The Japan Foundation, Sydney Arts & Culture FY2021 Report

THE JAPAN FOUNDATION, SYDNEY

ARTS & CULTURE DEPARTMENT

FY2021 REPORT

April 1, 2021 – March 31, 2022

EXHIBITIONS

JPF GALLERY JPF GALLERY

STEAM DREAMS

THE JAPANESE PUBLIC BATH

Saji Tile, Nagoya Majolica Tiles, Sakura-yu c. 1920s

Honami Enya Kosugi-yu Illustration 2018

Honami Enya Daikoku-yu Illustration 2018

Toshizo Hirose Stamp 'Sydney-yu' 2020

Hirose 'Sydney-yu'

c.1920s c.1950s

Wall Segment with Square Mosaic Tiles, Hiromi-yu (Kani-shi) c. 1950s

STEAM DREAMS: THE

ONLINE CATALOGUE

CATALOGUE

Texts comissioned by The Japan Foundation, Sydney on the occasion of the Steam Dreams: The Japanese Public Bath exhibition

PUBLISHED BY The Japan Foundation, Sydney

PUBLISHED ON March 13, 2021 120 pages

CONTENTS

Foreword

Local Sento, A Surviving Tradition by Eloise Rapp and Simonne Goran

The Preservation of Sento, an Urban Communication Hub by Haruka Kuryu

Japanese Tile Culture Cultivated in Sento by Nodoka Murayama

The Art of Bathing in Japan by Stéphanie Crohin

AUTHORS

Eloise Rapp Simonne Goran Haruka Kuryu Nodoka Murayama Stéphanie Crohin

EDITORS Yurika Sugie Simonne Goran

TRANSLATION Cassiel Merricat

COPYEDITING Nina Serova DESIGN Daryl Prondoso

PHOTOGRAPHY Docqment

Excerpt from How To Take A Japanese Bath by Leonard Koren Exhibition Images Works List of Works Biographies Acknowledgements

Japanese

ONLINE CATALOGUE COVER/SCREENSHOT

Feb 12 – May 22, 2021

The Japan Foundation Gallery

The elderly people who visit every day as their daily pleasure, the familiar neighbours who seem a part of the family, the students with no local relatives who have made sentō a second home . when sentō close down, where will they go? The problem of sentō’s decline can be perceived as the loss of urban communication hubs. We might even say that to preserve a sentō is to preserve an area’s community and to revitalise a sentō is to revitalise a community.

Tokyo is being rebuilt according to the logic of economics. Large blocks taken up by sentō are being converted into more profitable apartment buildings and paid parking lots. Again and again, we have seen situations where the closure of sentō is followed by local shops vanishing, old tenement houses with no baths becoming vacant, and the distinctive look of the area changing completely. If we could avoid reaching this wretched ending, by creatively preserving and making practical use of the more than 500 sentō still in business, Tokyo would be sure to become an even more fascinating city.

It is some small consolation that through our activities, we have worked hard to make use of items rescued from closed down sentō that share the history of their regions and continue the local

Last day of Tsukino-yu in Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo

Survey drawing of Otome-yu in Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo

toshizō hirose

The hanko (stamps) I designed for my sentō pilgrimage have been mounted onto square panels. The original hanko are actually 30mm square in size, but for this display I enlarged them and added colour at random. Please enjoy the ambience of the stamp collection made by this sentō pilgrim.

I’m also delighted to share with you the Sydney-yu hanko I created especially for this exhibition. Sentō and hanko are both enjoyable parts of Japanese culture.

Above: Toshizō Hirose, Stamp ‘Sydney-yu’, 2020

Right: Toshizō Hirose, Sentō Stamp Panels, 2015-2020

65 66

the forces of Nature. In the West, one works to avoid sin and to attain God’s glory in the next life. In Japan, spiritual dirt is something that attaches to us all— like the reek of hair pomade or tobacco smoke—in the course of living, and can be easily removed by a daily bath.

Records shows that Buddhist temples in the 8th century maintained steam baths, sponsored in part by donations from wealthy nobles hoping to gain spiritual merit. The wealthy would personally assist in the bathing of the poor and sick, urged on by the example of the beautiful Empress Komyo. The empress was said to have a light emanating from her, indicating her high spiritual advancement. One day the light went out. She attributed this to her own lack of devotion and swore to bathe one thousand of the imporverished and infirm of all ages and sexes. The last person who came to her was a leper—or perhaps the Buddha disguised as a leper. But the

empress did not hesitate, and upon bathing him immediately her aura returned.

The first commercial public bath— or sento —was built in the 1590s, and entrepreneurs throughout the country soon were opening up their own bathhouses. Food, conversation, games, and sexual pleasures became a part of the bath scene. Water replaced steam. In the late 19th century the government banned mixed-sex bathing. But the sento remained the equivalent of the medieval European well—the place where the community gathered to see and be seen, to exchange news and gossip.

