Reflection on 2013 Residency

2013 artist, Hikaru Fujii’s Residency has left a legacy not just in the UK but also in Japan.

Emerging artist and Filmmaker, Hikaru Fujii was placed in a studio space in Departure, Limehouse.
In this lively art hub of a community in East London, Fujii spent his residency working and researching alongside other local artists and the general public.

At Departure Café,
Fujii relaxing while mingling with local
residents
http://www.departure.org.uk/http://www.morphearts.org/

One of the highlights of the 2013 residency was a discussion event organised by Art Action, hosted by The Japan Foundation, which took place on the 9th May.

This event attracted a big audience; we were told that it was one of the biggest turn outs on record at The Japan Foundation and the event was tweeted about both in Japan and the UK. Chaired by Art Action’s coordinator, Kaori Homma, Fujii debated with the Turner Prize nominee The Otolith Group, who in 2012, premiered their film “Radiant” at Kassel Documenta.

The event was rated highly among Japanese Art/Media professionals, prompting a very similar event to take place in Japan once Fujii had returned to Japan, where was again a member of the debating panel. It is our aim to be a catalyst and trigger of such discourse, so we are very happy to observe that our effort had some direct repercussions.

Fujii also visited York in the North of England by invitation from York St. Johns University where he showed a screening, carried out a research visit at the local hospital and interviewed Dr. Nick Rowe of Play Back Theatre about the role of art in a post disaster situation.

Fujii’s visit to York was featured in The York Times.

http://m.yorkpress.co.uk/news/

10390877.Films_portraying_impact_of_Japanese_tsunami_shown_in_ York/

Fujii attended Nuclear Culture Conference

Departure Film Night - Interview by Alastair Gordon

We are greatly encouraged to see such positive responses, on both side of globe, to our effort.
We have received much feedback from the audience that these events and the artist’s perspectives brought them new insight into the situation in Japan. Many expressed that they had no idea what was going on, as the media has not covered the topic after the initial extensive coverage of Tsunami in 2011.

And as a result we are more determined to carry on and develop this project into 2014 and beyond, as the situation in Fukushima still worsens and affects the entire Pacific Ocean. We feel that we must keep on discussing these issues which are no longer just a local issues.

Art Action was featured in Kyodo News

http://keithwhittle.org/blog/recent-interview-for-kyodo-news-and-japan-times/

Landfall

Landfall exhbition
10- 23rd May
Hikaru Fujii/ Katie Goodwin/ Owen Daily

Husk Gallery at Departure
664-651 Commercial Road, Limehouse, London E14 7LW
http://www.departure.org.uk/

You can Give Support

You can now give support for Art Action UK Respite Residency Project
by
Clicking below

http://www.everyclick.com/artactionukresidency

Event at The Japan Foundation

Post 3.11 is a series of talks with individuals who through art have in various ways been involved in supporting the victims of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in the Tohoku region of Japan. Showcasing their activities, this series aims to examine how the role of the artist and art activities can be vital in such unprecedented situations, in spreading awareness and helping restore confidence among those affected, fundamentally questioning whether art has to have a practical social function. For this second session, The Japan Foundation has invited emerging artist and filmmakerHikaru Fujii for this special talk, taking place during his Residency in UK as part of the Art Action UK Respite Residency Project. Through his works including artist and the Disaster / Documentation in Progress’ exhibited at Art Tower Mito in 2012, and ‘3.11 Art Documentation PROJECT FUKUSHIMA!’, he documented the devastated landscape and artist community in Tohoku in 2011 and further explored and questioned the relationship between 3.11 and art in his ongoing project ‘Record of Costal Landscape’. Briefly introducing his work and activities, Fujii will demonstrate why he was prompted to act in a way as an artist and filmmaker, and suggest what he feels art can do in response to the disaster. Joining the discussion with Fujii will be two members of the acclaimed artists collective,The Otolith Group,Kodwo Eshun andAngalika Sagar. Nominated for the Turner Prize in 2010, The Otolith Group is renowned for its critically engaged and thought-provoking films, including ‘RADIANT’, a piece concerning the nuclear issue and its wider implications, first presented at dOCUMENTA(13). Together Fujii and The Otolith Group, through their personal and collaborative experiences, will discuss the need for and the questions surrounding issues of documentation in the form of art including the democratisation of media and examine how effective art’s and artists’ intervention on the local and global landscape can be. By depicting the disaster in Tohoku, what do artists want to achieve and indeed what can be achieved?
This event is free to attend but booking is essential. To reserve a place, please email your name and the title of the event you would like to attend toevent@jpf.org.uk This event is co-organised with Art Action: Support for Japan. Hikaru Fujii is supported by the Art Action UK Respite Residency Project;http://artactionsupportforjapan.blogspot.co.uk/ There will be a screening event of Hikaru Fujii’s work: 10 May at the Departure Limehouse: http://www.departure.org.uk/
The Japan Foundation, London -10-12 Russell Square, London, WC1B 5EH www.jpf.org.uk

