Five Groups of Artists Encounter Shiraoi, Hokkaido“ROOTS & ARTS SHIRAOI 2023”

Shiraoi, located in the southwestern part of Hokkaido, is a town where a beautiful natural environment featuring forests, rivers, and lakes intersects with the history of the people who have been nurtured in this land, creating a unique climate.
This year marks the third year of “ROOTS & ARTS SHIRAOI 2023," an arts festival held in town.
Artworks were exhibited in the three areas of Shadai, downtown, and Kojohama, with 9,946 people visiting during the 40-day period of the festival.
The number of visitors has increased each year, doubling this year compared to last year.

Kanako Tayu's exhibition at the former Shadai Elementary School, one of the festival venues. (Photo provided by Tsubasa Fujikura)

The art festival's theme was “local community and diverse third parties.”
The word “local community” includes everything in the town, such as the residents, culture, history, geography, and nature.
The theme incorporates the desire to look at the appeal of the local community anew through creations born from encounters that the third-party artists had with these elements.

Five groups of artists participated this year: Kanako Tayu, Ryoko Aoki + Zon Ito, Yasei no Gakusha Shoya Arai, Natalie Tsyu, and Tetsuya Umeda.
We have already introduced the artworks on “Colocal News.” So this time we look back on the art festival with commentary from Tetsuya Kino, the director of general planning who supported the festival from behind the scenes.

Tetsuya Kino introducing the artworks during the press tour. (Photo provided by Tsubasa Fujikura)

“We were thrilled to be able to create an exhibition with Ms. Tayu, who is an artist from the community.
Ms. Tayu continues to draw every day in this area.
I think it was symbolic of this art festival that it shone a light on her.” (Mr. Kino)

Mr. Kino reflected on this as one of the most memorable activities of the year.
Ms. Tayu began drawing in earnest in the late 1990s and participates in Art Brut exhibitions in various regions.
Her pieces, drawn with colored pencils using all of her strength and energy, have attracted attention in Japan and abroad, but this was the first time in 18 years that she had the opportunity to present her work in her hometown.
Ms. Tayu has intellectual and pervasive developmental disorders that make it difficult to communicate well with others. However, rather than highlighting this aspect of her life, the exhibition introduced her journey as an artist.

A piece drawn by Ms. Tayu as soon as she returned home from a trip to Tokyo Disneyland when she was in the fourth grade. She began to draw daily as a result of this experience. (Photo provided by Tsubasa Fujikura)

Ms. Tayu continuing to draw at the exhibition venue. (Photo provided by Tsubasa Fujikura)

Pieces from the “Flower” series. Some of the flowers were actually displayed in her house, while others were drawn from her imagination. (Photo provided by Tsubasa Fujikura)

A series drawn while watching music programs. The singers and even the stage settings were memorized and depicted in the pieces. (Photo provided by Tsubasa Fujikura)

What exactly is artwork inspired by a golf course development project?

Encounters between people often play a major role in the conception of artwork.
Ms. Aoki and Mr. Ito participated in the festival for the second time.
About 30 years ago, there were plans for a number of golf courses that would cover most of the Satoyama area of Shiraoi. All of these plans were canceled due to the tenacious collaboration of people who opposed the project.
The two artists gained inspiration from this and visited the undeveloped land area by area, capturing video footage and creating an animation combined with drawings.

“Grassroots Rhythms,” an animation co-created by Ms. Aoki and Mr. Ito. (Photo provided by Tsubasa Fujikura)

Plants seem to be making their claims on the land where the project was cancelled. The two artists resonated with the rhythms created by these plants and decided to create a “stage for a plant orchestra.” (Photo provided by Tsubasa Fujikura)

Mr. Umeda, also participating for the second time, presented “Reverb," a sequel to “Kaisei" which he exhibited last year.
All of the materials used in the piece were given to him by people he met on his way from the airport to Shiraoi.
This is yet another example of artwork created through encounters with people.

“Reverb,” created by Mr. Umeda at the planned location for the direct-sale craft beer store “THE OLD GREY BREWERY.” (Photo provided by Tsubasa Fujikura)

Mr. Umeda performed a live mix of sound at night during the event, with Ms. Tsyu joining as a guest to add layers of sound.

Encounters with places as well

Encounters that lead to the creation of artwork are not limited to encounters with people.
When he first visited Shiraoi, Yasei no Gakusha’s Shoya Arai was deeply moved by the sea he encountered amidst thick fog.
He wondered what kind of sensations were evoked when people first came face to face with the sea, and as a way to find out, he carved marks with a chisel into the driftwood he found along the coast.
This was also Mr. Arai’s second time participating in the festival, and he is already looking ahead to next year's event.

“Next year, I want to erect the driftwood like a pillar.
By exposing it to the four seasons rather than completing it right away, I hope to show people a larger cycle over which we have no control as humans.” (Mr. Arai)

Mr. Arai found this narrow road leading to the sea while looking for a place to create his work. The path had been built up by a local resident, who told him that “it used to be a road and I wanted to restore it.” Mr. Arai's interest in this story was one of the reasons why he chose this location. (Photo provided by Tsubasa Fujikura)

He carved spirals with a chisel into the driftwood he found along the coast, continuing to work from his tent even on rainy or windy days. (Photo provided by Tsubasa Fujikura)

Natalie Tsyu, who participated in the festival for the first time, is an artist and researcher based out of Oslo and Tokyo who is active in a wide range of fields.
She had been visiting Shiraoi on her own for some time to study the memories rooted in the area.
What she encountered was Kannonji Temple in Kojohama.

Aominesan Kannonji Temple in Kojohama. (Photo provided by Tsubasa Fujikura)

“Chanting of Deaf Water,” exhibited in a corner of the main hall. Ms. Tsyu focused on the Ayoro River, which has changed its shape from its original form, and created an installation in which the sounds of the river echo together with sounds created by resonating glass objects, salt, small fish, and other objects. (Photo provided by Tsubasa Fujikura)

Creating new scenery with old photos

As the event continues, some projects have emerged in which the residents have taken the leading role.
The “Open Air Walking Exhibition” is an outdoor photo exhibition project that began in 2021. It consists of enlarged photos of the people in the small fishing villages of Kojohama and Shadai taken 50 to 60 years ago that have been mounted on the exterior walls of houses.
This year, a preservation society for these photos was formed among local residents, and there is growing momentum for everyone in town to move forward with the project.

“Open Air Walking Exhibition.” (Photo provided by Tsubasa Fujikura)

Photo preservation activities. Local high school students also participated.

This art festival is an event that shines a light on all aspects of the Shiraoi region that have been nurtured over its long history, and places the utmost importance on facing these aspects head-on.
We would like to continue to watch over the process of this festival growing together with the local community next year and beyond.

＜End-of-article documentary movie＞
The documentary movie “ROOTS & ARTS SHIRAOI 2023” was created. Visitors encounter the artwork as they go from place to place as if travelling through the town of Shiraoi.

Credit text & photo: COLOCAL (Magazine House Co., Ltd.)
Writer: Michiko Kurushima
Editor: Chihiro Kurimoto