CCJ Prototype

Takahiko Iimura (b. 1937, Tokyo) is an artist and filmmaker who has lived between Tokyo and New York throughout his artistic career. Together with Nobuhiko Obayashi and Yoichi Takabayashi, Iimura was one of the first to organize screenings of 8mm films outside of amateur home movie circles, in the early 1960s. Presenting screenings at gallery spaces, including the first in a series of Naiqua Cinematheque screenings held at Naiqua Gallery, Tokyo, in 1963, Iimura’s peers mostly consisted of artists rather than filmmakers, which led to several collaborations: Yoko Ono created the sound design of ​Ai (Love) ​(1962-63); Natsuyuki Nakanishi co-directed ​On Eye Rape​ (1963), an early Japanese found footage film; and Sho Kazakura performed happenings for the camera in ​Dance Party in the Kingdom of Lilliput ​(1964). These collaborations influenced the way Iimura presented his films, which led to his early experiments in expanded cinema and, eventually, film and video installations. After winning a group prize at the experimental film festival EXPRMNTL in Knokke-le-Zoute, Belgium, in 1963, Iimura co-founded the group Film Independents with the other recipients. Encouraged by a positive review of his film ​Ai (Love)​ by Jonas Mekas, Iimura relocated to New York in 1966 where he initiated further collaborations, such as with Alvin Lucier. Returning to Tokyo in 1969, Iimura began immersing himself in video art and, ever since, has been considered a pioneer of expanded cinema, video art and film installation in Japan. His works have been presented at Centre Pompidou, Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo Photographic Art Museum, and Eye Filmmuseum.