GOCA by Garde, GARDE’s first overseas art gallery, serves as a hub for introducing Japanese and Asian artists to a global audience, showcasing a wide variety of works including paintings, sculptures, and ceramics.
We’re pleased to bring you a glimpse of our solo exhibitions and participation in art fairs held in May and June, reporting directly from Chelsea, New York.
Ibuki Minami Solo Exhibition “Gei-Kaku Ichinyo”
In May—when New York’s art scene reaches its peak—GOCA by Garde held a solo exhibition by Ibuki Minami titled Gei-Kaku Ichinyo at its Chelsea gallery space, running from May 8 to June 28.
The exhibition drew not only collectors, gallerists, curators, and artists fresh from the city’s major art fairs, but also curious New Yorkers eager to discover something new. A mix of English and occasional Japanese filled the space, leaving a strong impression of GOCA’s growing global presence.
You can view highlights from Ibuki Minami’s Gei-Kaku Ichinyo solo exhibition at the link below. https://www.gardedesignmagazine.com/goca-ibuki-minami-gei-kaku-ichinyo-report-en/
Future Fair 2025
Future Fair 2025 was held from May 7 to 10 at Chelsea Industrial (535 W 28th Street) in New York’s Chelsea district. GOCA by Garde participated with a dual exhibition featuring artists Aya Kawata and Yuta Okuda, under the theme Neo Japanese Pulse: Reimagining a Cultural Loop.
Since its launch in 2020, Future Fair has grown into a highly curated platform that emphasizes selectivity, equity, and dialogue. It serves not only as a launching ground for emerging galleries but also as one of the most influential stages shaping the next generation of the global contemporary art scene.
Among the 67 carefully selected galleries from around the world, GOCA by Garde was the only participant from Japan.
For more details on the exhibition, please see the link below. https://www.gardedesignmagazine.com/goca-future-fair-2025-en/
At GOCA by Garde, we will continue to host solo and group exhibitions at our gallery, alongside planned participation in upcoming art fairs.
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GOCA by Garde
GOCA by Garde is an art gallery created by GARDE, located in New York’s Chelsea district and dedicated to showcasing contemporary art from Japan and Asia. Through paintings, sculptures, and ceramics, the gallery introduces both emerging and established artists, aiming to foster cultural exchange and dialogue.
Chelsea is renowned as one of the world’s leading centers of art and culture, currently home to around 200 galleries. The neighborhood offers a diverse range of exhibitions, from internationally acclaimed artists to experimental works by rising talents.
In this vibrant setting, GARDE brings together its expertise in spatial design and its strong network of artists to create a place where art lovers can gather, engage, and connect. GOCA by Garde aspires to generate new inspiration and possibilities—ultimately contributing to a more positive society through the power of art.
In early May 2025, as the city buzzed with the glamour of the Met Gala and New Yorkers strolled the streets in cutting-edge fashion, a sense of luxury and celebration filled the air. This special week, when major art fairs such as Frieze New York, TEFAF, INDEPENDENT, and NADA converge across the city, offers an immersive and elevated experience simply by being there.
In the heart of Chelsea’s art district, the 2025 edition of Future Fair took place at Chelsea Industrial (535 W 28th Street). As a platform for rising galleries, the fair gathers curators, collectors, and art critics from around the world and is now regarded as one of the most important launchpads for the next generation of international contemporary art.
What is Future Fair?
Launched in 2020, Future Fair has rapidly grown into a curated fair that values selectivity, equity, and dialogue. Far from a traditional sales venue, it encourages collaboration among exhibitors and is guided by community-driven standards. Today, it enjoys both critical acclaim and international prestige. For its 2025 edition, 67 galleries from around the world were selected—among them, GOCA (Gallery of Contemporary Art) by Garde was the sole representative from Japan.
GOCA’s Challenge: Neo Japanese Pulse
GOCA is a New York–based gallery with a mission to showcase the value of Japanese and Asian artists on the global stage. At this year’s Future Fair, it presented a dual exhibition themed Neo Japanese Pulse: Reimagining a Cultural Loop, featuring works by Aya Kawata and Yuta Okuda.
The exhibition explored a re-interpretation of Japonisme—the wave of fascination with Japanese art that swept through Europe in the late 19th century. Japanese culture, once imported as a curiosity from the East, flowed into Europe and later to the United States throughout the 20th century. In the postmodern era, this trajectory reversed: Japanese culture that had evolved in the West began to re-enter Japan in new forms, creating a cyclical cultural phenomenon. Within this loop, Japanese artistic expression has undergone its own “Galápagos-style evolution.” Neo Japanese Pulse presented how contemporary Japanese artists are fusing tradition with modernity to redefine aesthetic expression on the world stage.
