The Ainu, the indigenous people from north Japan whose origins are still unclear, are mostly known for their ancient picturesque rituals, ranging from sacrificing bears to the tattooed lips of their women. An exhibition at the Italian Cultural Institute in Tokyo entitled “The Ainu Today” explores the community through the photographs of Laura Liverani. The artist raises questions on the meaning of the native identity of contemporary Japanese society through the practice of photographic portraits, exploring the sense of belonging of a community, that of the Ainu, on the two-track road of conserving and reinventing their culture, recovering their language and claiming back their rights. The exhibition, organised by the Italian Cultural Institute in partnership with the international collective of creators Lunch Bee House, will open on 6 March at the attendance of the artist and run until 18 March. The display of photographs is integrated with audiovisual material shot by the artist together with the Lunch Bee House Collective (Laura Liverani, Neo Sora, Valy Thorsteindottir). Ms Liverani will also be present at the exhibition on Saturday, 11 March and on Thursday, 16 March, from 4 to 6 p.m.
