Hidenori Watanave

Bio:

• Dr. Hidenori Watanave was Born in Oita, Japan in 1974. He is a professor at the Graduate School of the University of Tokyo. He researches the ideal way of the inheritance of the memory by information design and digital archives. He has produced digital archives such as the “Hiroshima Archive”, the “Nagasaki Archive” and the “Last Movements of Tsunami Disaster Victims”. He began coloring black and white photographs by AI technologies in 2016 and has been working on “Rebooting Memories” project in cooperation with Niwata since 2018. His works were selected in ARS Electronica, Japan Media Arts Festival, etc.

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):

  
  
  • Artist
  • Speaker/Presenter