1minute Projection Mapping Competition

OUR STORY

1minute
Projection Mapping
Competition

The 1minute Projection Mapping Competition is a historic competition that began in 2012.
It is an international competition of projection mapping and is a gateway to success in the world.
From visual professionals to up-and-coming young creators and artists with innovative ideas.
The competition will transcend barriers, bringing together diverse talents from around the world to compete in new projection mapping expressions.

2026

2024

2023

2022

2021

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

One Minute to Inspire the World

This competition is a technique and individuality of visual expression within a short time frame of one minute,
How can we give the viewer a new experience and impression? The competition is to see who can give the viewer the most new experiences and impressions.
Create an expression that can be pursued only because it is short, a condensed individuality, and a refined experience.

NEWS

Aword Winners' Interviews

2026.7.9

We spoke with the five winning teams immediately after the awards ceremony to hear their thoughts on receiving the award and the messages they conveyed through their works inspired by the theme “Dialogue.” Please take a moment to read the creators“ candid comments. GRAND PRIZE ”Touch Talk“ Signal Bleed (Brazil) Q. Please tell us how you feel about winning this award. I am deeply honored that the judges selected this work. Of course, winning the award is a great honor, but even being selected as a finalist was a source of immense joy and an invaluable achievement for me. I feel it is deeply meaningful just to have been chosen as a finalist among more than 400 artists from around the world. Q. Please tell us about your work. This work explores the theme of communication in the modern world. We have access to a variety of communication tools, such as screens and touch devices. However, even though we are surrounded by such tools, we cannot say that we are truly engaging in dialogue. While we may exchange opinions and even clash with one another, there are rarely many opportunities to truly listen to the other person’s voice. In this work, I sought to express the importance of ”listening to the other person’s voice.“ Even though we have every means at our disposal to engage in dialogue, it is not easy to truly discuss matters and understand one another. I believe that genuine dialogue can only emerge when we sincerely take the other person’s words to heart. More than speaking, ”listening“ is the first step in dialogue—that is the message I have embedded in this work. Furthermore, this work was by no means completed by my efforts alone. It was made possible only through the collaboration of Fesk and Sam. Sam, in particular, was my very first student, and this work could not have been completed without the two of them. Q. What are your thoughts on this competition? This competition is very special to me. When I learned that I had been selected as a finalist for the 1-Minute Projection Mapping Competition, I felt immense joy. With over 400 artists participating from around the world, I am deeply honored to have been chosen as one of the 18 finalist teams. I would also like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all the staff involved in organizing the event. I am deeply grateful for the warm welcome they extended to us and for creating an environment where we could feel at ease as we prepared and presented our work. Having once worked behind the scenes in event management myself, I understand just how demanding that work can be. That is precisely why I would like to express my sincere respect and gratitude to everyone involved in organizing and running this festival, including the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Participating in this competition has been an unforgettable and irreplaceable experience for me. SECOND PRIZE ”Aporia” VPM (Spain) Q. Please tell us how you feel now that you’ve won the award. I am extremely happy