With the construction of modern housing, the sento is disappearing at a rapid rate from urban Japan. But over 12,000 still exist. Many have attached laundromats, so that your clothes can soak at the same time you do. Public baths are generally open from four in the afternoon until midnight. In their

PUBLIC PROGRAMS

PUBLIC PROGRAMS

OPENING RECEPTION

February 12, 2021 6:00pm–8:00pm

OPENING RECEPTION

February 12, 2021 6:00pm–8:00pm

VENUE

VENUE

The Japan Foundation, Sydney | Admission Free

The Japan Foundation, Sydney | Admission Free SPEAKER Someone

SPEAKER Someone

The first exhibition opening able to be held since COVID-19 hit was a great opportunity to reconnect with The Japan Foundation, Sydney's audience in person. Sponsor CHOYA umeshu was served along with other light refreshments, and exhibition co-curators Simonne Goran and Eloise Rapp introduced the exhibition to an intimate group of attendees.

The first exhibition opening able to be held since COVID-19 hit was a great opportunity to reconnect with The Japan Foundation, Sydney's audience in person. Sponsor CHOYA umeshu was served along with other light refreshments, and exhibition co-curators Simonne Goran and Eloise Rapp introduced the exhibition to an intimate group of attendees.

STEAM DREAMS: THE JAPANESE PUBLIC BATH

STEAM DREAMS: THE JAPANESE PUBLIC BATH

CATALOGUE

ONLINE

LAUNCH

CATALOGUE LAUNCH AND TALK EVENT

WITH ELOISE RAPP

March 13, 2021 2:00pm–3:00pm

March 13, 2021 2:00pm–3:00pm

VENUE

The Japan Foundation, Sydney | Admission Free JPF Sydney Facebook | Admission Free

The Japan Foundation, Sydney | Admission Free SPEAKER

SPEAKER

Eloise Rapp (Co-curator)

Eloise Rapp (Co-curator)

Visitors celebrated the launch of the Steam Dreams: The Japanese Public Bath exhibition catalogue with a talk by co-curator Eloise Rapp. In this talk event, Eloise Rapp gave a comprehensive overview on the culture and traditions behind bathing in Japan, from its inception to what it has become today. The in-person talk event was made available via Facebook livestream on the JPF Sydney Facebook, with a limited run of free exhibition catalogues exclusively available for attendees on the day in addition to the public online version.

Visitors celebrated the launch of the Steam Dreams: The Japanese Public Bath exhibition catalogue with a talk by cocurator Eloise Rapp. In this talk event, Eloise Rapp gave a comprehensive overview on the culture and traditions behind bathing in Japan, from its inception to what it has become today. The in-person talk event was made available via Facebook livestream on the JPF Sydney Facebook, with a limited run of free exhibition catalogues exclusively available for attendees on the day in addition to the public online version.

STEAM DREAMS: THE JAPANESE PUBLIC BATH

TILE PAINTING

FOR KIDS

April 9 & 10, 2021 10:00am–12:00pm

VENUE

WORKSHOPS

The Japan Foundation, Sydney | $15 + Booking Fee

DEMONSTRATOR

Mary MacDougall (Artist)

Children designed and painted their own murals on porcelain tiles to take home in a step-by-step workshop with artist Mary MacDougall. Taking inspiration from Mizuki Tanaka’s Japanese Public Bath Mural featured in the Steam Dreams: The Japanese Public Bath exhibition, participants learnt how to paint their own murals on porcelain tiles as well as the history of mural tile paintings in sento

STEAM DREAMS: THE JAPANESE PUBLIC BATH

STAMP MAKING WORKSHOPS

May 8 & 15, 2021 10:00am–12:00pm

VENUE

The Japan Foundation, Sydney | $15 + Booking Fee

DEMONSTRATOR

Ben Soedradjit (Artist-Educator)

Participants created and designed their own stamps in this step-by-step workshop with arts educator Ben Soedradjit. Taking inspiration from the sento pilgrimage stamp collection featured in the Steam Dreams: The Japanese Public Bath exhibition, participants learnt how to design and carve a stamp made from either styrofoam or lino tiles.

FILM SCREENINGS

PROGRAM HERO IMAGE

THERMAE ROMAE

February 24, 2021 6:30pm–8:18pm

Palace Cinemas Central Admission Free

HER LOVE BOILS BATHWATER

March 24, 2021 6:30pm–8:35pm

Palace Cinemas Central Admission Free

MELANCHOLIC

April 22, 2021

6:00pm–8:23pm

Palace Cinemas Central Admission Free

MIO ON THE SHORE

May 19, 2021

6:30pm–8:01pm

Palace Cinemas Central Admission Free

STEAM DREAMS: THE JAPANESE PUBLIC BATH

Very Satisfied! 100%

DID

STEAM DREAMS EXHIBITION

“It was very enjoyable. Everything was incredibly well thought out. Even the postcard was such a beautiful idea.”

“Steam Dreams is a spectacular exhibition and very considered curation! So beautiful and very informative. I loved it”

“I enjoyed this exhibition, there were so many elements that tie in together so nicely.”

“Fantastic mix of images and physical objects, also really enjoyed being able to take home your own stamp.”

COMMENTS

TILE MAKING WORKSHOP

“My kids really enjoyed it thank you”

“I loved the brainstorming and the yellow pen outline.”

STAMP MAKING WORKSHOP

“Very good, interesting and fun event”

“Presenter was great, you could tell he was a teacher and engaged really well with the kids”

FILM SCREENINGS

“It was very good and funny, it reminded me of my home in Japan!”