Art Action 2013 Artist

Art Action UK 2013 Residency Artist Hikaru Fujii is in action

Artist filmmaker, Fujii started to film in the stricken area soon after the disaster in 2011. Since then, he has been documenting the local situations as it shifted from the initial human responses against the background of such an unthinkable catastrophe to the slow process of facing the reality which has changed unequivocally and yet with no definitive hope for the future.

Born in Tokyo, Fujii Studied at ENSAD and obtained DEA from Universite de Paris 8. He has worked with visual media addressing social and political situations in Japan.

Fujii has been welcomed into the studio complex at

Departure in Limehouse, London

Attending a conference at Art Catalyst, London, Nuclear Culture on Film, curated by Ele Carpente.

Film Screening: Project Fukushima (90 mins)

with artist filmmaker, Hikaru Fujii, in conversation

ART ACTION UK 2013プログラム決定

We are happy to annouce the Art Action UK 2013 Programme schedule, in which we invite the artist and film director Hikaru Fujii. We will have screenings of his documentary film 'Project Fukushima!', a private view of his latest work 'Landfall' and a talk event between Hikaru Fujii and the Otolith Group. Please join us! We are looking foward to seeing you.

藤井光さんをお招きしたART ACTION UK 2013のプログラムが決定しました。今回は、藤井さんが監督した映画『プロジェクト FUKUSHIMA!』の上映や『Landfall』の展示、そして、dOCUMMENTA(13)で福島をテーマにした「Radiant」を発表したThe Otolith Groupとのディスカッションなど盛りだくさんです。ぜひお越しください。

2013 Art Action UK Respite Residency Artist Announced

レジデンシーアーティスト決定！

2013年度のＡrt Action 主催のＵＫアーチストレジデンシーには

藤井光さんが選抜されました。

Hikaru Fujii has been awarded 2013 Art Action UK Respite Residency, supported by ACG, Morphe and Departure and Departure Limehouse and many other individual supporters.

We have received numbers of strong applications this year, after the success of 2012 UK Respite Residency, which received good media coverage in Japan. So the selection process was not easy.

We are excited, to announce Hikaru Fujii as our artist in residence 2013.

There are plans to have Screening Events/ Art Talks at various venues in UK. Please watch this space!

Fujii is an emerging artist film maker who has been dealing with current complex socio political issues in Japan with a deeply reflective approach. His recent works were shown in Art Tower Mito, "Artists and the Disaster / Documentation in progress" 2012. He has been documenting the landscape in Tohoku area, stricken by Tsunami and Nuclear Fallout disaster in 2011, in his work “Record of Coastal Landscape”

Please see this link for his works. http://hikarufujii.com/

We believe that Fujii’s Residency will not only inform UK audience about the situation in Japan but highlight the difficult relationship between media and democracy.

