Prof. Chihiro Minato is an artist and photo-anthropologist.  He serves as Professor at the Department of Information Design, Tama Art University, Japan, and researcher at the Institute for Art Anthropology.  Based on his civilization theory dealing with subjects such as crowds and memories, he has conducted a wide range of activities including works of research, artworks, exhibitions, publication, curation and so on.  His book “Kioku (in Japanese, memories)” won the Suntory Prize for Social Sciences and Humanities.  He also won the Ina Nobuo Award for the exhibition entitled “Shimin no iro (in Japanese, The color of citizens).”  In 2007, he served as Commissioner at the Japanese pavilion of Venezia Biennale.  Prof. Minato’s recent books in 2012 include: “Void e no tabi (in Japanese, Journey to the void,” “Geijutsu kaikiron (in Japanese, Theory of art recurrence),” and “Basque nanairo (in Japanese, Basque in seven colors).”  A series of exhibitions “Fukeiko (Thinking Landscapes),” jointly organized by Prof. Minato and Satoshi Koyama Gallery, is currently being held, and will also be shown in Ulan Bator, Mongolia in September 2013.