to have received this award. The entire team is sharing in this joy, and I cannot fully express how I feel right now in words. Q. Please tell us about your work. We began creating this work as an experiment. While there are many forms of expression that utilize visual illusions, there are few examples of them being realized on such a large-scale screen or architectural facade. This work was born out of a spirit of inquiry—we wanted to test whether it could actually work. Q. Please share your impressions of participating in this competition. I believe this competition is one of the most important projection mapping competitions in the world. I feel deeply honored to have been able to participate on such a wonderful stage. Not only were the venue and the city of Tokyo charming, but the culinary culture and the warm support from the staff who made the event possible were also very impressive, making this an unforgettable experience. THIRD PRIZE “The Beauty of Collision” Bigcool (Thailand) Q. Please share your thoughts now that you’ve won the award. I never dreamed I would receive such a wonderful award, and I am deeply honored. Q. Please tell us about your work. In this piece, we used the entire building as a canvas, aiming to bring happiness and smiles to everyone in attendance. Q. Please share your thoughts on participating in this competition. I believe the 1minute Projection Mapping Competition is one of the world’s largest projection mapping events. I am extremely proud to have received an award on such a stage. Tokyo Tokyo PRIZE “1Pulse” Anionavision (Romania) Q. Please share your thoughts now that you’ve won the award. I am deeply honored to have received such a wonderful award. The 1-Minute Projection Mapping Competition is one of the world’s largest projection mapping competitions, and being recognized on such a stage is a deeply meaningful event for me. Q. Please describe the highlight of your work in one sentence. I created “One Pulse” based on this year’s theme, “Dialogue.” This work expresses the diverse forms of communication through which we share our consciousness and thoughts. We are all beings who share a single heartbeat and a single breath, and by being together, we can generate a greater power. I have imbued this work with that message. Q. Please share your impressions of participating in this competition. This competition was a highly international event that brought together outstanding artists from around the world. I feel deeply honored to have had the opportunity to interact with so many creators in such an environment. I also gained a great deal of inspiration and insight, and I will use this experience as fuel to continue challenging myself to create even better works in the future. AUDIENCE PRIZE “Infinite Dialogue” Taro Narahara (Japan) Q. Please share your thoughts now that you’ve won the award. I am deeply honored to have received the AUDIENCE PRIZE, an award selected through the votes of so many people. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who viewed my work and cast a vote. Q. Please describe the highlight of your work in one sentence. The theme of this work is “conversation.” In today’s world, where dialogue with AI is becoming commonplace, transcending differences such as race and gender, I feel that the very concept of “conversation” is expanding significantly. This work expresses my hope for a future where people can continue to connect with one another, even as diverse means of communication emerge. Q. Please share your thoughts on participating in this competition. It was a truly international competition, and I was deeply impressed by the opportunity to interact with creators from all over the world. I gained a great deal of inspiration and learned a lot; it was an incredibly valuable experience. Drawing on this experience, I will continue to strive to create even better works. Thank you very much. Click here for the official TOKYO LIGHTS 2026 website: https://tokyolights.jp/ Click here for event details: https://1minute-pm.com/event/2026/