2012年度に行われたＡrt Action 主催のUＫアーチストレジデンシーは、成功に終わり、日本でも多くのメディアで紹介されました。引き続き募集した2013年度のプログラムには多くの応募をいただきました。今回の選考の課程は簡単ではありませんでした。多くの応募とご支援をありがとうございました。

今回、2013年度のＡrt Action 主催のＵＫアーチストレジデンシーはACG, Morphe and Departureそして多くの個人の支援を得て、藤井光さんが選抜されたことを喜びをもってご報告したいと思います。英国のいくつかの場所で、作品上映／展示、トークイベントを企画していますので、引き続きこのサイトをご覧下さい。

藤井光さんは、今日の日本の複雑な社会政治問題を、きわめて反省的なアプローチによって表現しているアーティスト／映像作家です。最近では、水戸芸術館の「３．１１とアーティスト：進行形の記録」に出品するなど、積極的に展覧会に参加する一方で、大友良英他アーティストが組織した音楽フェスティバル『プロジェクト FUKUSHIMA!』のドキュメンタリー映画などの映画作品を発表しています。東日本震災以降は“Record of Coastal Landscape”という映像作品を通じて、震災と原発事故以降の風景を視覚化、記録するプロジェクトにも取り組んでいます。

藤井光さんのレジデンシーは、英国の人々に日本の状況を伝えるとともに、メディアと民主主義の困難な関係にも焦点をあてることになるでしょう。

2013 Residency application process is now Open

Following our successful 2012 Art Action UK Respite Residency Project,

2013 Residency is now open for applications.

Please see below for detail of application process.

http://artaction-uk-japan.jimdo.com/

Who: Emerging artist working and living in Tohoku,

Kanto area in Japan, age 35 and below.

Where: London, UK, (also touring to York and Margate)

When: April- May (3 weeks)

Kaya Hanasaki published images she has collected during her Respite Residency 2012
on:

Kaya Hanasaki's Protraits with Mask Project

This is ongoing project in which Hanasaki involves audience to experience wearing a protective mask, which in Japan became mundane object to provide protection from Radio Active articles in the air after the Nuclear Fall Out Disaster in Fukushima 2011.

The mask not only functions as a physical protective gear, but also it is increasingly becoming a contentious item, dividing population, depending on the political perspectives. If you trust Government safety guideline, there should be no need to wear it, but if you mis-trust Government Safety standard, you might wear them. This item is becoming an issue to divide communities, as well as families.

The idea of Hanasaki's project is to ask as many people as possible to wear the mask and imagine the current circumstance in Japan where normal citizens have to consider risk factors and pro and cons, in relation to the most basic of human activity- BREATHING.

Fund Raiser for 2013 Respite residency took place in SOHO, London,

on 29th November, 7-9pm, at Cafe Eterno, Neal Street, W1

It was a great evening with lots of support from artists and curators and others, including Meryl Doney, Kaya Hanasaki, Kate Allen, Veronique Chance, Marguerite Horner, Taeko Ishii, East Teas, Tango South London, Richard Allen, Ken McLaughlin, Song Ling, Yumi Otaka, Luciana Ortega, Rachelle Sherwood. Some of artists offered creative skill sets for art raffles, while others took part in sales of items and project works. Also lots of Sushi and Japanese canape were made by artists and enjoyed by others!

We are happy to announce that over 70% of fund is now raised to make 2013 Respite possible.

But we are still accepting donation, so please go to

http://www.everyclick.com/artaction

100% of what you give will go to Artists Residency Project in UK 2013, and benefit selected artist from affected areas who will travel to York and Margate as well as being hosted as an artist in residency at Departure, Limehouse, London. And he/ she will transmit their perspectives on what is happening in Japan since 3.11 Tsunami and Nuclear Fall out Disaster from within as a young emerging artists.

Event in Tokyo

As a Result of UK Respite residency, Kaya Hanasaki is exhibiting in Tokyo.

The Event on 4th October will live link with UK and Japan

to dicuss the effect of this grassroots exchange.

http://12gouten.shirouto.org/schedule/art-action-in-uk/

Case 1 Artist talk with Endo Ichiro

Art Action is invited to take part in the Event below

at The Japan Foundation London

Please book your place to avoid disappointment.

