Takashi Murakami, the founder of Superflat and Miltos Manetas, the founder of Neen, met in Italy on February 2000 for an exhibition at the Pinksummer Gallery in Genova.

On Friday February 18th 2000, they give a lecture together at the Art School in Milan, (Accademia di Brera), invited by professors Giacinto Di Pietrantonio and Laura Cherubini.

Neither Superflat or Neen exist yet in that point: Murakami would eventually introduce Superflat with an exhibition in October 14, 2001 at the Walker Art Center, and Manetas would present Neen at the Gagosian Gallery in New York in May 2000. But during their meeting in Milan, the two artists would eventually define- in front of the public, the basic ideas for the two art movements.