“Love your movie events! And the selection has been so great, giving a great view into Japanese culture and cinema”

“It is difficult to find Japanese films to watch in Sydney, so thank you for putting this on!!”

DIGITAL MARKETING MATERIALS

STEAM DREAMS: THE JAPANESE PUBLIC BATH

STEAM DREAMS:

MEDIA COVERAGE HIGHLIGHTS

STEAM DREAMS: THE JAPANESE PUBLIC BATH

TOURING EXHIBITION

CONTEMPORARY WOOD-CARVED NETSUKE

SUNSHINE COAST

Caloundra Regional Gallery February 12–March 14, 2021

SYDNEY

The Japan Foundation Gallery June 4–June 26, 2021

BUNBURY

Bunbury Regional Art Gallery July 10–August 8, 2021

PERTH

Gallery Central August 27–September 17, 2021

EXHIBITION OVERVIEW

The traveling Contemporary Wood-Carved Netsuke exhibition showcased contemporary netsuke carved from wood by living netsuke carvers in Japan, plus netsuke created by contemporary artists such as Izumi Kato. Visitors were able to view the works through magnifying glasses, including wooden netsuke that could be touched. Through this exhibition, visitors appreciated the sophisticated skills and playful minds behind contemporary netsuke as well as its formal beauty and contemporaneity.

DATE

June 4, 2021–June 26, 2021

*Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the exhibition closed a day early on June 25, 2021.

VENUE

The Japan Foundation Gallery

ARTISTS

Tanetoshi Hiraga, Bokusen Takagi, Rumine Kandachi, Hiroaki Nakanishi, Bishu Saito, Yuzan Tatara, Koji Tanada, Izumi Kato, Yoka Mukaida, Asuka Kajiura, Zanmai Onosato, Yoji Yamada, Hideyuki Sakurai, Tohei Nakagawa, Muhou Ishii, Taisei Nakahata, Mitsukuni Kagami, Dosai Kudo, Shokou Terato, Mokuchu Yatsugi, Tomoe Ikeda, Shion Omagari, Motomasa Kurita, Shinya Nagashima, Takeshi Inoue, Tadamine Nakagawa, Mushu Yamazaki, Toshiki Tanaka, Kazuaki Nakamura, Kouen Sawai, Koma Hitomi, Mabu Nakakaji, Masahiro Saito, Yoshimasa Tsuchiya, Ryushi Komada, Akira Kuroiwa, Tadatsuna Ito, Tetsumi Dannohara, Ryo Kitazumi, Rieko Otake, Rin Suzuki, Masami Sakai, Douho Michiura, Tomoyuki Iwata, Kazu Shogen, Mansei Uehara, INA, IKKEI, Hitomi Nishiguchi

ORGANISED BY

The Japan Foundation, Sydney

Yurika Sugie

Simonne Goran, Susan Bui, Anne Lee, Chiara Pallini

SUPPORTED BY

CHOYA UMESHU CO., LTD. The Grifter Brewing Co.

Bokusen Takagi Skull 2014

Hiroaki Nakanishi Mindscape 2007

Bishu Saito Falcon—Assimilation of Spherical and Spindle-shaped Bodies 1975

Izumi Kato Untitled 2017

Zanmai Onosato A Tengu's Nose 2017

Motomasa Kurita Auspicious Sign 2017

PUBLIC PROGRAMS

PUBLIC PROGRAMS

OPENING RECEPTION

June 4, 2021 6:00pm–8:00pm

OPENING RECEPTION

VENUE

The Japan Foundation, Sydney | Admission Free

June 4, 2021 6:00pm–8:00pm

SPEAKERS

VENUE

The Japan Foundation, Sydney | Admission Free

Simonne Goran (Organiser) Keiji Shono (Director)

SPEAKERS

Simonne Goran (Organiser) Keiji Shono (Director)

The exhibition opening attracted a number of guests, with catering provided by Stix. A selection of drinks were on the menu, including offerings from sponsors CHOYA and Grifter Brewing Co. Organiser Simonne Goran and Director Keiji Shono introduced the exhibition to visitors, who were able to enjoy the works through the use of magnifying glasses.

The exhibition opening attracted a number of guests, with catering provided by Stix. A selection of drinks were on the menu, including offerings from sponsors CHOYA and Grifter Brewing Co. Organiser Simonne Goran and Director Keiji Shono introduced the exhibition to visitors, who were able to enjoy the works through the use of magnifying glasses.

CONTEMPORARY WOOD-CARVED NETSUKE SYDNEY TOUR

NETSUKE WOOD-CARVING WORKSHOPS

June 10, 2021

10:00am–4:00pm (inc. 45 min break)

VENUE

The Japan Foundation, Sydney $100 + Booking Fee

DEMONSTRATOR

Hape Kiddle (Woodworker)

June 11, 2021

10:00am–4:00pm (inc. 45 min break)

VENUE

The Japan Foundation, Sydney $100 + Booking Fee

In this beginner’s workshop, attendees learnt how to shape and carve their own netsuke fish using traditional wood carving hand tools and Japanese carving techniques such as himotoshi (carving passages in the netsuke for the cord) and ukibori (relief carving). Attendees were provided with a piece of sandalwood that was prepped for carving along with tools so that they could learn basic netsuke techniques.