Aya Kawata: Delicate Grids at the Intersection of Neuroscience and Textiles
Aya Kawata draws on traditional Japanese textile techniques while exploring the intersection of visual illusion and cognitive science. Influenced by her neuroscientist father, her work invents a beauty found in control and misalignment within visual experience. Her abstract grid compositions blend craft and intellect to create a soft disorientation and deep immersion. Her practice introduces a new frontier in art history—particularly Western traditions of illusionism—through the uncharted union of science and craft.
Yuta Okuda: A Fusion of Floral Energy and Emotional Resonance
In contrast, Yuta Okuda is known for his vibrant, intricate floral works built from vivid color and precise linework. Combining London fashion culture with Japanese sensibility, he captures the interplay of chance and intention to create new forms of visual life. Beneath the explosion of color lies a core of universal human emotions: gratitude, connection, and vitality. His works offer a contemporary reinterpretation of kacho-ga (traditional bird-and-flower painting), merging beauty with spiritual expression.
International Reception and Strategic Impact
From the VIP preview onward, GOCA’s booth attracted key figures from the international art world, including curators from major New York museums, directors of global art fairs and institutions, cultural advisors, diplomats, consulate cultural officials, top-tier art media editors, market insiders, and, of course, collectors and art acquisition directors. Every booth at Future Fair buzzed with energy, including those from Asia, Africa, and across the U.S., with engaged visitors photographing works and conversing with gallerists. The sheer number of curators and collectors in attendance underscored the high level of curation and relevance of the fair itself.
Kawata’s work received praise for “bridging Eastern delicacy with scientific reasoning,” while Okuda’s was noted for “a return to primal beauty infused with futuristic color sensibility.” Multiple sales and exhibition offers followed. Most importantly, GOCA’s curatorial concept—rather than exporting culture in one direction, it embraces reinterpretation through global cultural circulation—was particularly well received in today’s diversity-conscious art world.
In Conclusion – Reframing “Japan”
Future Fair is more than just another art fair. It is an intellectual testing ground for reorganizing the boundaries between nations, markets, and cultural centers. Neo Japanese Pulse, as presented by GOCA, was not a display of Japan as it is, but an invitation to consider how culture transforms and circulates—an introduction to new forms of Japanese identity in art. That we were able to lay the foundation for this message from a small corner of Chelsea feels deeply significant. It marks the beginning of our voyage, and GOCA looks forward to continuing the dialogue on where Japan’s next artistic pulse may lead within the international art scene.
Future Fair 2025 – Overview
Dates: May 7 (Wed, VIP Preview) – May 10 (Sat), 2025 Venue: Chelsea Industrial (535 W 28th St, New York, NY 10001) Participating Galleries: 67
Written by local correspondent Kenta Ichinose (GOCA Curator)
In May—when New York’s art scene reaches its peak with major fairs like Frieze, Independent, and NADA lighting up the city—GOCA by Garde simultaneously participated in Future Fair and held the solo exhibition Gei-Kaku Ichinyo by Iki Minami at its Chelsea gallery space. The opening reception unfolded as one of the season’s true highlights, radiating elegance and creative energy.
Outside the gallery, dressed-up New Yorkers steadily gathered, bringing a sense of sophistication to the early summer night air. Located directly beneath the High Line, the clean, architectural white space began to fill with not only collectors, gallerists, curators, and artists fresh from the art fairs, but also curious locals with a taste for the new. English filled the air, occasionally interwoven with Japanese, underscoring GOCA’s growing global presence.
One particularly striking moment came when a group—clearly just back from Frieze, judging by the tote bags they carried—stepped into the space and broke into smiles of surprise and delight. Though they paused in front of the artworks, it was clear they were equally captivated by the spatial layout and the atmosphere as a whole. The sound of clinking glasses and animated conversations about art filled the space, offering a relaxed and inviting counterpoint to the more high-strung energy typical of art fairs.
Numerous New York-based affiliates of GOCA attended as well, with conversations emerging around new relationships between corporate culture in Midtown and contemporary art. From Japan, department store professionals and collectors with personal ties to Minami also made appearances, drawn not only to the works but also to the artist’s vision and his ongoing exploration of the “core of art.”
