A Year in Japan—A Midterm Assessment of Art, Culture, and the Market

and a glimpse of what's to come

When traces give rise to new perspectives. For us, “A Year in Japan” means much more than just two trips: it stands for cultural and economic exchange, new relationships, and valuable experiences.

Der alte König Cordelia Lehmann-Reinthaller

International cooperation begins with exchange—of culture and art, of knowledge, experiences, and perspectives.

With this goal in mind, we launched our first trade mission to Japan in April 2025. After an eventful year, we’re taking stock: two trips, more than 30 discussions and meetings, three special stops—and a network that continues to grow.

It all began with the trade mission organized with the Austrian Chamber of Commerce (WKO), ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA, and go-international. It opened doors to companies, institutions, and networks and laid the foundation for our continued market development in Japan.

For us, international market development does not begin with the market itself, but with an understanding of culture, people, and values.
Sonja Dolzer, BURN-IN

In the fall, our second trip took us to Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto: from the embassy and economic delegation in Tokyo to the EXPO 2025 in Osaka and on to the art exhibition in Kyoto. Five Raku sculptures by Cordelia Lehmann-Reinthaller played a special role: We presented them in the Austrian Pavilion at EXPO and subsequently in Kyoto—as an artistic bridge between Austria and Japan.

Kintsugi – When Traces Create New Perspectives

Some of these raku pieces now carry a special story of their own. During transport to Japan, some of the sculptures were damaged. Back in her studio, Cordelia restored the broken areas and deliberately left the traces visible. In keeping with the Japanese tradition of kintsugi, the break is not hidden but becomes part of the work and its history.

For us, this is more than just restoration. Preserving culture does not mean keeping it unchanged. Values remain alive when we pass them on, reinterpret them, and place them in new contexts.

This is precisely where we see a connection to this first year in Japan: Encounters become relationships, stops along the way become experiences, and experiences become new perspectives.

From Exhibition Space to Relationship Space

This insight shapes our next step. The presentations in Osaka and Kyoto have generated international visibility and facilitated valuable encounters. At the same time, the short presentation periods in particular have shown us that sustainable international market development requires more than just a presence—it requires time, continuity, trust, and joint projects.

We are therefore taking away more than just contacts and experiences from these two trips. We have also built up practical international know-how—from art transport and insurance to customs and the ATA Carnet—and gained a much deeper understanding of how cultural and economic exchange can function across borders.

Our goal for Japan is clear: to deepen relationships, expand networks, and develop collaborations that have a long-term impact, both culturally and economically. The specifics of this next phase are currently taking shape.

A year in Japan is therefore not the end. It is a foundation upon which we will continue to build.

Curated by BURN-IN. Connected across cultures. Designed for tomorrow.

⁠GreenART Japan II – Our Exhibition Tour A Look Back – Osaka & Kyoto Japan I