<essays> Chisai in 2024 (3)

Long time no see, everyone😉! Guess what? Chisai went to Berlin in June! Curious why? Grab yourself a yummy coffee and some cookies, settle in, and let me tell you all about it!

So, back in May, I actually went and booked a plane ticket to Berlin! And you won't believe this, but buying that ticket almost maxed out my credit card😅! Seriously! Anyway, the important thing is: I got my ticket to Berlin✈️!!

Okay, so Berlin… I had two main missions. First, I wanted to introduce the amazing Berlin-based calligrapher, Juju Kurihara, to The Nature of Cities (TNOC) community. Second, I was going to give a talk about Osamu Kokufu's video artwork, "NPV."

Juju is a really old friend of mine. We actually met way back in our university's "geography research club"! We used to travel to islands and rural areas in Japan together for research trips. And we'd always end up on the same train home after club activity. Her dad was a film buff and she’s also a huge movie lover, especially art films. She introduced me to so many of her "Juju favorites" – movies like "Bagdad Cafe"! And we both adored our senior friend, Ukyo. We used to chat for hours, just the three of us. Our friendship lasted even after graduation, but sadly, Ukyo passed away from cancer before she even turned 30. After that, Juju and I lost touch for a while. Then, about ten years later, out of the blue, Juju sent me a message on Facebook, and we reconnected! Turns out, she'd become a calligrapher in Berlin! Last year, my friend Mr. P asked me, "Hey, do you know any artists in Berlin?" And I immediately thought of Juju and replied, "Juju, of course!"

Once I got to Berlin, I headed straight to the gallery to see Juju's performance. It was my first time seeing her calligraphy in person. And get this – it was a collaboration with dancers! Mr. P was there too, so I got to introduce Juju to him. Mission accomplished ✅!!

Now, about The Nature of Cities (TNOC)… It's this amazing global network of artists and researchers who bring together art, nature, the environment, and city life. When Mr. P moved from Japan, he invited me to join the group. Honestly, back then, there weren't really any artists or researchers in Japan thinking about things this way. I'd contributed to their website before, but I didn’t really get what TNOC was all about. Turns out, they have the TNOC festival every year, and the first one after the whole Covid thing was happening in Berlin this year! So, I really wanted to go to the TNOC festival in Berlin and finally meet everyone in person. And I'm so glad I did! I went to the festival venue every day, helping out with setting up – carrying desks and chairs and all that. It was then that I realized just how many artists and researchers were involved, not just from Europe, but from the US and South America too! It was really inspiring.

And guess what? Juju also performed at the TNOC festival! It was so cool to see her there, connecting with everyone.

Juju in The Nature of Cities Festival, June 4, 2024

I briefly talked about the video work "NPV" by Osamu Kokufu.

Kokufu, as you might remember from my previous posts, was a sculptor who created art using cars. And based on those car sculptures, he also made some really thought-provoking video pieces. "NPV," the one I talked about, is about an automobile powered by wind energy. And get this – when he first presented this artwork, the "Kyoto Protocol" was being adopted in Kyoto, where he lived! From that point on, Kokufu really started incorporating environmental themes into his art. In my presentation, I'll never forget the moment when I mentioned "the Kyoto Protocol" and everyone in the audience just nodded in recognition. It was like we all instantly understood each other.

But you know what? The whole time I was in Berlin, I had this constant thought in the back of my head: "I'm going to miss that deadline!" Because, yeah, the day after I got back from Berlin was the deadline for that paper for the Tainan Art Museum😬! More about that paper drama next time😉!

～～～ <essay> Chisai in 2024 (2)　　　　　<essay> Chisai in 2024 (4) ～～～