Maywa Denki

Maywa Denki, the art studio run by Novmichi Tosa, is named after the electrical company his father ran, hence the uniform typical of Japanese electrical shops that the unit’s ’employees’ wear.  Each Maywa Denki piece is a “product”, and exhibitions or shows are organised as “product demonstrations”. Visit any variety shop or musical instrument shop in Japan, and you’re likely to discover a display dedicated to the toy synthesiser known as the Otamatone, a curious device with a small but devoted fan base. Available in a range of sizes, this electronic instrument with the appearance of a drawn eighth note was launched in 2010 and remains one of Maywa Denki’s most famous creations. Based in Tokyo, the company marries art and commerce, democratising creativity while giving its credentials to zany fun.The heart of Maywa Denki is its co-founder, inventor, musician, artist and entrepreneur Novmichi Tosa. He fits in culturally somewhere between Devo and the Blue Man Group, Harry Partch and Alexander Calder, Akihiro Yokoi and Aki Maita (the inventors of the Tamagotchi).Live, the group offers up some jubilant popkitsch concert-performances featuring electromechanical musical instruments as absurd as they are ingenious. Their show should delight fans of electronic culture and street theatre alike.

Thanks to the support of European FEDER funds, this conference is exceptionally being offered free of charge, on request from the festival reception (entrance to the marquee).