World Expo Osaka 2025
12 April 2025 - 12 October 2025
Talk Show 5: Ram Patzir & Benjamin Herman (19 September)
The fifth edition of the Osaka World Expo Talk Shows took place on 19 September at the Netherlands Pavilion, bringing together two practitioners from the Netherlands with a long history in collaborating with and working in Japan: visual artist Ram Katzir and jazz musician Benjamin Herman.
Date: 19 September, 2025
Location: Event Space, Netherlands Pavilion
During the Talk Show, both artists presented their recent and past work, sharing their personal experiences and relation to Japan and collaboration.
Ram Katzir had just installed a public sculpture, Yumemitai, at the entrance to Visionary Station in Osaka, a cultural hub designed by Tadao Ando. There the work invites visitors to engage in a dialogue between tradition and innovation. Yumemitai draws inspiration from studies of Osaka residents, capturing their dreams and aspirations within an ever-evolving urban landscape.
Benjamin Herman launched the premiere of the documentary The Tokyo Sessions filmed by his twin brother, filmmaker Jonathan Herman. It follows Benjamin and his band from first ideas to final takes. Filmed partly in Tokyo’s legendary Studio Dede, the story highlights unique collaborations with Japanese artists including Otomo Yoshihide, Tomoaki Baba and Akihito Obama. It is an intimate portrait of music in motion—where inspiration, improvisation, and cultural exchange converge.
This event explored themes of cultural exchange, sharing vision, and collaborating, reinforcing the message that, ultimately, we all share the same sky. The talk was moderated by Vincent Schipper, with language support provided by Satoko Yokoyama.