'The Great Genre Voyage' Now Open Through Aug 8 — 831 Images Created with AI, 108 Chosen by Hand

[Now Open Through Aug 8] 831 Images Created with AI, 108 Chosen by Hand. The Final Step Was Cutting Paper and Pinning Them Down. August 5, 2026 ■ Opened August 4. Visitors' Handwriting Gives New Meaning to 'The Great Genre Voyage' in Nihonbashi Kayabacho Digital pop artist TAKUROMAN's new work 'The Great Genre Voyage' opened on August 4, 2026, at RECTO VERSO GALLERY in Nihonbashi Kayabacho, Tokyo. The exhibition runs through August 8 (Sat). From one hand-drawn piece, 831 candidates emerged through dialogue with AI. A human selected 108, printed them on paper, cut each by hand, and pinned them to a corkboard with thumbtacks. At the venue, visitors write their impressions, stories, and doodles in a photobook, layering new meaning onto the work. 'The Great Genre Voyage' 2026, 150×90cm, inkjet print, corkboard, thumbtacks, wooden frame "The creation with AI didn't end on screen. Selecting 108 from 831, printing them, cutting each one, pinning them down. What remained at the end was the fatigue in my hands. Perhaps humanness reveals itself in such unexpected places." (TAKUROMAN) ■ Expanded by AI, Chosen by Humans, Shaped by Hand Starting from one hand-drawn original, instructions were given to AI, the results examined, and instructions revised again. Through this repetition, 831 candidates were born. 723 were removed, 108 remained. The decision of what to keep and what to discard was made by a human. The selected 108 were printed on paper and cut out one by one by hand. Whether to use corkboard as the base, which thumbtacks to use—the final phase of production was spent on such physical choices. What came after using the latest tools was quite hands-on work. The pieces were not glued inside the frame but pinned with thumbtacks, so the work remains unfixed. Pull out the pins, and it returns to 108 fragments that can be rearranged anew. ■ One Original Painting Becomes 108 Genres The captain "TAKUMI," drawn in the hand-made digital art original, travels through 108 genres—manga, film, music, games, figures, character bento, space photography, theme songs—through collaboration with AI. Rather than confining expression to a single work, this attempt builds narrative and world from the relationships between works. The 108 pieces are divided into four parts: "Create (changing the form of expression)," "Expand (reaching industries one couldn't reach alone)," "Create with AI (making the process of working with AI itself into art)," and "Live (what remains in the end)." The first piece is hand-drawn. The last piece is also hand-drawn. Between them, we traveled with AI. ■ Visitors' Handwriting Adds Meaning to the Work A photobook containing all 108 works is placed at the venue. Visitors can freely write their feelings, their own stories, quick notes, or doodles. The wall-mounted work itself doesn't change, but the meaning placed upon it grows with each person who sees it and writes. ■ From Last Year's "Funeral" to This Year's "Voyage" In August 2025, TAKUROMAN presented 'The Funeral of Human Creativity' at the same gallery—a work expressing the fear that creative meaning might be lost due to generative AI, staged in funeral format with whale curtains. One year later, this work positions AI as "an entity that extends the creator's will." Rather than seeing it off as a threat, the content has shifted to sailing together, catching the wind. The exhibition panel bears these words: "It begins with humans, expands with AI, and is nurtured by people. Methods expand greatly. Still, the one at the helm is you." ■ Traces of Hand and Body, Visible Only On-Site - The edges of paper cut by hand one by one, and the texture of thumbtacks holding 108 pieces - A photobook that changes form as more writing accumulates during the exhibition period - An experience not just of viewing art, but of writing your own words and creating the work's continuation ■ Exhibition Details Exhibition: Art & Graphic exhibition (2026.August) — Innovation of Creation Dates: August 4 (Tue) – August 8 (Sat), 2026 Hours: Tue–Fri 12:00–18:00 / Sat 12:00–15:30 Admission: Free Venue: RECTO VERSO GALLERY Address: 2-17-13 Nihonbashi Kayabacho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Inoue Bldg. 2F #401 Access: 2-min walk from Kayabacho Station (Hibiya/Tozai Line), East Exit 3 Artists: Yuichi Ichikawa, Aiko Yamada, okoroom, TAKUROMAN Official Website: https://daikoukai.art Press Release: https://www.atpress.ne.jp/news/9675320