At the end of the workshop, participants took home their very own netsuke fish and the ability to finish the piece with their new found skills.

WHAT IS NETSUKE?

WHAT IS NETSUKE?

TALK

June 17, 2021 6:30pm–7:30pm AEDT

June 17, 2021 6:30pm–7:30pm AEDT

VENUE

The Japan Foundation, Sydney | Admission Free JPF Sydney Facebook | Admission Free

VENUE

The Japan Foundation, Sydney | Admission Free JPF Sydney Facebook | Admission Free

SPEAKER

Melanie Eastburn (Senior Curator of Asian Art, Art Gallery of NSW)

SPEAKER

Melanie Eastburn (Senior Curator of Asian Art, Art Gallery of NSW)

Guests joined senior curator Melanie Eastburn to celebrate the Contemporary Wood-Carved Netsuke exhibition, and learnt about netsuke in-depth. In this talk event, Melanie presented a comprehensive overview on the history of netsuke, techniques used to create netsuke and the netsuke collection owned b y the Art Gallery of NSW. The i n- p e rson talk event was made available via Facebook livestream on the JPF Sydney Facebook page.

Guests joined senior curator Melanie Eastburn to celebrate the Contemporary Wood-Carved Netsuke exhibition, and learnt about netsuke in-depth. In this talk event, Melanie presented a comprehensive overview on the history of netsuke, techniques used to create netsuke and the netsuke collection owned b y the Art Gallery of NSW. The i n- p e rson talk event was made available via Facebook livestream on the JPF Sydney Facebook page.

CONTEMPORARY WOOD-CARVED NETSUKE SYDNEY TOUR

OPENING RECEPTION

“Thank you for creating an exhibit that enabled us to exhibit netsuke in a number of ways including in a tactile manner, it was a valuable experience”

AUDIENCE

NETSUKE WOOD-CARVING WORKSHOPS

“That's was a really wonderful workshop, learning a new skill was a bonus”

“Excellent teacher”

“Love it. Could we have more of these workshop in the future? Thank you JPF”

“Have this workshop again!”

WHAT IS NETSUKE? TALK

“Loved this exhibition!”

DIGITAL MARKETING MATERIALS

JPF GALLERY

KIKI ANDO

HIGHEST MOUNTAIN AND DEEPEST BAY

EXHIBITION OVERVIEW

Kiki Ando: Highest Mountain and Deepest Bay is a solo exhibition by Kiki Ando, a contemporary Japanese artist based in Melbourne. This exhibition includes over 60 works reflecting Ando’s artistic archive and imaginative world, spanning wearable paper art, hand-built ceramic characters, animation and live performance.

Born and raised in Japan, Ando’s work is deeply embedded in Japanese artistic practices like Butoh dance, hand-built ceramics and boro and kamiko fashion practices, along with her experiences abroad. Included in the exhibition is a brand-new animation entitled Rare Deep Sea Fish Develop My Unique Personality, ceramic installations made over a nine-year period in Victoria and wearable artworks created by Ando in response to the fashion industry’s use of environmentally unsustainable and restrictive materials.

The exhibition was initially scheduled to run at The Japan Foundation Gallery from July 9 to September 25, 2021, however due to COVID-19, it was cancelled. In its place, a special online event including a catalogue launch and streamed online talk event took place.

DATES

July 9 –September 25, 2021

VENUE

The Japan Foundation Gallery

CURATOR

Rafaela Pandolfini

PRESENTED BY

The Japan Foundation, Sydney Yurika Sugie

Simonne Goran, Susan Bui, Chiara Pallini, Manisay Oudomvilay

SUPPORTED BY

CHOYA UMESHU CO., LTD

The Grifter Brewing Co.

*Due to COVID-19, this exhibition was cancelled.

KIKI ANDO: HIGHEST MOUNTAIN AND DEEPEST BAY

Kiki Ando Picasso Pot 2017

Kiki Ando Kimono pink incense packet 2021

Kiki Ando Walking box small 2014

Kiki Ando Walking Pot Wasabi 2014

Kiki Ando Install view various ceramics 2015

TOP LEFT IMAGE © RAFAELA PANDOLFINI

TOP RIGHT AND BOTTOM IMAGES ©TOSHIKI TANAKA

ONLINE CATALOGUE

CATALOGUE

Texts comissioned by The Japan Foundation, Sydney on the occasion of the Kiki Ando: Highest Mountain and Deepest Bay exhibition

PUBLISHED BY The Japan Foundation, Sydney

PUBLISHED ON September 25, 2021 100 pages

CONTENTS

Foreword Curator's Introduction by Rafaela Pandolfini Works Art is Dancing, Art is Laughing by Kiki Ando Fake News, Fashion Materials and Emotions by Ricarda Bigolin Biographies List of Works

Acknowledgements

CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS

Kiki Ando Rafaela Pandolfini Dr Ricarda Bigolin

EDITORS Yurika Sugie Simonne Goran

COPYEDITING Nina Serova DESIGN Daryl Prondoso

ARTWORK PHOTOGRAPHY

Rafaela Pandolfini Toshiki Tanaka

We acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora nation, the Traditional Custodians of the land on which The Japan Foundation, Sydney now stands. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

FAKE NEWS, FASHION MATERIALS AND EMOTIONS

By Ricarda Bigolin

Yesterday I met a human being

She said they started a war out West, and many people are dying from disease in the East

She seemed happy that things were so peaceful here Today I met with aliens

They said that they were planning to invade the Earth, but there was no real expression on their faces, so I couldn’t tell what they were actually thinking The camellia fallen from the tree and scattered on the ground still look fresh Do all living things share the same struggle before their lives wither away?

