FUTURE ARITA - A video projection
Premier: August 2018 in Arita, Japan
European premier: September 2019 in Rotterdam
Video Documentation
1. A short documentary by Shinichirou Nakashima
2. FUTURE ARITA full length
https://vimeo.com/359019509
PW: IMARI
A dancer (KUSUDA Kenzo) becomes an inhabitant of a landscape made of porcelain. The dancer’s contour directs the eye along a visual and sensory exploration of landscape, spaces and shapes. Footage filmed on location in Japan merges with patterns, photographs and various objects, forming a make believe present and showing a glimpse of how a future based on the past might appear.
Problems faced by local cities in Japan include the declining birthrate and aging population, population concentration in large cities, and financial difficulties. The key to solving the problem is to increase the settled population (migrants) and the exchange population (tourists), but to do so, it is necessary to build a city identity that leverages the strengths of the region. This is because the uniqueness of the city makes it attractive and the driving force for attracting migrants and tourists. The usual method of community development is to solicit residents and related parties, discuss the future image of the city at workshops, etc., gather opinions in words, and create concrete measures. However, this method does not often result in actual measures. Therefore, as a new method of town development, we propose to "create art as a medium for sharing the future image of the city." A practical example is the FUTURE ARITA project in Arita Town, Saga Prefecture.
According to the French philosopher Elie During art suggests various possibilities of the future as "prototype". Residents, stakeholders, and students involved in urban planning of Arita Town discuss the future image of the city. Based on the outcome of the discussion, the invited artists express the "future Arita scenario," imaginary cityscape and urban life in the future of Arita town by means of painting and video projection on fusuma, typical Japanese paper sliding doors.
The art work will be permanently exhibited at the heritage "Egoshi House" and was appreciated by various people. Results of the enquete to the visitors of the artwork indicated that the future image of the city, which is difficult to share with words alone, has become easier to imagine by taking the form of art, and it has become easier to share it with more people. It is concluded that discussion about town development was activated, which lead to concrete movements for town development. The method of community development through art has created an intimate relationship between community development and art in the future,
Fusuma painting Arita Future Cityscape
by Lok Jansen
Production: Arita Creators Village Council (JP)
Video projection FUTURE ARITA
by Sato Endo and Nicola Unger
Performer: Kenzo Kusuda
Camera: Bas Noordermeer
Production: Zeebelt (NL)
Coproduction: Arita Creators Village Council (JP) and CAMERA JAPAN
Concept Advisor to the both art works: Yoko Taguchi and Yuusuke Karasawa (architecture and city planning)
