Art Climate Collective Japan (ACCJ) Participates as Collaborator in New Sustainability Initiative at the 61st Venice Biennale Japan Pavilion

Art Climate Collective Japan (ACCJ), operated by the NPO Arts Initiative Tokyo [AIT], will participate as a collaborator in the exhibition "Grass Baby, Moon Baby" by Nash Arakawa at the Japan Pavilion of the 61st Venice Biennale International Art Exhibition (2026). The Venice Biennale International Art Exhibition is one of the world's largest contemporary art exhibitions held in Venice, Italy. This year, the Japan Pavilion will host the exhibition "Grass Baby, Moon Baby" by artist Nash Arakawa, co-curators Mizuki Takahashi and Risa Horikawa. This exhibition, starting from Nash Arakawa's experience of becoming a parent to twins in 2024, questions the future through the act of "care." The Japan Pavilion will become a space for contemplating future society and the environment, taking the act of raising a baby, a symbol of the future, as a clue. In response to this future-oriented theme, environmental considerations at the Japan Pavilion have been explored, leading to the implementation of **carbon footprint calculation and research related to the exhibition**. ACCJ will participate as a collaborator in this initiative. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the Japan Pavilion. In 2025, environmentally friendly renovation work by architect Toyo Ito, funded by a donation from the Ishibashi Foundation, was completed. With the cooperation of artists, curators, production staff, and collaborators, the aim is to visualize the environmental impact of activities including production, transportation, installation, and operation in international exhibitions, and to accumulate knowledge for building future sustainable exhibition models. **Connecting Carbon Footprint Calculation/Research with Artistic Practice** This initiative involves comprehensive carbon footprint calculation and analysis related to the operation of the Japan Pavilion, as well as research into environmental initiatives by the entire Venice Biennale and exhibitions/operations in other countries. The scope of calculation includes various processes such as artwork production, material procurement, transportation, local installation, and travel by personnel. These will be verified through both quantitative data and qualitative observations to visualize the actual environmental impact of international exhibitions. A **key feature of this initiative is that it goes beyond mere "calculation" of the carbon footprint, connecting the results to artistic expression**. Based on the insights gained from ACCJ's calculation and research, a closing performance by Nash Arakawa is planned for November 22, the final day of the exhibition. This performance is an attempt to **transform the environmental impact, which appears as numbers and data, into a participatory, physical, and poetic experience**, creating a new artistic practice that oscillates between the recognition and sensation of the climate crisis.