Kiki Ando, Art is Dancing Art is Laughing, exhibition text 2021

Fake emotions are not really comparable to fake news. The latter being false or hoax information presented as veritable news, while the former understood as problems associated with presenting true feelings and attachments. Words can fail to capture the complex emotions found in the gaps between thinking of the feeling and actually feeling it. In the works of Kiki Ando, in a blissfully fake-news-free world, reclaimed newsprint melds memories, garment forms and values of emotions.

The above excerpt from a poem by Kiki captures the emotional frame of nostalgia, the recollections of feelings associated with connections to our bodies, each other and other ‘things’ in this universe. The imprecise allocation of emotions or attachment to forms is part of Kiki’s practice wandering between mediums and forms. This intuitive and iterative nature of Kiki’s practice is embroiled in somewhat floating emotions that cultural theorist Sianne Ngai describes as “unusually knotted or condensed interpretations of predicaments”.1 In Kiki’s wearables, newspapers laden with messages from foreign shores are fashioned into ensembles of many messages to be read, where emotions feel displaced and wide-eyed in artful configurations.

There are many examples of newspaper print fashion: novelty ensembles of garments created from newspapers, or newspaper print made glamourous in silk confections. Newsprint paper is likely to soon be an outmoded printed material of the industrial era. With circulation numbers of hard copy newspapers dwindling, there is likely to come a time someday (soon) when we won’t have the material resources (trees, wood pulp, water) to print newspaper, or have use for it as a conduit for various forms of communication, exchanges and messages. Jumping decades back, newspaper used to be a readily available valueless material we would reach for to pad, protect, and prop other objects or insulate roofs for extra warmth. Yellowing and faded newspaper always reminds me of rice paper, its translucency growing with time, the material’s resilience fading. When more readily available, newspaper was the material used to wrap breakables, stuff and protect objects when moving house, or obfuscate forms for ‘pass the parcel’ games, where gifts were wrapped in layers of paper to give the impression of something monumental inside. I’ve heard stories of my father, who, as a young semipro cyclist in Italy in the 1960s, used newspaper and cardboard to insulate his cycling jerseys. He would tear and fold sheets of paper, arranging it around his chest and stuffing it between his body and wool jersey, with structure provided by corrugated cardboard. In that time, these materials were in abundance, as newspapers were the primary news media. Kiki’s resourceful use of newspaper and cardboard reminds me of these memories, layered and made complex by my own emotional history. In the era of fake news, episodic and misleading digital ranks and tweets, it is intriguing to think of the circulation of newspapers. Whilst perhaps outside the fake news conglomerates, newspapers worldwide have always been sites for propaganda and publicising by political regimes. Today, you might find newspapers in old houses, behind plaster, tiles and grotty carpet, a news fragment from another time emerging in a renovation rescue, a former important announcement, personal ad or death notice now subsidiary liner, filler material of impermanent value and available for reclaimed use.

With a ‘make do’ approach, Kiki treats newspaper using a variety of fashion and material techniques. In Lightweight paper jacket, fruit sale pleated skirt and Y’s chic hat, folds and pleats add structure and volume to silhouettes, while layers accumulate in different ways around the body. These techniques are matched not to textiles, the materials that 79

PUBLIC PROGRAM

ONLINE CATALOGUE LAUNCH AND TALK EVENT

September 25, 2021 2:00pm AEST

VENUE

JPF Sydney Facebook | Admission Free

SPEAKERS

Dr Ricarda Bigolin (Associate Dean of Fashion and Textiles at RMIT University)

Kiki Ando (artist), Rafaela Pandolfini (curator) Hiroko Ando, Ai Yamamoto and Lee Fiend (collaborators)

Viewers celebrated the launch of the Kiki Ando: Highest Mountain and Deepest Bay online catalogue with a talk event featuring textile researcher and catalogue contributor Dr Ricarda Bigolin. In her talk, Dr Bigolin presented an overview of the outlier practices between fashion, art and design, particularly in the context of performance.

Following the livestreamed talk, viewers gained a deeper understanding of Kiki Ando’s works and artistic process through an online video featuring Kiki Ando, curator Rafaela Pandolfini and collaborators including Hiroko Ando, Ai Yamamoto and Lee Fiend. Both the live talk and online video were live streamed via Facebook, with recordings made available on the event page and JPFSY Youtube channel afterwards.

