Lately, 80s and 90s science fiction films set in the future are crawling into our present-day — and they’re feeling less and less like fiction. Whether that’s AI companions, genetic modification, or reliance on technology, rapid scientific advancements have placed us in our own sci-fi world; we’re just not sure if it’s the utopian or dystopian kind. The famous 1995 anime film, Ghost in the Shell is no different. Until 5 April, Tokyo Node in Toranomon Hills offers a rare opportunity to reflect on this franchise’s contemporary implications and predictions, as well as the creative process and development spanning 30 years.
Set in the year 2029, Ghost in the Shell follows a human-cyborg hybrid population whose minds are being hacked by a cyber-criminal, the Puppet Master. Meanwhile, detective Motoko Kusanagi tries to hunt the hacker down and protect the information and minds of the citizenry. With 2029 creeping up on us and AI rapidly swelling to encompass our whole lives, the cult classic questions our reliance on technology, the merging of human traits with technology, and privacy of personal information and data. (Gee, I wonder where we’ve seen that?)
The exhibition at Tokyo Node, which includes sculptures by Hajime Sorayama or the viral clothes by Anrealage, among others, mediates the past and present through the immersive technologies of the future. In large glass displays, never-before-seen storyboarding and stages of the creative process are shown from the inception of the original 1989 manga to the multiple series and film. The audience is invited to interact with virtual reality, create their own avatar, and operate the various screens, cameras, and mirrors placed across the space. Their reflections work to both draw the viewer into the world and also push the fiction out into our reality.
The futuristic costumes reflect the city lights from down below, as if they’re trying to disguise themselves among the skyline. In a separate room, a chandelier of wires and cables fills the empty space above visitors' heads, as bright LED screens move through a galaxy of memory and image. Reflecting on the history and process of the franchise, this room invites guests to look at the past for clues of the future through a sensorial experience.
Each instalment covers a different chapter of the franchise and its respective process, history, and themes. The exhibition is all-encompassing and like a mini convention for this specific anime. Attendees can “expect an unprecedented scale where anime, technology, and art converge in one dynamic exhibition experience” without losing sight of the futuristic vision each director and artist employed to explore some of the most profound questions about humanity.
The exhibition Ghost in the Shell is on view through April 5 at Tokyo Node, Toranomon Hills Station Tower.
