Pixel art is a collection of dots depicted in low resolution imagery, developed alongside the evolution of computers and games in the 1980s and originally confined within the function of these technologies. The pixel technique was first highlighted by a research center in Palo Alto through their 1973 invention, Xerox Alto, a computer with bitmap display. Later on, the 1982 arcade game Space Invaders produced by Taito, the 1983 Nintendo video game console Family Computer and various other games helped develop the image technology (sprite). These technologies were largely confined to the bandwidth and processing ability of computers. Today, in an era liberated from these functional limitations, the pixel art form continues to be loved across the globe.

The definition of pixel art is generally considered as artwork using the smallest element of an image, dots (pixels), in visible resolution, or image structured by humans intentionally placing color into squares – both of which are ambiguous in their meanings. This ambiguity helped pixel art transcend boundaries of the bitmap framework into popular culture, from games to illustration, animation, embroidery and accessories, through posts on social media platforms. It has even transformed into fine art such as paintings and installations, and today garners attention of the public especially with the rise in popularity of the NFT (Non-Fungible Token) market trading various pieces of work in pixel art form.

Shibuya Pixel Art is an art festival that sheds light on the artistic value of pixels and aims to release its power as an art form. It consists of the Pixel Art Contest, which gathers over 600 creations of pixel art, and special exhibitions, art fairs and talk events using the entire city of Shibuya as its platform as an attempt to capture the magic and possibility of pixels. We are currently envisioning the launch of Shibuya Pixel Art Museum by 2025, where pixel art will be exhibited, researched and conserved. We hope the Museum will become a platform to organically connect artists, fans, collectors, galleries, companies and local areas, which will help stimulate and develop pixel art culture. This is why we base ourselves in Shibuya, otherwise known as the Bit Valley* – to connect and circulate the relationships between various stakeholders and fields.

* “Bit Valley” refers to the neighborhood in Shibuya, Tokyo, where many internet and tech startups base their offices. The name was inspired by Silicon Valley and is a cross between Bitter (the chinese character for “Shibu”) and Valley (the chinese character for “Ya”). The Bit Valley concept was first created by startup CEOs in Shibuya in February 1999.