THE FOLLOWING EVENTS WERE CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19

KIKI ANDO:

HIGHEST MOUNTAIN AND DEEPEST BAY

July 9, 2021 6:00pm–8:00pm

EXHIBITION OPENING & PERFORMANCE

The Japan Foundation, Sydney

PAPER COSTUME WORKSHOP

July 10, 2021 10:00pm–11:30pm

NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND

July 28, 2021 6:30pm–8:26pm

WORKSHOP

The Japan Foundation, Sydney

FILM SCREENING

Palace Cinemas Central

DREAMS

August 17, 2021

6:30pm–8:30pm

PAPRIKA

September 1, 2021

6:30pm–8:00pm

FILM SCREENING

Palace Cinemas Central

FILM SCREENING

Palace Cinemas Central

KIKI ANDO: HIGHEST MOUNTAIN AND DEEPEST

DIGITAL MARKETING MATERIALS

MEDIA COVERAGE HIGHLIGHTS

SENSE OF

EXHIBITION OVERVIEW

A Sense of Movement: Japanese Sports Posters explored Japan’s visual identity and how Japanese graphic designers have used two-dimensional printed media to convey sport and its ‘sense of movement’ throughout the decades. Held at The Japan Foundation Gallery from October 22, 2021 to January 22, 2022, the exhibition was planned and inspired by ginza graphic gallery curator Eishi Kitazawa’s lecture Conjuring a Sense of Movemen–Japanese Graphic Designers & Sports Posters held at The Japan Foundation, London in September 2020.

and Tadanori Yokoo to young professionals who are currently active in the field, like Yuri Uenishi.

are and

Movement–Japanese Graphic Designers with

On display were 24 posters by six Japanese graphic designers, from great masters such as Yusaku Kamekura (1915–1997) and Tadanori Yokoo to young professionals who are currently active in the field, like Yuri Uenishi.

After being presented in Sydney, the exhibition will travel to venues in Paris and Toronto with an extended range of exhibits.

After being Sydney, the exhibition will travel to venues in Paris and Toronto with an extended range of exhibits.

DATES

October 22, 2021–January 22, 2022

VENUE

The Japan Foundation Gallery

ARTISTS

Ikko Tanaka Katsumi Asaba Shigeo Fukuda Tadanori Yokoo Yuri Uenishi Yusaku Kamekura

Katsumi Asaba Shigeo Fukuda Yusaku Kamekura Ikko Tanaka Yuri Uenishi Tadanori Yokoo

ORGANISED BY

The Japan Foundation, Sydney Yurika Sugie Simonne Goran, Susan Bui, Chiara Pallini, Manisay Oudomvilay DNP Foundation for Cultural Promotion

SUPPORTED BY

CHOYA UMESHU CO., LTD

The Grifter Brewing Co.

Yuri

World Table Tennis Championships 2015 2015

Katsumi Asaba

The 41st World Table Tennis Championships 1991 / Poster 1991

Katsumi Asaba

The 41st World Table Tennis Championships 1991 / Poster 1991

Shiego Fukuda Victory 1976

1976 , 1976

Shiego Fukuda Victory 1976

Uenishi

Yuri Uenishi World Table Tennis Championships 2015 2015

PUBLIC PROGRAM

ONLINE

TALK EVENT WITH EISHI KITAZAWA AND ANNE-MARIE VAN DE VEN

WITH EISHI KITAZAWA AND ANNE-MARIE VAN DE VEN

January 22, 2022 3:00pm–4:00pm

AEDT

VENUE Facebook Premiere | Admission Free

SPEAKERS

Eishi Kitazawa (curator of ginza graphic gallery) Anne-Marie van de Ven (former curator of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences [Powerhouse Museum])

To celebrate the final day of the A Sense of Movement: Japanese Sports Posters exhibition, viewers joined a special online event including streamed lectures and a conversation video featuring Eishi Kitazawa, curator of ginza graphic gallery and Anne-Marie van de Ven, former curator of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (Powerhouse Museum). The two curators discussed how Japanese graphic designers depict movement in sports poster design and representations of sport in art and graphic design.

The online event was conducted via Facebook Premiere on the JPF Sydney Facebook page.

“Great to be back!”

“An excellent and fascinating ‘A sense of movement’ exhibition”

“Thank you for such informative talks!”

EXHIBITION

“I love the exploration of different styles of posters, especially in how they capture the moment in an era and the artist's exploration of those styles!”

“Loved the exhibition!”

ONLINE EVENT

“I really enjoyed the discussion between the two presenters afterwards, each of their backgrounds and topics were immensely pleasing to listen”

“This was great and friendly FOH staff!”

“Loved the exhibition. Such clever artwork”

“Fascinating!”

A SENSE OF MOVEMENT

A SENSE OF MOVEMENT

JAPANESE SPORTS POSTERS

OCT 22, 2021-JAN 22, 2022 THE JAPAN FOUNDATION GALLERY LEVEL 4, CENTRAL PARK 28 BROADWAY CHIPPENDALE NSW 2008

The Japan Foundation, Sydney and the DNP Foundation for Cultural Promotion are proud to present A Sense of Movement: Japanese Sports Posters. The exhibition features 24 posters by six Japanese graphic designers, from great masters such as Yūsaku Kamekura (1915-1997) and Tadanori Yokoo to young professionals, such as Yuri Uenishi. A Sense of Movement explores Japan’s visual identity and how these uniquely creative minds have used two-dimensional printed media to convey sport and its ‘sense of movement’ throughout the decades.

