Scanning
Scanning is a research-based media project launched in response to the pandemic in 2020. It explored the
future of society and consumption through cross-disciplinary investigation of literature and media,
publishing weekly articles online for over two years. In total, more than 100 articles were released,
drawing on critical reflections across 300 references.
The project was guided by the following concept:
"In the 17th century, the philosopher Rene Descartes declared "I think, therefore I am"-a phrase that has
become a cornerstone of human self-awareness and our way of perceiving the world. Three centuries later,
artist Barbara Kruger reinterpreted this dictum in her 1987 work "I shop, therefore I am", a sharp
critique of a society increasingly defined by ownership rather than thought.
By 2021, humanity once again faced profound structural shifts: environmental crises, calls for diversity
and inclusion, fragile global supply chains revealed by the pandemic. At the heart of these changes lies
consumption, shaping culture and values on a global scale.
To buy is not merely to acquire-it is to choose a value system and cast a vote for the kind of society we
wish to inhabit. Scanning sought to reconnect "shop" and "think", providing a space to reconsider the
values we adopt and the futures we imagine."
Members
Chief Editor and Planner: Hikaru Mugita
Writer and Researcher: Ryo Ishita, Ruka Takahashi, Seo Hashimoto and Ren Suzuki
Illustration: Hiroki Nishiyama
