Exhibition 'TOKYO SKA HAS NO BORDER' to be held, unraveling Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra's 37 years through art and research
The exhibition "TOKYO SKA HAS NO BORDER," which unravels the 37-year journey of Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra since their debut through art and research, will be held from Aug. 11 to 29 at WALL_alternative in Tokyo.
This exhibition is an attempt to visualize the philosophy of "NO BORDER" that Ska Para has embodied, approaching it from the two perspectives of "art" and "research." In the collaboration with art, three artists—Kenta Cobayashi, Osamu Ohno, and vug—will each reinterpret Ska Para's 37 years from their own distinct viewpoints.
Cobayashi, who performed alongside member GAMO (Tenor Sax) at the art festival "MEET YOUR ART FESTIVAL 2025" held last year, reconstructs Ska Para's archival photographs and tour records using his unique methods. Rather than preserving the past, he uses a contemporary perspective to establish the time and passion Ska Para has experienced as a landscape that connects to the future.
Starting with the instruments and equipment actually used by Ska Para, sculptor Ohno elevates the history, memories, and live performance passion engraved in them into new three-dimensional works using bricolage techniques. The artist vug, whose origins lie in the streets, responds to the street-level nature of Ska Para, who has performed live on the streets as a place of expression since their debut, expressing "NO BORDER" through drawing.
In the research from the perspective of "Ska Para as a community," videos, diagrams, and related materials structured based on interviews and document research will be exhibited. Focusing on the single community of the "ever-evolving Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra," it reveals the norms and beliefs that support that community.
At the venue, a "NO BORDER" playlist selected by Atsushi Yanaka (Baritone Sax), Tsuyoshi Kawakami (B), and Hajime Ohmori (Perc) will play as background music. Furthermore, drinks and food associated with the members, as well as exhibition-exclusive merchandise, will be sold.
Exhibition "TOKYO SKA HAS NO BORDER"
Aug. 11 (Tuesday, public holiday) - Aug. 29 (Saturday), 2026 WALL_alternative, Tokyo
Source: Music Natalie
*This content has been translated from Japanese into English using machine translation. We apologize for any mistakes in the current version, and will update accordingly.