Exhibition Celebrating the Publication of “The Story of the Kaki Tree”
Talk Event No.3
Art that Deviates, Confronts, and Expands ~Explore the Possibilities of Workshop
We asked Mr. Tsukasa Mori, former curator at Art Tower Mito and currently Director of the Tokyo Culture Creation Project’s Tokyo Art Research Lab, to host the event, and Mr. Hibino and Miyajima talked about “Workshop.”
First, Miyajima explained that works on display at the venue were created by children through the Kaki Tree Project’s workshops, which took place in 190 locations in 22 countries around the world and the themes were not told them in advance, rather, they were allowed freely to choose. Hibino told that he had been taking part in the Project since around 1998. Miyajima revealed that the authorities of the art festivals were highly reluctant to accept “Workshop Style” works at that time.
Then, Hibino introduced his activities and shared his experiences. He talked about the characteristics of workshops; it could not be controlled by the artist and would naturally unfold through other people, and three of them shared the view. Mori pointed it was wise for the Project to launch the Executive Committee, not to choose Miyajima as a single project leader. He also analyzed that the language used by both Hibino and Miyajima was the language in the internet era, and workshop itself had developed as a product of SNS era. Both Hibino and Miyajima told that they “got the feeling it was coming.”
They confirmed a common recognition that although the workshop approach has not yet been established its value in the art world, it is essential in society, and its function to slip a sense of beauty into everyday life is also excellent art. However, as this art will be ongoing and expanding all the time, it is difficult to evaluate. According to Mori, in order to solve that problem, evaluation criteria such as its social significance and influences in life would have to be set up, and it is desirable that research activities for it would be included in the project. Human resource development for it would be also important. Hibino suggested that they use numerical evaluation, for example, in relationship between art and truancy, or quantify the difference between before and after the workshop so that it would be easier for people to understand the effect of the workshop. He also analyzed that the person who conducts the research would be from a different field, like Sociology.
Then, Mori highlighted that utilization of the workshop style art would be imperative as he has been discreetly supporting the reconstruction activities in the earthquake-hit Tohoku Region. Hibino also told from his workshop experience that he held in the affected area that he realized the vital role of the workshop. Miyajima told that they were recruiting foster parents in Fukushima so that the kaki seedling planting would take place next year.
There was a Q and A session afterward.
