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In 2014 the City of Sapporo will establish the Sapporo International Art Festival as a triennial project.

By News Editor     08 Jul 2013    

Sapporo International Art Festival 2014

City and Nature
Sub-themes
[Nature]  [City]  [Economy, Community and Life] 

July, 19 – September, 28, 2014

Guest Director: Ryuichi Sakamoto

Associate Team:

  • Associate Curator: Shihoko Iida (Independent Curator)
  • Associate Curator:（Media Art): Yukiko Shikata (Media Art Curator)
  • Regional Director: Satoshi Hata (Artist / Art Director)
  • Chief Project Manager: Mami Odai (AIR Producer / Art Director)
  • Project Manager: Shinobu Kajita (Independent Producer)
  • Project Manager: Sachiko Namba (Curator)
  • Project Manager: Tomohiko Ogawa (Landscape Artist)

Proposals from Guest Director Ryuichi Sakamoto

1. Hold a competition to utilize historic buildings as art centers open to local residents. For this purpose, historical structures such as the Former Hokkaido Government Office Building and the Former Sapporo Court of Appeals (known as Shiryokan) should be used rather than temporary venues.

2. Keep the remains of coalmines as works of art. It will be wonderful if we could keep such remains by repairing facilities in Yubari, for example, as such facilities played an important part in the energy policies during Japan’s modernization. For this purpose I would like to approach German artist Anselm Kiefer.

3. Establish art centers as described in 1. above and a system for implementing sustainable projects. Issues such as Energy and Art and Urban Agriculture and Art defy easy solutions; such problems require artists and local residents to collaborate to find answers through workshops and other experiences.

4. Plant trees as a sustained symbol of the memorable inauguration of the Sapporo International Art Festival (Sapporo Triennale). Trees live for a long time – often over 50 or 100 years. This project should serve as an opportunity to pray for the prosperity of Sapporo and Hokkaido for many years to come.

5. Investigate and address noise pollution in public places, to mark the inauguration of the triennale. As a musician, I have been aware of the problems facing urban sound environments. In Japanese cities, noise pollution remains unchecked, which I believe is a serious problem.