The exhibition was planned and inspired by ginza graphic gallery curator Eishi Kitazawa’s lecture ‘Conjuring a Sense of Movement–Japanese Graphic Designers & Sports Posters’ which was held at The Japan Foundation, London in September 2020.

FINESSAGE & TALK EVENT

JANUARY 22 (SAT) 2:30PM- 5:00PM (Talk event to commence at 3pm) Free, limited capacity. No bookings required

Take a deep dive into Japan’s graphic design history with this special talk event celebrating A Sense of Movement: Japanese Sports Posters. The event will include prerecorded lectures and a conversation featuring Eishi Kitazawa, curator of ginza graphic gallery and AnneMarie van de Ven, former curator of the Powerhouse Museum. The two curators will delve into the history of Japanese graphic design and its influence on the world.

JPF GALLERY

INDEPENDENT ANIMATION FROM JAPAN AND AUSTRALIA

EXHIBITION OVERVIEW

Held at The Japan Foundation Gallery, continuum: Independent animation from Japan and Australia celebrates 15 vibrant and subtly subversive works of contemporary independent animation from filmmakers across Australia and Japan. The works featured in the collection seek to stand apart from mainstream animation, offering viewers a perspective into the unique forms of storytelling from each country.

Curated by Deborah Szapiro (UTS) and Honami Yano (Nagoya University), continuum features recent video works from award-winning filmmakers including Koji Yamamura and Jilli Rose, as well as remote indigenous media organisation Pintubi Anmatjere Warlpiri (PAW) Media and social enterprise Tjanpi Desert Weavers. Presented alongside the collection of films are 3D objects, sketches and other media that document the laborious and intricate processes of animation production.

DATE

February 18 – July 2, 2022

ARTISTS

VENUE

The Japan Foundation Gallery

Cynthia Burke, Jonathan Daw, Jake Duczynski, Simon Japanangka Fisher (Jr.), Mizuki Kiyama, Anthony Lawrence, PAW Media, Ryotaro Miyajima, Jilli Rose, Jelena Sinik, Shinobu Soejima, Nicholas Tory, Tjanpi Desert Weavers, Shane Jupurrurla White, Jason Japaljarri Woods, Koji Yamamura, Honami Yano, Steffie Yee, Song Yungsung

CURATORS

Deborah Szapiro and Honami Yano

PRESENTED BY

The Japan Foundation, Sydney Yurika Sugie Susan Bui, Simonne Goran, Chiara Pallini, Manisay Oudomvilay

SUPPORTED BY

CHOYA UMESHU CO., LTD. The Grifter Brewing Co.

*This exhibition is ongoing. As a result, the report remains incomplete.

Anthony Lawrence Grace Under Water 2014

Creative Evolution Song Yungsung 2019

Honami Yano A Bite of Bone 2021

Koji Yamamura Polar Bear Bears Boredom 2021

Jake Duczynski Cooked Episode 4: The DKI 2021

Mizuki Kiyama Bath House of Whales 2019

PUBLIC PROGRAMS

OPENING RECEPTION

February 18, 2022 6:00pm–8:00pm

VENUE

The Japan Foundation, Sydney | Admission Free

The continuum opening reception attracted a significant number of guests, with drinks from sponsors CHOYA and Grifter Brewing Co. available. The night opened with a Welcome to Country by Uncle Michael, before organiser Susan Bui, Director Keiji Shono and co-curator Deborah Szapiro introduced the exhibition to visitors.

ART MONTH SYDNEY: ART AT NIGHT

March 18, 2022 6:00pm–8:00pm

VENUE

The Japan Foundation, Sydney | Admission Free

As part of Art at Night during Art Month Sydney, gallery attendees were able to enjoy the continuum: Independent animation from Japan and Australia during extended hours. The Japan Foundation Gallery remained open from 6-8pm after regular hours, with complimentary drinks available for guests.

CONSULTATION

AND COLLABORATION

WITH COMMUNITY: THE MAKING OF COOKED TALK

March 31, 2022 6:30pm–7:30pm AEDT

VENUE

The Japan Foundation, Sydney | Admission Free JPF Sydney Facebook | Admission Free

SPEAKER

Jake Duczynski (director and co-writer of Cooked)

As part of the continuum: Independent animation from Japan and Australia exhibition, director and co-writer of Cooked, Jake Duczynski discussed the making of the five-part political comedy series and how meaningful consultation and collaboration with community was paramount to writing and designing the series.

Duczynski took the audience through his own process of honouring First Nations stories with meaningful research and collaborative, community consultation, and explained how this infused an extra layer of meaning that brought First Nations perspectives across the whole scope of the Cooked production.

This in-person talk event was also live streamed on the JPF Sydney Facebook page.

DIGITAL MARKETING MATERIALS

ONLINE EXHIBITION

RETURNING CHAPTER 1

OVERVIEW

Responding to our collective moment in time, Returning is a digital contemporary art project that offers succinct meditations on the events, experiences and propositions prompted by the pandemic. Set over multiple chapters, Returning: Chapter 1 commissions Australian and Japanese perspectives.

