Reports

Japan Foundation events

Artists Open Doors: Japan/UK (26 and 27 September 2008, Japan Foundation)

KENTARO!! performing at the event

As part of Artists Open Doors: Japan/UK, the Japan Foundation hosted a series of presentations and panel discussions organised in conjunction with ResCen (Centre for Research into Creation in the Performing Arts at Middlesex University). The event focused on contemporary dance and dance policy in Japan and the UK and included a performance by Japanese dancer, KENTARO!!.

Artist Talk – Yukio Fujimoto (10 July 2008, Japan Foundation)

Acclaimed artist, Yukio Fujimoto appeared in conversation with David Cunningham to discuss his artistic philosophy and previous work.

For a transcript of this event, please click here.

Japanese Cinema for Busy People II
(9,16,23 and 30 July 2008, Japan Foundation)

9th July 2008, Professor Lucia Nagib discusses Japanese Cinema and Political/Social Issues

Following the success of last year's event, the Japan Foundation hosted a second series of lectures throughout July, presenting a crash course introduction to various aspects of Japanese cinema.

Japanese Cinema: Up Close and Personal
(11 July 2008, Japan Foundation)

The acclaimed Japanese film critic, Tadao Sato visited the Japan Foundation London office to give a keynote speech on his views about Japanese cinema, as seen from his very unique perspective. Mr Sato was joined by director, Kazuhiro Soda to discuss various aspects of Japanese cinema and to take questions from the audience.

A Playreading of Uchiya Matsuri (16 June 2008, Japan Foundation)

In association with Traverse Theatre Company, the Japan Foundation presented a playreading of the Japanese play Uchiya Matsuri. The event also included an appearance by playwright Shigefumi Fukatsu, who attended the reading and took part in a Q&A session.

Japan Foundation Organised Event at The British Museum:
Crafting Beauty in Modern Japan

Date: 19 July – 21 October 2007
Venue: The British Museum, London

This exhibition showcases Japanese works of art and craft produced during the past 50 years in fields such as ceramics, textiles, lacquer, metal and bamboo. They are the creations of members of the Japan Art Crafts Association. Many of these artists are designated “Living National Treasures”, a title conferred by the Japanese government on individuals who possess exceptional skills in a traditional craft. Each item has won an award. Although modern, these works demonstrate the continuity of Japanese aesthetics through the centuries and the influence of these ideals on the West.

Minimalism has recently gained a lot of interest, but the idea of “less is more” is nowhere better illustrated than in Japanese art.

We see a taupe lacquerware box on which only a dozen flying birds have been drawn on its uppermost quarter – the rest of the box is plain. There is a ceramic dish with russet maple leaves and waves, on a white backdrop which actually takes up as much space as the pattern. The concept of “ma”, or “space” is at the centre of Japanese aesthetics. The interplay of “positive space” (that occupied by the main subject of the work) versus “negative space” (the background) creates a sense of tranquillity.

Japanese art whispers rather than shouts. At a time when in Britain there is a plethora of conceptual art based on impact, it is refreshing to find that every metal artwork in the exhibition - bar one - is polished in such a way that its silver or gunmetal shine is dulled rather than enhanced. A cluster of rugged bowls for use in the tea ceremony is made of clay mixed with sand - so rough that the potter’s hands apparently bled while he was crafting them.

Bamboo weaving is a medium considered a handicraft rather than an art in Japan (hence the majority of bamboo art is exported to foreign collections) but works such as a tray made of thin strips of bamboo, aligned to resemble a flowing brook, have a poetry which justifies their inclusion.

In the West, traditional clothing has long disappeared from fashion (wimples, anyone?) but the kimono is still going strong. Its rigid cut and prescribed way of wearing actually allow for an emphasis on pattern. Looking at a grainy monochrome kimono, we can almost feel the texture of the gravel in a Zen garden – a far cry from the flowery geisha-style kimonos found on postcards.

A closer look reveals historical and cultural details. The Buddhist concept of transience, so beloved of the Japanese, is echoed on a shimmering box decorated with fireflies. A gossamer textile is woven by reviving an intricate pattern dating back to the medieval Heian period. And only a Japanese could create a painstaking inlay using miniscule crushed quails’ eggshells.

When it comes to traditional art forms, modern Japanese artists have chosen evolution rather than revolution. The understated elegance of these works seems very modern, but in fact it is the very essence of Japanese tradition.

Rea Podas 1/9/2007

Japanese Art Collections in the UK Event, co-organised by The Japan Foundation and The V&A

In March 2006 the Japan Foundation and the Victoria and Albert Museum co-organised a symposium to investigate the state of Japanese art collections in UK museums. Thirteen curators from around the UK were invited to discuss their collections and issues relating to them. The full transcript is available to read below.

It has been assessed that in the UK there are over 150 collections of Japanese art. However, many people both in the UK and in Japan have been insufficiently aware that collections exist other than those that are housed in our major national collections such as the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) and the British Museum.

Certainly these valuable collections deserve much higher visibility and there is a growing need for the public to be made much more aware of where these collections are to be found, what they contain and how they are maintained. With these thoughts in mind the Japan Foundation organised a one-day symposium on 21 March attended by 13 museum professionals from all over the UK, who are in different ways involved in Japanese collections. Obviously, these participants represent only a part of the Japanese collections in the UK, but they belong to those who hold a firm wish and determination to raise awareness of the collections or at least are sincerely concerned about them. Most of them are already members of 'Japanese Art Collection in the UK: JACUK' (Subject Specialist Network for Japanese art) and have devoted their time and energy to tackle issues surrounding the improvement of Japanese art collections. We respect their worthwhile intentions.

The day comprised two parts: presentations and discussion.

Short presentations from each participant during the first half of the symposium provided a detailed introduction and picture of the current state of the Japanese art collection in the respective museums.

The common issues identified during the symposium included a lack of resources, shortage of time, space and money to adequately maintain and expand the Japanese collections and their use. Above all, there is a lack of knowledge of Japanese art. It is quite often the case in regional museums that a curator who is not a Japanese art specialist has to cover substantial areas, including Japan. Whilst expertise from the major institutions such as the V&A is readily available, the prosperity of Japanese art in this country may be in the hands of one individual enthusiastic curator and the ups-and-downs are determined by the policy and politics of each institution, where often Japan is understated in favour of China. The deficiency in creating experts among the younger generation to whom existing expertise can be passed on appears to be one of the major issues to look into for the long-term sustainability of the collections.

In the latter half of the symposium, participants discussed passionately how to raise the profile of Japanese art collections. Tying up with UK education and promoting Japan and Japanese art through schools and universities was seen to be one possible way and setting up an online virtual exhibition to introduce their collection and activities was perceived to be another. The possibility of having a special external body, in addition to the existent JACUK and sharing expertise/resources available from outside UK, which have tended to be limited to the major institutions, were also discussed.

We shall also like to note that a related seminar was held in our conference room on the following day where four speakers from UK museums were invited to demonstrate how their Japanese collections have been valued and how they have been a source of inspiration for their temporary exhibitions, together with an overview of the historical background to the collection of Japanese art in the UK. The complete transcript of the proceedings of the seminar will be available on our website, www.jpf.org.uk

Last but not least, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to Gregory Irvine, Senior Curator at the V&A. Both symposium and seminar would not have been possible without his very valuable help and advice.

The Japan Foundation, London
May 2006

To read the full transcript, please click here

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