That evening, Minami’s exhibition transcended the traditional framework of simply “viewing art.” Through a thoughtful spatial composition within a luxurious setting, it served more as a salon—an immersive experience of contemporary New York. It became a space where people connected, where words and glances were exchanged—radiating a gentle energy that perhaps reflected the kind of engagement and art this city now longs for. The soft undercurrent of Eastern philosophy that seeks harmony over dichotomy—so central to Minami’s practice—seemed to quietly fill the space.
To share a single space that transcends culture, language, and values—Minami’s opening night embodied that ideal.
Gei-Kaku Ichinyo (Art Core Oneness)
Exhibition Period: May 8 (Thu) – June 28 (Sat), 2025
Venue: 515 W 23rd St, New York, NY 10011
Website: goca.gallery
Instagram: @goca.garde
The winners of the “Loca Metaverse Award,” which honors initiatives contributing to local revitalization, were announced, and the award ceremony and briefing session for local governments were held on Monday, June 16, 2025.
About the Award
The “Local Metaverse Award,” launched as part of GARDE’s 40th anniversary project, was established to support the development of local economies and culture by combining the needs of regional governments with the creativity of digital creators. Through the use of metaverse technology, the award aims to widely promote the unique appeal of various regions.
Under the theme of “Achieving Regional Revitalization through the Use of Metaverse Technology,” approximately 300 entries were submitted, from which six winning projects were selected.
Award Winners – “Local Metaverse Award”
The award was structured around three categories: one Grand Prize, one Excellence Award, and four Municipality Awards. The following six individuals were selected as recipients.
■ Grand Prize
Recipient: Masahide Hino Target Municipality: Kunigami Village, Okinawa Prefecture Project Title:Virtual Stargazing Tour of Kunigami Village with the People of Kunigami
Project Overview:
This project offers an interactive, two-way virtual tour experience that allows guides and participants to communicate while showcasing the natural and cultural richness of Kunigami Village, part of the Yanbaru area designated as a World Natural Heritage site. It features regional elements such as the sounds of local nature, the Kunigami dialect, and the melodies of the sanshin (Okinawan traditional instrument). The tour provides participants with an immersive experience of the star-filled skies—ideal for stargazing in Kunigami—and fosters a deeper appreciation for the local dialect and traditional culture.
The initiative also addresses issues such as overtourism, declining birthrates, and cultural preservation. By creatively utilizing local resources, the project aims to establish a new model for regional revitalization. Moving forward, a free trial version will be released on YouTube to engage younger audiences and encourage tourism and stronger community ties.
■ Excellence Award
Recipient: Koki Okumura Target Municipality: Hachijo Town, Hachijojima (Tokyo), and municipalities across Japan Project Title:Co-Cat: Experiencing Hachijojima through Imagination
— A Tourism Reconstruction Project Spun by a Shape-Shifting Cat
Project Overview:
This project draws inspiration from a local Hachijojima folktale about being “tricked by a cat,” offering an immersive AR experience where visitors are guided by a cat through a fusion of regional landscapes and storytelling. At iconic locations like Mt. Hachijo-Fuji and abandoned school buildings, memories of the island’s history and everyday life are brought to life. The concept proposes a new tourism style in which visitors become storytellers themselves.
Behind the project lies a response to the challenges facing remote islands and rural areas, such as the limits of consumption-based tourism, the threat to cultural preservation, and population decline. Co-Cat aims to overcome these by functioning as a culture-editing metaverse archive. The project incorporates educational partnerships and DMC (Destination Management Company) features, with the goal of realizing a sustainable tourism cycle.
■ Municipality Award
Recipient: Runa Kuboshima Target Municipality: Iide Town, Yamagata Prefecture Project Title:Mutual Experiences in the Real World and the Metaverse
Project Overview:
This initiative recreates Iide Town in the metaverse and offers events that connect physical and virtual experiences, enabling people to discover the town’s charm through both realms. Seasonal events combining real-world and metaverse elements aim to help solve local issues.
■ Municipality Award
Recipient: Taishi Jinno Target Municipality: Kunigami Village, Okinawa Prefecture Project Title:Metaverse Bridge Project Connecting the Northernmost Points
Project Overview:
This is a virtual day-labor simulation project to build a bridge in the metaverse between Cape Hedo, the northernmost point of Okinawa’s main island, and Cape Soya, the northernmost point of Hokkaido.
Players take on the role of a Yanbaru Kuina (Okinawa rail) and become residents of Kunigami Village, working on this large-scale, long-term fictional public works project—similar to coal mining on Gunkanjima (Battleship Island).
By using actual field names and topography from Kunigami, participants develop a deeper understanding of the region and gain interest in its culture and natural environment. Activity data from players will be shared freely for use in AI and robotics development, helping address labor shortages in local logistics.
