SCAN

Founded in 1980 by Fujiko Nakaya, SCAN was the first Japanese art gallery to specialize in video, at a time when the medium was barely recognized by museums and galleries. SCAN's program was not limited to exhibitions - the gallery supported artists working with video in their work, created an audience, and also functioned as an archive to preserve video works by local artists. Between 1987 and 1993, SCAN organized the Japan International Video Television Festival three times, including Dumb Type performances. Until its closure in 1992, SCAN revitalized the Japanese scene of artists working with video and stimulated a national and international video network through participation in international exhibitions (including MoMA in New York), connecting young artists working with video and media with a number of world-renowned multidisciplinary practitioners.