Bunka-cho Art Platform Japan Webinar Series
Contemporary Art After the Coronavirus and its Ecology
August 2020–January 2021
Due to the current coronavirus epidemic, immense challenges have been posed to both arts institutions and contemporary art professionals across the globe. By sharing the numerous issues being tackled by innumerable parties globally that the pandemic has raised, this program aims to discuss and exchange both concrete and speculative ideas regarding the global dissemination of the arts in the post-pandemic era. The program also aims to cover the conductive research into the most potentially suitable forms of future international exhibitions for arts institutions. *Archived videos and transcriptions (Japanese and English) are in preparation.
Aims
The objective of Art Platform Japan is to establish a foundation for the sustainable development of the contemporary art scene in Japan. As part of these efforts, in the 2018 and 2019 fiscal years, the bureau organized the first two installments of annual invitational workshops (with select public programming) to establish an international network of art professionals of curators, researchers, artists, and so on. The 2020 edition of the workshop, also organized by Contemporary Art Committee Japan—the steering committee of this initiative, was scheduled to take place in the fall of 2020; however, due to the global coronavirus pandemic, the committee had to forego holding an event in the intended scale and format.
On the other hand, the current state of the global pandemic brings to light the importance of an international and mutually beneficial network of arts professionals. The unsure future of practices such as cross-cultural exchange programs, global promotion, international shipping, research, and residencies have become particularly evident and all demand to reconsider such programs on a global scale.
How might we confront and deal with the current situation? By returning to the starting point of this initiative — to better the international reputation of contemporary art in Japan — we held a five-part webinar series that will further the discussion of the post-COVID-19 conditions of international exchange, international exhibitions, curatorial efforts, artist support and expression, and the ecology surrounding the international art scene.
Photographed by Kozo Kaneda
Session 1 Friday, August 7th, 2020 16:30‒18:00
Global Promotion and International Exchange in the Arts After the Impact of COVID-19
Speakers (in alphabetical order)
Peter Anders (Director, Goethe-Institut Tokyo)
Jude Chambers (Manager of International Services and Initiatives & Special Emergency Response Package Team Manager, Creative New Zealand)
Yuasa Manami (Head of Arts, British Council Japan)
Moderator: Kataoka Mami (Director, Mori Art Museum / Chairperson, CACJ)
Article
*Link to external site
Session 2 Thursday, September 10th, 2020 18:30‒20:00
International Exhibitions “After COVID-19”
Speakers (in Alphabetical order)
Fujikawa Satoshi (Professor, Faculty of Humanities, Yamaguchi University)
Yung Ma (Artistic Director, Seoul Mediacity Biennale)
Osaka Eriko (Director General, The National Art Center, Tokyo / Executive Chairperson, Organizing Committee for Yokohama Triennale)
Moderator: Uematsu Yuka (Curator, National Museum of Art, Osaka / Deputy Chairperson of CACJ)
Article
*Link to external site
Session 3 Thursday, October 29th, 2020 13:00‒14:30
Curating "After COVID-19"
Speakers (in Alphabetical order)
Harada Mayumi (Deputy Chief Officer, Business Promotion Office, The Yomiuri Shimbun, Seibu)
Murata Daisuke (PhD Student, Department of Art History, University of Kansas)
Yokoyama Yukiko (Curator, 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa)
Moderator: Nariai Hajime (Curator, Tokyo Station Gallery / CACJ Committee Member)
Article
*Link to external site
Session 4 Friday, December 4th, 2020 18:30‒20:00
Art After COVID-19—The Issues of Expression and Support from the Perspective of Artists
Speakers (in Alphabetical order)
Kawakubo Yoi (Artist)
Mukaiyama Tomoko (Pianist / Artist)
Wakabayashi Tomoko (Project coordinator / Specially Appointed Associate Professor of Rikkyo University, Graduate School of Social Design Studies)
Moderator: Odate Natsuko (Arts Common Tokyo / Yoshiko Isshiki Office / CACJ Committee Member)
Article
*Link to external site
Session 5 Thursday, January 28, 2021 18:30‒20:00
Art After COVID-19—Navigating the New Critical Ecology
Speakers (in Alphabetical order)
Jeebesh Bagchi (Artist, Raqs Media Collective)
Ho Tzu Nyen (Artist)
Hito Steyerl (Artist)
Moderator: Andrew Maerkle (Writer / Editor / CACJ Committee Member)
Article
*Link to external site
Staff
Livestreaming technical staff
Watanabe Shunsuke
Chong Riae
Nishio Kana
Aoyama Shinya
Miyazawa Hibiki
Koyanagi Tao
Camera operator
Miyazawa Hibiki
Nakamura Aoi
Kawai Hiroki
Ando Toru
Sound engineer
Nakayama Shogo
Kamijo Shintaro
Photographer
Kaneda Kozo
Video editor
Aoyama Shinya
Ishiguro Moeko
Simultaneous interpretation
Session 1: Yokota Kayoko, Kitayama Yuri
Session 2: Yokota Kayoko, Kobayashi Akiko
Session 3: Yokota Kayoko, Kitayama Yuri
Session 4: Yokota Kayoko, Kobayashi Akiko
Session 5: Yokota Kayoko, Kobayashi Akiko
Design
Ian Lynam Design
Script / Translation
Daiji Seeley
Mochizuki Mamiko (Bureau of Art Platform Japan)
Doi Miho (Bureau of Art Platform Japan)
Administration Staff
Nozaki Mari (Accounting Section, The National Art Center, Tokyo)
Doi Miho (Bureau of Art Platform Japan)
Ohkubo Renna (Bureau of Art Platform Japan)
Tezen Wakako (Bureau of Art Platform Japan)
Igarashi Mie (Bureau of Art Platform Japan)
Sakuta Tomoki (Bureau of Art Platform Japan)
Shimabayashi Hideyuki (Media Relations)