media and communications projects including mass media/publishing/audio-visual production on multilateral levels.
- Introducing selected elements of Japanese and other Asian/Eurasian cultural heritage that provide significant civic and cultural contributions to the World.
- Establishing archives of Miro Ito’s fine art photographs portraying national treasures, important cultural assets, UNESCO World Heritage sites & examples of World Cultural Intangible Heritage, including documentary photographs/films.
- Research and educational activities, especially pertaining to world spiritual culture and Japanese/Asian/Eurasian culture & traditions
- Endowing leading museums, libraries, universities, and other academic institutions worldwide with visual/photographic works, publications, etc. pertaining to Japanese and other Asian/Eurasian culture, as the International Media & Art League Collections.
🔶Art & Culture Projects
1. Photographing & archiving World Cultural Heritage art treasures (tangible and intangible)
2. Preserving, exhibiting & donating/sharing national treasures & important cultural assets for the benefit of humankind
3. Creating cross media art work/films for international media distribution and academic/educational purposes
4. Producing diverse international exchange projects
🔶Corporate Creative Projects
1. Planning & producing cross media projects including films, websites, publications, etc.
2. Producing CSR (corporate social responsibility) projects
3. Photographing art images, advertising work, portraitures, architecture, documentary, etc.
4. Producing & consulting for art/design-related projects (exhibitions, product development, logo creation, etc.)
🔶Publishing & Educational Projects
1. Researching & publishing related to Japanese/Eurasian spiritual & cultural heritage
2. Publishing photographic art & essays, including related educational activities
3. Contributing features and interview articles for specialty media
4. Planning-to-Publishing book projects
🔶Research & Translating Projects
1. Research projects
2. Academic translation
3. International public relations projects (for copywriting/editing/localising)
4. Consulting (related to international communications)
🔶NY NPO Activity (International Media & Art League) → see《NY NPO Activity》for details.
🔶Brief Chronology of MEDIA ART LEAGUE (Tokyo, New York, Toronto)
🔸Founding – 2003
Established as a multi-cultural creative team in 1995, named “Zwei Plus” by Miro Ito (Tokyo) and Andreas Boettcher (Toronto & Duesseldorf) to promote art & communications through publicised media work, involving planning, editing, writing and photography/image-creation as well as public/private sector assignments across Japan, Europe and North America.
In 1996 Zwei Plus was incorporated as a company limited (yugen gaisha; present goshi gaisha) in Japan.
Returning to Canada in 1998, Andreas Boettcher, who had represented Zwei Plus interests in Europe, temporarily relocated to Tokyo the following year to concentrate on multi-national projects (later joining Honyaku Center Inc.)
After Miro Ito’s relocation to New York, in 1999 and the events of 9/11 in 2001, the emphasis shifted to more international, long-term and creative art & cultural activities that send out messages for lasting peace as a “world heritage of life and prayer”.
To this end, Miro Ito temporarily returned to her native Japan for her own project of 1400 years Asian spiritual traditions in Nara (Japan) in 2005.
🔸2003-present
Since then, Miro Ito has been involved in media and art projects as creator & producer with the artistic aspiration to promote understanding and peace through MEDIA ART LEAGUE initiatives.
In line with this initiative, the company was renamed MEDIA ART LEAGUE in 2003 and Andreas Boettcher became Director of International Communications.
In 2015, Andreas Boettcher proceeded to establish a new branch of MEDIA ART LEAGUE in Toronto.
On occasion of the 30th anniversary of establishing MEDIA ART LEAGUE, Miro Ito is planning to launch an NPO in New York in 2026.
🔶Company Profile
Tokyo Headquarters: 1-1-2-309 Kamiuma, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 154-0011, JAPAN
Toronto: 2410-15 Windermere Avenue, Toronto, ON M6S5A2, CANADA
Executive Director: Miro Ito, artist, author, producer&director (art & culture), Tokyo & New York
Managing Director/Director of International Communications: Andreas Boettcher, editor/translator, researcher/consultant, Tokyo & Toronto
Client List
🔶Art Projects
Artwork Production: Japan’s Cultural Agency (Cluster Project: Ikasu-Nara Regional Council), Nara Prefecture, Canon Group, SME Families
CSR Project Prentation: Nippon Care Communications
※ See《Creative Projects》for details.
🔶Creative Projects
Advertising Photography: Dentsu USA, Dentsu (Tokyo), Ogilvy & Mather Japan, Tamron Bronica (present Tamron, USA/Japan), etc.
Portrait Photography: Universal Music Japan (including former Polydor), BMG Japan (present Ariola Japan), Pony Canyon, Victor Entertainment (present JVC・Victor Entertainment), Nikkei BP, Toyo Keizai, Bungenshunju, Shinchosha Publishing, etc.
Architectural Photography: Nikkei BP, Design Labo, Inoue Kogyo, Klaus Roth Architekten, Form, Iwamura Atelier, etc.
Product Development: ANA Trading, Nippon Care Communications
Creative Promotion: Japanese Cultural Week in Frankfurt, etc.
🔶Publishing & Media
Media Contributions: Nikkei BP, Toyo Keizai, Tokyo Broadcasting System Television, Shinchosha Publishing, Shogakukan, Asahi Shimbun Publications, Mainichi Newspaper, Bungeishunju, Chuo Koron Shinsha, Rikuyosha, Genkosha, Shashin Kogyo, Motor Magazine, MdN Corporation, Dentsu, etc.
Monthly Column/Contribution: Asahi Shimbun Publications (Asahi Camera)
Book Projects: Seibundo Shinkosha, Randomhouse Kodansha, MdN Corporation, Nippon Camera, Ohmsha, etc.
Web Media Production: Nippon Care Communications, SAIL, Honyaku Center, etc.
🔶Research & Translation Projects
Research Projects: Roland Berger Japan, Shizuoka Prefecture, JETRO Duesseldorf, JETRO Hamburg, MITI (present METI), etc.
Academic Translation Projects: Musashino Art University Museum & Library, Tōdaii Temple, Yorozu Kyogen, NPO ACT.JT., Neumeister Design etc.
Lectures: Cultural Agency of Japan, Nara Prefecture, Japanese Diplomatic Establishment Abroad, Northwestern University, University of Chicago, DePaul University, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Japan Foundation (Toronto), MAZDA R&D Center Yokohama, EU Commission, etc.
Consultation Projects: Nara Visitor Bureau, Honyaku Center, Asahi Shimbun, ERCO Leuchten, WESCHO Ladenbau, etc.
Localization Projects: Fissler Japan, Mylaps Japan, NEC/International Communication Planning, Softbank, Gastec, etc.
(random order)
