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Belladonna of Sadness 50th Anniversary Exhibition & NFT Launch

“One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman.”

― Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex

SOMSOC GALLERY is proud to present the 50th anniversary of the Mushi Production classic art animation film "Belladonna of Sadness" from 2/14- 2/26.

"Belladonna of Sadness" was released in 1973 and was produced by Mushi Productions.

It was distributed by Nippon Herald Films (now Kadokawa Pictures). This is the third and final work in the trilogy of adult-oriented animated films produced by MushiProduction, following "One Thousand and One Nights" (1969) and "Cleopatra" (1970).

With its powerful expression and bold stream-of-consciousness performance, this work has gained worldwide attention for its experimentation and artistry. With the addition of artists Kuni Fukai and Seiichi Hayashi, as well as the adventurous exploration and expression, it became a masterpiece that anime enthusiasts cannot miss.

This exhibition is co-produced by SOMSOC Gallery and NFT Launchpad Unemeta. There will be an exhibition of the original artworks from movie production and the launch of NFTs. There will also be a series of offline events and IP merchandises available.

UneMeta is a Japanese culture- rooted, curated social and NFT market space for quality and established IPs and Icons, aiming to create higher quality experience with NFT to everyone. UneMeta offers launchpad and marketplace service, linking web2 and web3 for IPs and Icons.

Total supply is 1800, consisting of 36 images from production of the movie "Belladonna of Sadness", each image has 50 copies.

Visitors who are already familiar with NFT can mint with wallets. For visitors who are new to NFT, a guide will be provided on site about how to mint with credit cards. The mint price for public and in-store is 0.035eth each, which is around $60.

Exhibition Information

Period: February 14, 2023 ~ February 26, 2023

Opening Reception: February 14 18:00-20:00

Address: SOMSOC Gallry (3-22-11 Jingu-mae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo)

Opening hours：12:00-19:00 / Admission is free

Closed: Mondays

"Resurrection" of a masterpiece in the 21st century

The film "Belladonna of Sorrows", released 50 years ago, tells a story of how the heroine Jeanne gradually becomes a witch. The depiction of makes a faustian deal with the devil to gain power can also be found in works from the past and present, such as Goethe's Faust and the anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica.

"Belladonna, the plant, also has the symbolic meaning of witchcraft. Some people may see this work for the purpose of understanding the duality of religion, or to examine it in a feminist way. This particular work can be interpreted by a variety of ideologies.

Yet on the other hand, the images and music seem to contradict such a logical interpretation. The witch and the savior, the perfidy and the promiscuity, the good and the evil, the still and the animated. Medieval French Gothic and Pop Art blend together in watercolors, stirring up the viewers' thoughts and leaving a huge impact in our heads. Just like in the film, Jeanne and the devil fuse together in that light.

All in all, this work is 50 years old.

It was the year when the Vietnam War, and the oil crisis ended, 1973.

In those days, such a shocking work came out quietly - she should not be forgotten and weathered in time.

After 50 years, we are honored to be able to bring back "Belladonna of Sadness" in the form of NFT and replica of the original arkwork in this era. It was also a great challenge for us to curate the exhibition, and we had many attempts with Ann, the Unemeta team head, on how to "resurrect" the work in a new era. We, SOMSOC Art Gallery and Unemeta, will present our perspectives and feelings towards this classic work through the exhibition. We invite you to enjoy the beauty and impact of this work through this exhibition.

----SOMSOC Gallery Team

Reborn and restart with NFT

I was very surprised to discover "Belladonna of Sadness", a work from 1973, and decided to bring back this half-century-old work in the form of NFT. Firstly, I thought the theme was very avant-garde and bold at that time, and that it was a very modern and profound film. Secondly, I hope that people can learn about a completely different form of Japanese anime. Belladonna is the first "Powerpoint format" film, which is made in pure watercolor.

It is a work of art that transcends the traditional definition of animation and is also an exploration of Japanese animation by Osamu Tezuka. In the era dominated by the Western art view, such aesthetic was actually a declaration of Japanese animation to the Western aesthetic at that time.

It was extremely difficult to preserve the original artworks due to the limited preservation arrangement. Therefore only a part of them will be shown. It is also why we use the NFT tehcnology to preserve this classic artworks as completely as possible. We hope to use this launch to encourage conversations around art preservation and what role NFT could play in the art world."

--- Ann, founder of Unemeta

Limited Edition Merchandise and Prints

The exhibition will feature collector-grade replica of the original artwork, recreating the details and brushstrokes of this 50-year-old classic. Limited edition merchandise will also be available for sale on site.

Film Screening and Salon

During the exhibition period, the gallery will also host screenings and salon with people from the animation and NFT industries, to talk about the past, present and future of this classic work.

About SOMSOC Gallery

SOMSOC Gallery is a contemporary gallery and art venue in Harajuku, Tokyo, established in 2022 to promote and exhibit artists and creative projects that reflect the spirit of the times.

"SOMSOC" is the mirror image of "COSMOS", which means "reversal of the universe". It is the universe that exists inside the human body, looking at the existing world from a different perspective. We look at the world from a different perspective, focusing on the contents that support the external world, i.e., the inner being of the expressers.

Somsoc Gallery is a medium for the inner and outer universe, projecting the artist's inner universe onto the real world, amplifying and spreading the signal of the source of art.

Somsoc Gallery divides the art space into several modules that can be flexibly combined, using physical art displays, performance spaces, art merchandise retail, art salons, and specialty food as realistic projection points, and providing more possibilities for collaborating artists to extend their impact online and offline.

Address: 3-22-11 Jingu-mae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

E-mail: [email protected]

Homepage: https://somsoc.jp

Instagram: somsocgallery

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