Anju Niwata

Bio:

• Anju Niwata was born in Hiroshima, Japan in 2001. When she was in the fifth grade, she learned about the “Nakajima district” in Hiroshima and became interested in “Inheriting the thoughts of A-Bomb survivors, hibakusha”. In 2017, when collecting signatures in the Peace Memorial Park, she met Mr. Tokuso Hamai. This led to start “Rebooting Memories” project. She is working to inherit memories using new art and technology, such as a CG video and exhibitions of colorized photos. In 2018, she won the Student Award at the United For Peace Film Festival. She also co-released “Rebooting Memories” AR App.

Writings and Presentations:

• Title: “Rebooting Memories”: Creating “Flow” and Inheriting Memories from Colorized Photographs
  Writing Type: Sketch / Art Talk
  Author(s):
  • Anju Niwata
  • Hidenori Watanave
  
  Exhibition: SIGGRAPH Asia 2019: Deep Dreaming
  Abstract Summary:

  We explain the creation of “flow” in social media and real spaces using AI technology to colorize black-and-white stock photographs from digital archives and other locations. When visualizing the colors that the photographs should have had, the impressions of “freezing” in black-and-white photographs are “rebooted,” and viewers can more easily imagine the events depicted. This bridges the psychological gap between past events and modern daily life, sparking conversations. The “flow” generated here causes the emergence of lively communication and increases the value of information. This method can help to pass precious materials and memories of past events into the future.

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  Role(s):

  
  
  • Speaker/Presenter