25th September, Tuesday, 2012 from 6:30pm

Japan Foundation

10-12 Russell Sq. London

WC1B 5EH

Post 3.11 is a series of talks with individuals who through art have in various ways been involved in supporting the victims of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in the Tohoku region of Japan. Showcasing their activities, this talk series aims to examine how the role of the artist and art activities can be vital in such unprecedented situations, in spreading awareness and helping restore confidence among those affected, fundamentally questioning whether art has to have a practical social function.

For the first session, The Japan Foundation has invited Ichiro Endo, a painter, performer and self-proclaimed ‘future artist’ famous for his artworks and activities, conveying a strong sense ‘future’ through his eccentric artworks and activities which have been exhibited at venues including Art Tower Mito, BACC Bangkok and the Beppu Contemporary Art Festival. Turning his attention to organising projects in the disaster-stricken Tohoku region, Endo’s activities include travelling around in his graffiti covered bus called Mirai-e-go! (“Go for future”) as a means of spreading Endo’s characteristic message to people.

Through Endo’s presentation, he will briefly introduce his work and activities before and after the incident in Tohoku, demonstrating how he was prompted to act in such a way in response to the disaster. Evaluating his involvement in Tohoku, Endo will be joined for a further discussion by Kaori Homma, UK based Japanese artist and Keith Whittle, curator and Japan Foundation Fellow, to explore the artist’s role including whether these activities have helped build new relationships between the artist and society. Kaori Homma, through her Art Action programme, commissioned a residency in the UK for an artist from Tohoku. Keith Whittle is undertaking research into projects working with individuals and communities in Japan, many of which are working with devastated areas and beyond, organising art events directly with, or for those affected.

	This event is free to attend but booking is essential. To reserve a place, please email your name and the title of the event you would like to attend to event@jpf.org.uk

	Ichiro Endo is supported by the Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture, Tokyo Wonder Site
	The Japan Foundation, London – 10-12 Russell Square, London, WC1B 5EH www.jpf.org.uk

Art Action UK Residency Success!

Thank you for your support!

Art Action's UK Respite Residency Project 2012 has been completed with amazing results.

Artist Kaya Hanasaki's stay in UK culminated in

Performance Events at Deptford X and Greenbelt Festival which are also linked to Project Fukushima! also featured Misaoredwolf, main spokes person for Japan's Anti Nuclear Movement.

Please see links: http://www.greenbelt.org.uk/contributors/respite/

http://www.pj-fukushima.jp/festival/flag_list.php
http://nonukesmorehearts.org/

Emotionally charged Hanasaki's performance

Thunderstorm and Powercut did not affect Hanasaki's delivery

Hanasaki's performances and the discussion were also live linked to Project Fukushima!

One of the most touching moment was when an audience asked

"what we might be able to do for people in Fukushima?"

The answer from a Fukushima local artist

and organiser of Project Fukushima! Mr. Otomo was

"Just be a friend, and please don't forget us."

Responding to the above request and recognising the current context of Fukushima where residents feel isolated, and forgotten,

Hanasaki has collected more than 120 signitures and words of encouragement on a Banner which is going back to Fukushima.

She also collected over 100 portraits of people wearing protective masks which will be made into an installation art in Japan on her return.

We will be continuing our effort to bring more artists from affected areas.

So, if you would like to take part in direct action to rbing about a change, you can contribute online at;

http://www.everyclick.com/artaction

Project Fukushima!

Kaya Hanasaki, selected artist for Art Action UK Respite Residency 2012, is holding a performance event on 12th August 2012 which is now accepted officially linked to Project Fukushima! as a satellite event.
We are hoping to have live link discussion and performance and drinks reception and art sale for fund raising.

http://www.pj-fukushima.jp/en/

This performance also marks the ending of Deptford X 2012.

http://www.deptfordx.webeden.co.uk/#/welcome/4552417510