1minute Projection Mapping Competition in TOKYO LIGHTS 2026 Competition

The contents of the 13th "1minute Projection Mapping Competition" were particularly fulfilling compared to previous competitions. The freshness of moving the venue from the Meijijingu Gaien Memorial Picture Gallery to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building No.1, combined with the trust and achievements accumulated over the years, resulted in a significant increase in both the number of entries and participating countries and regions, and a further improvement in the quality of the works.

The production theme, "Dialogue," may not have been an easy subject for creators. However, regarding the modern society, the importance of dialogue, according to the synergy of the symbolic architectural space of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, attracted a diverse range of high-quality works from around the world. The 18 selected finalist works respectively possessed unique perspectives and expressions, bringing up diverse interpretations and messages regarding the theme of "Dialogue."

The intersection of diverse values and cultural backgrounds resulted in an extremely impressive group of screening contents, contributing of many expressions of admiration from the audience. The fact that creators from around the world confronted the question of "Dialogue" and expressed their individual answers through video was a significant achievement unique to this competition.

■ About the Prize-Winning Works

The 5 Prize-Winning Works, including the GRAND PRIZE, while all possessed a high level of completion, yet each had its own distinct charm and individuality, symbolizing the diversity of the competition as a whole.

The GRAND PRIZE-winning work by Signal Bleed (Brazil) was a work with abundant changes and a strong narrative from the beginning to the end. This work started with the representation of a finger touching the building, then the story carefully depicted the walls and conflicts that hinder dialogue, the will to overcome them, and finally, hope for the future. As a projection mapping piece, it skillfully utilized the architectural structure, achieving a high level of completion through a feeling of transparency and beautiful visual expressions.

The SECOND PRIZE won by VPM (Spain) utilized the trick art-like effects unique to projection mapping to depict the relationship between the building and the audience as a "Dialogue." It was the only award-winning work composed entirely in monochrome, and was highly praised as a classic yet sophisticated approach to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building.

The THIRD PRIZE work has been won by Bigcool (Thailand) and was a particularly entertaining piece among the lineup this year. Using unique music and visual expressions, they developed a friendly worldview inspired by Japanese manga and anime. The story of two contrasting musical styles clashing and eventually harmonizing captivated the audience, culminating in laughter and a great sense of excitement at the end.

The Tokyo Tokyo PRIZE won by Anionavision (Romania) was a work that left a vivid impression on the audience with its intense visuals and music. Through diverse forms of communication such as graffiti on the wall, words, songs, and sign language, it depicted the power of "Dialogue," and the powerful staging, which made it seem as if giant persons were approaching the audience, was highly praised.

The AUDIENCE PRIZE has been received by Taro Narahara (Japan) with his work. As a creator from the host country, he received strong support from the audience, winning significantly more votes than other works. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building's dynamic transformation into machinery and robots was a perfect match for the architecture, resulting in an impressive work that combined clear entertainment value with a powerful message.

The creators' imagination and expressive abilities once again far exceeded our expectations. Their creativity provided new inspiration and emotion not only to the audience but also to many people involved in projection mapping and visual expression. Among the works not selected as finalists, there were many excellent pieces that were in no way inferior to the winning and finalist works. However, due to screening time and operational constraints, we were unable to showcase all of them.

Among the works that were not selected as finalists this time, there were many outstanding entries that were in no way inferior to the award-winning or finalist works. However, due to screening time constraints and operational limitations of the competition, we were unable to showcase all of them. 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 efforts supports this competition and serves as a driving force for advancing the culture of projection mapping worldwide.

"Light born from dialogue connects people across countries and cultures, becoming a bridge to the future."

TOKYO LIGHTS 2026 Official Website
https://tokyolights.jp/

International Competition event details
https://1minute-pm.com/event/2026/