``Fujisawa Konjaku/Machinaka Art Tour 2016'' connecting the history of the old Tokaido to the future

Start with cleaning

—Tell us about the origins of the Fujisawa Konjaku/Machinaka Art Tour.
 

Ito : The four founders, including me and Sasaki, all graduated from art colleges and have participated in solo exhibitions and artist-in-residence programs. When I was young, I was mostly active in Tokyo and Yokohama, but looking back on my hometown, I felt that it was hollowing out. There were no museums or art galleries in Fujisawa City to begin with, so when I was looking for the possibility of creating a place for such activities somewhere, I found a post station in the Edo period and the Sengoku period and Kamakura period before that. , I touched on the remains from the Heian period and wondered if I could preserve and utilize the historical heritage of this area, which was the cornerstone of the city of Fujisawa and a place where people gathered from early times, through art.
 

Mr. Naoaki Ito, Representative of Fujisawa Konjaku Machinaka Art Executive Committee

The place where it all started was a kimono shop called Inamotoya, which is one of the venues this time as well. It is a large store that represents Fujisawa-juku, and the Meiji Emperor once stayed there during his imperial visit, and there is a monument on the hill on the south side that indicates this. There are two remaining gardens and storehouses, and with the understanding of the owners, in 2010 we started the ``Fujisawa Konjaku and Future Art Tour in the City'' with several galleries. In 2011, we opened the former Kamata Shoten, which has been mainly used for the trade of Japanese paper since the early Showa period. In 2014, Kyu-Ishisone Shoten gradually gained understanding in this way.
 
Since my second year, Professor Asae Ozawa of Tokai University, who has conducted many surveys of Japanese architecture, has been supporting me in some way, so it was easy to gain understanding when the professor was involved. I have.
 
Before last year, we had outdoor exhibitions at places such as Shirahata Shrine, Yugyoji Temple, a place called Benkeizuka owned by Mr.
 

—It was a place that even the locals had never heard of before.
 

Ito : The coastal area of Tsujido, where I have been living for many years, was a relatively new area back in 1955-1965 with only pine forests and fields, so there aren't many historical remains. On the other hand, when I turned my attention to Fujisawa-juku, I realized that there were so many things to do, but although a general survey was done before, most of them were not used and the disclosure was limited. bottom. Recently, town-level succession districts have been established, and more and more places are being surveyed again. Last year, Mr. Inamotoya and Mr. Sekiji this year finally became national registered tangible cultural properties. When the exhibition is open, there are many cases where people who have recently moved to a condominium around here find out about a place like this for the first time.
 

Sasaki : Gradually, I've come to acquire an eye for seeing historical buildings such as storehouses and temples.
 

Ito : Your eyes change. Since I started this event, in 2012 I have been qualified as a heritage manager in Kanagawa Prefecture, and I have gained experience in coming up with ideas for utilizing these remains and managing them.
 

Kaoru Sasaki, Deputy Representative of the Executive Committee

—What was the condition of the venue building?
 

Ito : Depending on the location, the initial cleaning was quite difficult.
 

Sasaki : Once we decided who would be exhibiting, we all started by wearing masks, holding brooms, and cleaning up in pitch black.
 

Ito : There were even some artists who turned that into a work of art.
 

Sasaki : As long as I use it, I also do maintenance, and when I leave, I try to keep it cleaner than before.
 

Works born from continuous relationships

—How do you decide who will participate and what will be exhibited?
 

Ito : It's not enough to simply bring a piece of art to a museum or gallery and hang it up, so I've been recruiting people who understand and support this kind of activity among my local friends. hey. There are also members from Chigasaki, Kamakura, and Sakae Ward in Yokohama.
 

Participating artist from Latvia, Asnate Bochkis, focused on pine trees as a commonality between Japan and Latvia.

Directly or indirectly, many of my works are influenced by the history, culture, and environment of the region, but I sometimes leave that up to the individual artists. There are also works that bring out the themes that each of them has continuously in a form that matches this, and the artist who exhibited at Ishizone Shoten, which was a footwear dealer three years ago, has the theme of Japanese words related to footwear. For example, I used yellow, which was the flag color of the Sengoku warlords at the time, in my installation.
 
The work of Hisaya Ito, which will be exhibited at the Arita House this year, is about making umeboshi together with the owner, Mr. Arita, who pickles umeboshi every year.
　 
Shinji Murakami is a photographic artist. I'm doing what I'm doing. During the exhibition, we will show slide shows and project guerrillas on the street.
 
If you continue to hold it, you may notice something for next year. Sasaki exhibited at the same place last year, but this time it is an extension of that series.
 

Sasaki : After doing it a few times, I get a vague idea of where I want to do it and how I want to do it. In fact, there are many artists who make works according to the place.
 

At Sekitsugi Shoten, you can take a break with the gifts from the owner.

Reconsider your feet through cross-cultural exchange

—Please tell us about the highlights of this year.
 

Ito : The biggest feature of this year's event is that we had three artists from the Republic of Latvia, and we had an artist-in-residence program. I would love to see their work. In addition, after the 22nd of the second half, you can see the light up for about 2 hours from the evening. I've been doing light ups since 2013, but since last year, I've been fulfilling thanks to Masayuki Fushimi, an artist who usually works on landscape lighting with the team of the Wright Brothers. This year, he is exhibiting video works in the outer storehouse on the south side of Inamotoya.
 
On the 22nd, the first day of the illumination, we will gather at the newly built Fujisawa Koryukan and start walking around each venue from around 5:30pm. As much as possible, the artists will be present at the venue, and we plan to have some artist talks and explanations about the building.
 

Sasaki : You can walk by yourself while looking at the map on the flyer, and there is someone at the venue. If you collect stamps at each venue, you can get handmade goods of the artist.
 

Laura Ferdeberga, who coordinated the Latvian participating artists,
Exhibition of works with the theme of collecting light

—How did exchanges with Latvia begin?
 

Sasaki : In 2006 and 2007, when I participated in the residency at the International Outdoor Expression Exhibition held in Hiki-gun, Saitama Prefecture, there were many foreign artists in attendance, and I spoke with Laura, the participating artist. We got along really well. She has a wealth of experience and skills, and her father is also a sculptor, and is working on a residency project in Latvia.
 

Ito : She's been here two years in a row, and we've been showing her around galleries in Tokyo together, and we've kept in touch since then. When I got on track, I called out to them, and they were able to participate for the first time the year before last. The year before last, a Swedish artist was participating in addition to her. I've invited French artists with whom I have connections before, but Latvia hasn't been introduced much even in Japan, and there's a lot to learn from doing research.
 
It gained independence from the Russian Empire in 1918 after the First World War, was incorporated into the Soviet Union again, and became independent again in 1990. Throughout this history, it has maintained its unique handicrafts and rich nature. . The old town of Riga, the capital city, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are hardships, but there are places where you can feel the unique culture and wisdom. Japan may have a strong image of an economic powerhouse, but learning about other cultures through these kinds of activities will help us understand how we stand, how we walk, how we do things, as the population continues to age and the population declines. I think it makes sense to reconsider.
 
Last year, the residency was closed, but for this year's event, I entrusted Laura with the selection of Latvian staff. In addition, during the preparation period, the Embassy of Japan invited the Deputy Chief Diplomatic Officer of the Republic of Latvia to Japan.
 

Eva Maurité, exhibiting works on the theme of love for nature and permanence

Sasaki : They really want people to know more about Latvia, so if you ask them to explain the country's location on a map, or explain the food and culture of the country, they will be enthusiastic. increase.
 

Ito : I haven't been to Latvia yet, so I'd like to go to stay and work next time.