Overview

2026.7.1

1-Minute Projection Mapping Competition at TOKYO LIGHTS 2026 Now in its 13th year, the “1-Minute Projection Mapping Competition” featured a particularly rich program compared to previous editions. In addition to the freshness brought by moving the venue from the Seito Memorial Art Museum in Meiji Jingu Gaien to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building No. 1, the trust and track record built up over the years led to a significant increase in both the number of entries and participating countries, while the quality of the works also improved considerably. The theme of “Dialogue” may not have been an easy subject for creators to tackle. However, driven by the importance of dialogue in modern society and the synergistic effect of the symbolic architectural space of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, a diverse array of high-quality works was gathered from around the world. Each of the 18 selected finalists’ works offered a unique perspective and style of expression, presenting diverse interpretations and messages regarding the theme of “Dialogue.” The intersection of diverse values and cultural backgrounds made for a highly compelling lineup of screened works, and many visitors expressed their deep appreciation. The fact that creators from around the world engaged with the question of “dialogue” and expressed their individual answers through film was a major achievement unique to this competition. ■ About the Award-Winning Works The five award-winning works, including the GRAND PRIZE, were all of a high standard of craftsmanship while possessing distinct charms and individuality, resulting in an outcome that symbolized the diversity of the festival as a whole. The GRAND PRIZE-winning entry, “Signal Bleed” from Brazil, was a work rich in variation and narrative depth from beginning to end. The story was carefully crafted, beginning with the depiction of fingertips reaching out to touch a building, and progressing through the walls and conflicts that hinder dialogue, the will to overcome them, and ultimately leading to hope for the future. As a projection mapping piece, it skillfully utilized the architectural structure and achieved a high level of polish through beautiful, translucent visual expressions. The work by VPM from Spain, which won the SECOND PRIZE, utilized the trick-art-like effects unique to projection mapping to portray the relationship between the building and the audience itself as a form of “dialogue.” As the only monochrome entry among the award-winning works, it was highly praised for its classic yet sophisticated approach to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. The work by Bigcool from Thailand, which won THIRD PRIZE, stood out among this year’s lineup for its exceptional entertainment value. Using unique music and visual expressions, it unfolded an approachable world inspired by Japanese manga and anime. The story—in which two contrasting musical styles clash before eventually moving toward harmony—drew the audience in, and the performance reached a fever pitch, even eliciting laughter from the audience toward the end. The work by Anionavision from Romania, which won the Tokyo Tokyo PRIZE, left a vivid impression on the audience through its striking visuals and music. Through diverse forms of communication—such as graffiti on walls, words, songs, and sign language—the work depicted the power of “dialogue,” and its dynamic staging, in which a giant figure seemed to loom over the audience, was highly praised. The AUDIENCE PRIZE was awarded to a work by Taro Narahara from Japan. As a creator from the host country, he garnered strong support from the audience and received a number of votes that far surpassed those of the other entries. The production, in which the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building nimbly transformed into machines and robots, complemented the architecture well and was an impressive work that combined clear entertainment value with a powerful message. Once again, the creators’ imagination and expressive power far exceeded our expectations. Their creativity provided new inspiration and excitement not only to the audience but also to many people involved in projection mapping and visual media. Even among the entries that were not selected as finalists this time, there were numerous outstanding works that were in no way inferior to the award-winning or finalist entries. However, due to screening time constraints and operational limitations of the competition, it was not possible to showcase every entry. We would like to express our heartfelt respect and gratitude to all the creators who submitted their works to this competition and took on the challenge of production. Each and every one of these challenges supports this competition and serves as the driving force that propels the global culture of projection mapping forward. “Light born from dialogue connects people across nations and cultures, serving as a bridge to the future.” Visit the official TOKYO LIGHTS 2026 website here: https://tokyolights.jp/ Click here for event details: https://1minute-pm.com/event/2026/

Finalist Works & Guest Works Now Available on YouTube!

2026.6.12

We have released the works screened at the 13th 1minute Projection Mapping Competition on YouTube! In addition to the 18 finalist entries, we are also featuring works by guest artists Ouchhh (Turkey) and Kentaro Tanaka (Japan), the winner of the previous competition. We hope you enjoy the creativity the finalists packed into one minute, as well as the special works by the invited artists! ■ Finalist Works https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLevMSi0KA4jY ■ Guest Artist Works https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLV-QZn4vw6vc Visit the official TOKYO LIGHTS 2026 website here: https://tokyolights.jp/ Click here for event details: https://1minute-pm.com/event/2026/

Great Success!

2026.6.1

TOKYO LIGHTS 2026 1minute Projection Mapping Competition was a great success! We were blessed with good weather and many people came to the event. We would like to thank all the creators, the many people involved, and everyone who came to the event. We look forward to seeing you again at the next event! See you again! Photos and after-movie will be available soon. Please look forward to them! TOKYO LIGHTS 2026 official website is here: https://tokyolights.jp/ For more information about the event, visit https://1minute-pm.com/event/2026/

The 13th 1minute Projection Mapping Competition Call for Entries Entry Closed

Competition Theme
Dialogue

In this century, after the pandemic of the coronavirus, the way we communicate, technology, and distance have changed dramatically. As the world has become more diverse and complex with technological development, "dialogue" has become an even more important theme. Looking to the future, what kind of dialogue is necessary and what kind of future can we envision there?

Competition Outline

Name of the competition: The 13th 1minute Projection Mapping Competition
Projection subject: Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building No.1
Planning and production: Projection Mapping Association of Japan