A world of art to visit, see and feel
File.28 Wakabacho Wharf "COVID-19 Memorial Theater"
Miyuki Inoue (Magcal Editorial Department)
Wakabacho Wharf opened in 2017 as an arts center combining a small theater, studio, and dormitory-style accommodation. It was established by playwright and director Makoto Sato as a culmination of his stage career. Up until now, the Wharf Workshop has been held, where young performers active in neighboring Asian cities have gathered to talk and learn from each other, and to share their work both domestically and internationally.
* Click here for the report on the Wharf Workshop 2018!
* Click here for the report on the Wharf Workshop 2019!
In late March, Sato sensed from the expressions of customers who visited the theater that they "couldn't enjoy themselves in safety," and decided to suspend operations at the entire facility until June 30th. This also meant that the activities of the wharf workshops, for which preparations had been made, would come to a halt. However, Sato didn't want to simply "close the facility." Although the facility operation was suspended, the space was opened to the local community as an "empty lot," and he started " Wakabacho Wharf Online, " which broadcasts the situation in real time.
The first project was the "COVID-19 Memorial Theater," where various artists wrote graffiti on the walls of the small theater on the first floor. It was broadcast live on the "Wharf Channel," but it's not interesting to just watch it from afar. So, in late June, when restrictions on travel across prefectural borders were eased, I visited Wakabacho Wharf.
The pure white walls of the small theater, formerly known as the "White Box," look as if they are about to be completely covered with graffiti by the various artists who visit each day.
"I thought this was the reason why the walls were painted white," says Sato, creating a rather surreal world.
It may seem obvious, but there are windows and doors on the walls. I hadn't noticed them before, so when I opened them all up, I was surprised at how bright and peaceful it felt. It was the same space, but the impression was quite different, and it was a bit strange...
This is a doodle by artist Yuri Miyauchi, who was the first to appear.
In honor of the COVID19 Memorial Theatre, 19 little creatures will also appear.
The space is also used as a waiting room for the nearby mini-theater Jack & Betty, and in one corner there are flyers for movies that have been postponed. This, too, seems to be part of the art.
The day we visited was the day of the regular Tuesday "chit-chat" meeting. It was a simple meeting where people from nearby art facilities such as Jack & Betty and Cinemarin gathered and reflected on the past week, but it turned out to be a good opportunity to deepen the connection between Wakabacho Wharf and the town.
After the chat, we spoke to Sato about the future of Wakabacho Wharf.
"I think the really difficult part is yet to come. Being forced to "self-restraint" for two to three months will undoubtedly have an impact, especially on children. With that in mind, it may be necessary for everyone to move on to a slightly different stage than before.
What can artists do in such a situation? The role of theater is probably to create words. I think it has a role to put into concrete words the feelings that people cannot easily put into words."
"One thing that's become clear to me is that I want to maintain this facility until I can hand it over to the next generation of young people. I want to perform my own works, but first I need to think of new ways of doing things and stabilize the operation."
The first event to resume activities in July will be the "Machinaka Gallery ① Wall Exhibition," which will showcase the walls of the theater that have been decorated with the brush strokes of many artists.
During the event, they will be holding a "Hatobana Club" workshop, where children will be able to doodle on the floor instead of the walls. It will be exciting to see how far the blank white space will "grow."
The suspended workshop at the wharf seems likely to start up again around the end of the year... It's obviously not going to be easy, but we've also launched a crowdfunding campaign to realize continued collaboration with artists from all over Japan and neighboring Asian cities.
*Click here to read Sato-san's thoughts and find out more about the crowdfunding campaign !
Things may be slowing down, but they won't stop. It looks like we'll have to keep an eye on Wakabacho Wharf for a while to come.