DATE

Published on April 30, 2021

VENUE

Sydney Opera House’s online streaming platform Stream | Admission Free

ARTISTS

Yu Araki, Caroline Garcia, Cherine Fahd, Koki Tanaka

CURATOR

Michael Do

PRESENTED BY

The Japan Foundation, Sydney Sydney Opera House

Yu Araki Bivalvia: Act II (L) 2021 Caroline Garcia Force of a .22 Calibre Bullet 2021

Koki Tanaka Reflective Notes (Reconfiguration) 2021

PUBLIC PROGRAMS

ASIA PACIFIC TRIENNIAL 10

ONLINE EXHIBITION

APT10: PUBLIC PROGRAMS

December 4, 2021–April 25, 2022

VENUES

Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art Zoom | Admission Free

PRESENTED BY The Japan Foundation, Sydney Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art

As part of the 10th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT10), audiences enjoyed a considered collection of events co-presented by QAGOMA and The Japan Foundation, Sydney. These included pop-up Koto performances by Queensland’s eminent Koto performer, Takako Nishibori during the opening weekend of APT10.

Viewers also enjoyed a free virtual talk with artists Koji Ryui and Michiko Tsuda as they explored the improvisational ways their artworks respond to architecture and the built environment. The online talk was hosted by Ellie Buttrose, curator of Contemporary Australian Art at QAGOMA and was part of the Asia Pacific Architecture Festival 2022, an initiative of Architecture Media and the State Library of Queensland. Finally, QAGOMA Radio featured a curated playlist by Japanese artists Michiko Tsuda, available both onsite and via QAGOMA’s Spotify account for the duration of APT10.

BOTTOM IMAGE © KATIE BENNETT / QAGOMA

MEDIA COVERAGE HIGHLIGHTS

ONLINE PROJECT

23RD BIENNALE OF SYDNEY

LIQUID LANGUAGES

ONLINE PROGRAM

LIQUID LANGUAGES

YUKO MOHRI | FOUND MATERIALS

February 14, 2022

VENUE Biennale of Sydney Website | Admission Free

PRESENTED BY The Japan Foundation, Sydney Biennale of Sydney

Ahead of the 23rd Biennale of Sydney titled r vus, the series of learning resources Liquid Languages was published, allowing audiences to connect with the key themes of r vus before their exhibition visit. The Biennale of Sydney and The Japan Foundation, Sydney collaborated to celebrate the work of artist Yuko Mohri through this pre-Biennale program.

Mohri’s work was featured in 50 years of…, a slideshow presentation of Biennale of Sydney projects across the past 50 years, along with learning exercises that were available online for the duration of the Biennale. This included the newly commissioned video Found Materials, in which Mohri discussed her creative process through the lens of found objects and sounds.

ONLINE PUBLICATION

PUBLISHED BY The Japan Foundation, Sydney

PUBLISHED ON September 9, 2021 228 pages

CONTENTS

Foreword Prof. Paul Gladston Preface Introduction

Jesse Hogan Interviewed by Julie Bacon Yuki Okumura Atelier Ranzan Studio (Gakudai Kawasumi, Yohei Watanabe, Yuki Takahashi and Ryu Takeda)

Jesse Hogan Interviewed by Mitsuo Abe 4649 / Mumei Exhibition Exchange (Yuu Takamizawa, Shogo Shimizu, Yasuaki Hamada, MUMEI and Fuyumi Murata)

Yuko Hasegawa Hirofumi Isoya Toyomi Hoshina Agatha Gothe-Snape Reuben Keehan Haruko Kamakura Biographies

Acknowledgements

AUTHOR Jesse Hogan

EDITOR Rina Nozawa

INTERVIEWS & TEXTS

Jesse Hogan Ph.D. Mitsuo Abe Prof. Julie Bacon Prof. Paul Gladston

TRANSLATION

Rina Nozawa Chihiro Yamagami Yuki Okumura

TRANSCRIPTION Chihiro Yamagami

COPYEDITING Nina Serova DESIGN Small Tasks

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Mitsuo Abe

SURVIVAL AESTHETICS:

ON POST CONTEMPORARY ART PRACTICE IN JAPAN ONLINE PUBLICATION LAUNCH AND TALK EVENT

September 9, 2021 7:00–8:30pm AEDT

VENUE Zoom | Admission Free

SPEAKERS

Professor Yuko Hasegawa (Director 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa)

Professor Paul Gladston (UNSW | Arts, Design and Architecture)

Dr. Yuki Okumura (Ph.D. Tokyo University of the Arts)

Dr. Jesse Hogan (Ph.D. Tokyo University of the Arts)

PRESENTED BY

The Japan Foundation, Sydney UNSW | Art & Design

4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art

Viewers joined an online Zoom panel on post-contemporary art practices in Japan featuring Jesse Hogan, Professor Yuko Hasegawa and Yuki Okumura. Moderated by Prof. Paul Gladston, the discussion unpacked the cross-cultural discourses between academics, artists and writers in Japan and Australia.

FILM LIBRARY 2021

YEAR IN REVIEW

FILMS SCREENED

CITIES Perth, Wellington, Christchurch, Auckland, Armidale

SCREENINGS 18

TOTAL AUDIENCE 659 (as of March 9, 2022)