Some more news

I have heard that my father’s church, just west of Tokyo where there is a Christian retreat/summer camp, has accommodated 70 evacuees including the elderly, children and families from the Fukushima area. The families have settled in well and the children have started new schools in this area, with the help of the collaboration between the church and local government.

I also heard from friends that their local churches are pulling their resources together to transport humanitarian supplies and support to various areas in Tohoku. NPO has been set up through the networks of churches in the area in order to communicate the needs of survivors. They have started to collect supplies and are sorting out logistics, run by volunteers.

My artist friend, Rachel Carvosso, is one of the volunteers setting off today from Tokyo to go to the Iwate area. They are transporting supplies of food/women’s sanitary products/ nappies/clothing etc. And they are also giving a foot bath, massage and hair cut service to the evacuees.

Please check of this site http://hopejapan.info/index.php/ja

Student's effort

 

Byam Shaw's Students set up a post card exhibition for Fund Rasing effort during their final show. A real acheivement!
Byam Shawの学生たちが卒展の会期中にはがき大の作品展を自主運営し義援金を集めました。

The auction was a great success!

We were stunned by the turnout of people at the silent auction, especially on such an unusually cold and rainy evening, in Budapest. As well as the amount raised through the auction, we were touched by the encouraging words from many people. Some artist thanked us for creating this opportunity to help Japan, while others even asked us to do more events like this in order for them to give more! The most poignant words of the evening were given by a Hungarian businessman who said that “Japan has always given so much to world crises including the Hungarian chemical spillage disaster last year, so this is our turn to help.” He then went on to become the highest bidder of the entire auction and also sponsored the reception.

Nannette Vinson and David Wilkinson, the organisers of the auction, who worked around the clock to set up the event at such short notice, also have shown amazing generosity by giving up their rightful commision, as well as time, to give towards this fund raiser.

From the Japan Embassy, secretary general Mr Yasuda visited and expressed the gratitude of the Japanese to the organisers for their effort. Moreover, the director of the Japan Foundation, Ms Iwanaga, not only paid a visit but also showed a very personal kindness by bringing along Japanese rice-ball snacks (onigiri) which were appreciated very much.

The money raised from the auction will now go straight to Red Cross Japan Appeal.

Thank you

あいにく雨模様で例年になく寒かった１４日でしたが、ブダペスト中心地にある、ブロデイー･ハウスでのサイレント･オークションには、本当に驚くほど多くの方々がご来場くださり、大成功となりました。オークションで集められた義援金とともにハンガリーの方々また、現地在住のいろいろな国籍の方々から日本の被災に対して本当に暖かいお言葉を沢山いただきました。協力アーチスト達は、作品を寄付してくれただけでなく、皆声を合わせて、｢こうして、日本への支援をできる機会を作ってくれてありがとう！また、チャンスを作って是非、協力させてください｣と言ってくれました。また、特に印象に残っているのは、ハンガリーの企業家の方が、｢日本は、去年ハンガリーで起こった化学物質流出事件の際も、またこれまで世界で起こったいろいろな危機に対して、非常に沢山の援助を惜しみなくしてきた国です。だから、今度は僕たちが日本の危機に対して、援助をさせていただく番ではないかと思います。｣と話しながら、サイレントオークションの最高額ビダーとして作品を落札し、またレセプションの経費を一手に引き受けてくださった事です。

日本大使館からは安田書記官が出向いてい下さり、また、国際交流基金からもダイレクターの岩永さんが、足を運んでくださっただけでなく夜中まで続いたオークションで大変でしょうと、おにぎりの差し入れまでしてくださって、本当に涙が出るほどでした。国や文化や言葉を超えて、痛みを分かち合う心が人間には与えられているという事を本当に学ばされたイベントでした。

今回の義援金は日本赤十字に直接送られます。

http://www.redcross.org.uk/japantsunami

The silent auction begins

http://www.bro dyhouse.com/

More than 40 pieces of art works are donated by Hungarian, Japanese and international artists to raise fund for Japanese Tsunami victims. The event is taking place in a beautiful space in Brody House, Budapest.

No Answer

photo by Reuters

A friend of mine from college has recently written to me from Fukushima. He and his family have just come back from the evacuation centre and seen their devastated village.

He said he had expected the local authority to have started clearing the rubble, after 3 weeks. However, he describes what he encountered was “like an end scene from ‘The Planet of the Apes’”. He continued to say “it is so detached from reality. A place where I once knew as land has now become a lake, smelling of sea water.  As far as eyes can see, all manmade objects are broken into a thousand pieces. The only thing one can hear is a sound of distant helicopters.”

The area has not yet been searched for bodies. Mr Koizumi writes “I cannot find any words, as I know that there must have been many people who survived the tsunami. The rescue just didn’t come to them.”

He is grateful that he and his family survived together. However the Koizumi family still have a very uncertain future with the possible contamination of water and food by the radiation. His main concern is for his children’s health. How he can protect his children from this invisible threat is the biggest question, Mr. Koizumi says “there is no answer.”

Invitation to Budapest

Charitable Art Events in April

In response to the adversities in Japan, there are many planned charitable art events to support for the recovery in Japan throughout April in Europe. 

<Auction>

Fold Gallery in London will host a silent art auction on the 8th of April. Established figures including Edward Allington and Sarah Pickering, and emerging artists in London will contribute their artworks to the auction. All proceeds will go to the British Red Cross for Japan Tsunami Appeal:Japan Relief 

On 14th of April, a group of Japanese and British creatives based in London will present a charity auction, Ai (❤) Heart Japan, at Devonshire Square in London. Designers and artists who are active in their fields, such as Yohji Yamamoto and Jamie Reid, will contribute their works to the blind auction. All procceds from the entrance ticket sales, auction and raffles will go directly to the Civic Force, NPO in Japan.

<Raffle>

On 28th of April, UK-based Japanese Artist, Nana Shiomi will donate her artworks as the raffle tickets prizes to fundraise at the P.V. for Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers Annual Exhibition at Bankside Gallery in London. All the donation will go to the smaller NPO in Japan through the Japan Society.

Please find details of each event on the enclosure links.

4月のチャリティー・アート・イベント

東日本大震災の支援金として、4月も引き続き数々のアート・チャリティ・イベントがヨーロッパ各地で行われています。その内容はオークション、ラッフル、ワークショップと様々です。

＜オークション＞

4月８日にはロンドンのFold Galleryにてサイレント・オークションが開催されます。Edward AllingtonやSarah Pickeringと言ったロンドン在住のアーティストが作品を提供し、オークションで得られる収益は直接イギリス赤十字を通じて日本へ送られます。

また、4月14日にはロンドンのDevonshire Squareにて、アート＆ファッションのチャリティ・オークション、‘Ai (❤) Heart Japan’　が開かれます。Yohji YamamotoやJamie Reidに代表される、世界で活躍するデザイナーやアーティストの作品がブラインド・オークションによって販売され、その収益はイベントのチケット代とラッフル・チケット代と共に、気仙沼で活動するCivic Forceに送られます。

＜ラッフル＞

4月２８日に開かれるRoyal Society of Painter-Pirntmakersの定例展示会のオープニング・レセプションでは、在英アーティストの塩見奈々さんの木版画がラッフルの商品として寄付されます。こちらのチケット販売で得られる収益金は、全て支援金として日本の小規模なNPOに送られます。

以上、各イベントの詳細についてエンクロージャー・リンクをご覧下さい。

Video

produced by http://www.quirkymotion.com/

Please donate to Red Cross

http://www.redcross.org.uk/Donate-Now/Make-a-single-donation/Japan-Tsunami-Appeal