This project offers potential as a new platform that fosters interregional exchange, even between geographically distant areas.
■ Municipality Award
Recipient: Takeshi Kodama Target Municipality: Kunigami Village, Okinawa Prefecture Project Title:“Yanbaru World (Tentative)” Metaverse Plan to Expand Interaction and Engagement in Kunigami
Project Overview:
This project involves building the “Yanbaru World (tentative)” metaverse space in the Kunigami/Yanbaru region, where companies can establish virtual branches or retreat facilities. Employees can work via avatars, take virtual vacations with friends or family, and engage in various activities.
Kunigami Village will offer this metaverse space as a return gift for corporate hometown tax donations, using the funds to support nature and environmental conservation efforts in Yanbaru.
In collaboration with local hotels and inns, donor companies’ employees and their families can receive discounts and perks during real-life stays, giving companies the benefit of a physical retreat without needing to own one.
For Kunigami, the initiative aims to spark real tourism through the metaverse, expanding visitor numbers, relationship populations, and potentially even permanent residents.
■ Municipality Award
Recipient: Rie Takeuchi Target Municipality: Iide Town, Yamagata Prefecture Project Title:Virtual Relocation Metaverse — A New Hometown Beginning with a House and a Field
Project Overview:
This project allows users to virtually experience relocation to Iide Town in Yamagata Prefecture, living as a local resident in the metaverse—working, raising, growing, and supporting.
Players engage in activities such as living in a traditional farmhouse, starting a farm, participating in community events, and joining youth associations, experiencing the changing seasons and rhythms of life.
Over time, users grow into roles where they support newcomers to the community, embodying a “cycle of growth and support.”
The project emphasizes real-world connections as well, with systems like acquiring land through hometown tax donations and “Tamagaki NFTs” that record the names of supporters—creating a natural pathway to local contribution.
As a “gateway to the future,” the experience fosters positive imagination and meaningful engagement with others in ways only possible online. It supports young urban dwellers who are interested in regional relocation but hesitant to take the first step.
In the age of AI and the metaverse, this initiative proposes a new model: using virtual experiences to spark the joy of real-world engagement. Through the lens of Iide Town, it aims to rediscover the strength and warmth of regional communities.
The details of the award ceremony can be viewed below.
GARDE Kuala Lumpur Hosts Seminar and Retail Site Visits for PPK Malaysia Delegation
In mid-May, GARDE Kuala Lumpur (KL) hosted a special program for members of Persatuan Pengurusan Kompleks (PPK Malaysia – Malaysia Shopping Centre Association), who visited Japan to explore the latest developments in urban planning and retail infrastructure.
Led by GARDE KL Representative Mr. Yamanouchi, the program included a presentation and seminar on current trends in urban development, tailored for approximately 40 delegates — including leading commercial facility operators and urban development professionals from Malaysia and neighboring countries.
The delegation visited prominent retail and mixed-use developments across Tokyo, including the Shibuya, Ginza, and Toranomon districts. On the final day, a seminar was held featuring guest speakers involved in landmark urban projects. Mr. Saikawa, Group Leader of the Shibuya Operations Division at Tokyu Land Corporation, opened the session with a keynote presentation on the Shibuya Sakura Stage project — a large-scale redevelopment initiative where GARDE contributed to the interior design and coordination of Hyatt House Tokyo Shibuya.
His talk focused on the project’s integration of startup business support into a broader urban development strategy, a concept unique to Shibuya. The session offered the Malaysian delegation valuable insights into development models applicable to their rapidly evolving market.
(Image 1)
Following the keynote, the second speaker was Mr. Sugimoto (see Image 2), a first-class architect and General Manager of both the Commercial & Hotel Development Department and Development Strategy Department at NTT Urban Development Corporation.
Sugimoto introduced the redevelopment project in front of Harajuku Station, which was designed around the concept of “connection” — a central theme for NTT. The project emphasized the creation of a carefully planned pedestrian flow (michi or “path”) to enhance both the circulation within the area and the synergy between surrounding facilities and the city. He also shared detailed strategies for maximizing profitability by increasing the number of street-level retail units within a limited site area, as well as planning that takes biodiversity into account. The audience responded enthusiastically, with many nodding in agreement and capturing key slides with their cameras.
(Image 2)
At GARDE, we actively host business seminars, study tours, and professional site visits related to urban development and commercial facilities, both in Japan and abroad.
As part of our globally integrated service menu, we will continue to strengthen these offerings by leveraging the unique advantages of our international network.
