What is FIZA? / Project in 2003 / Project in 2002 / 2001 Significance of Project / '01 Open Studio / '01 Exhibition / '01 Number of visitors / '01 Screening the Artists and Project Site / '01 Constructive commnets / '01 Volunteer Activities / '01 Publication Activities / '01 Poster / '01 Supporting Org. & Individuals / Project Site / 1999 Oepn Studio / '99 Exhibition / '99 Participating Artists / '99 Poster / '99 Volunteer Activitiesa / '99 Supporting Org. / '99 Newspaper Clips / HOME / Links
What is Fiber Zero Association, FIZA?
Fiber materials can be found everywhere in our daily life. Zero is the number which expresses both finite and infinity. We would like to create art pieces with fiber materials and discover infinite possibilities of art making. We believe that art making can be social activity. Collaboration enriches and completes the art piece. We also strive for creating art pieces that require more than visual sense to appreciate and/or interact with them.
The purpose of Fiber Zero Associate is to promote Arts and Cultural activities in mainly the Pan Pacific region to enrich the life and heritage of various peoples and the natural environment in the region. We are striving for art making that requires more than the visual sense to appreciate it. FIZA is made up of artists and of people who support the purpose of the association.
Goals of FIZA activities
1. To collaborate with non artists. (Including physically impaired people.)
2. To collaborate with other artists in various art fields. 3. To create interactive
art pieces that require various senses to appreciate them. 4. To have international
art & cultural exchange. 5. To promote fiber art and our activities.
Unique aspects of FIZA activities
1. Interacting with people who usually don't have access to creative activities.
2. Trying to overcome our difference of cultures, languages, races, and physical
conditions, etc. 3. Experiencing the thrill of not knowing the exact outcome
of an open studio.
FIZA Mission Statement
The purpose of Fiber Zero Associates, FIZA, is to promote Arts and Cultural
activities in mainly the Pan Pacific region to enrich the life and heritage
of various peoples and the natural environment in the region. The main focus
of FIZA's activities is on fiber art. However, we intend to reach out to different
art fields and cultures. Passing down traditional arts and crafts to the next
generation and improving women's social status in developing countries through
craft work will also be major activities. FIZA, a non-profit incorporation,
is made up of artists and of people who support the purpose of the associates.
In the near future we intend to acquire legal status, NPO status, in Japan as
well.
We believe the use of the senses beyond the visual is an integral part of interaction with art. In creating art that can be touched, smelled, worn, or eaten, we are striving for our work to be universal.
For centuries "Fiber Art" has devolved from the traditional craft based weavings, embroidery, dyeing, and stitching, mainly considered as "women's work", to a more contemporary conceptual form of expression for both men & women from all artistic disciplines.
Fibrous tissue, animal or vegetable fibers, synthetic fibers, staple fibersÉ.they are part of our body, our food, garments, living spaces, and books. Fibers are all over and surrounding us. Because fiber is part of our daily life, it can be the best tool to express universal messages. A baby blanket is an example of how fiber art expresses universal messages. It is only a small piece of cloth, however it does not only warm and protect the baby. It also expresses the love and concern of the parents, their hope for the child, family tradition and even cultural heritage. You not only look at the baby in the blanket, but you also touch them, smell the baby smell, talk to and listen to the baby. These activities help you to really appreciate the baby. It requires all the senses you have. As fiber artist, we hope to create art pieces that include not only visual information but also messages through all the senses.
We believe that while the process of art making is a quite personal activity, it can also be a social activity. We would like to create art pieces that require more than visual sense to appreciate through collaborations with visually impaired artists and /or individuals.
Support FIZA activities
We would like to keep our art activities going on in the Nasu area and also
worldwide. We are going to have "Shape of the Sound" Project: A Piece of Mind
in Missouri this coming May (btw the 13th -19th), and the budget for it is $4000.
For the 2003 project budget is $35,000.00. Your generosity is greatly needed
and appreciated.
Post Office Account Number: 00110-5- 126364 (in Japan) Please address to: Fiber Zero Associates, FIZA
Or Send a check to: Fiber Zero Association, Inc., FIZA 177 Columbia Heights
#34 Brooklyn, NY 11201 (in USA)
If you have any question, please send e-mail to: fiber_zero@hotmail.com
Brief History of FIZA
1998.10.9. Started as a voluntary group of artists and its supporters in
Nishinasuno Tochigi, JAPAN.
1999.7.26.~8.8. Presented the First "Shape of the Sound" Project. (It is biannual international art project.)
2001.6.28. Approved as Non Profit Corporation in NY. Proper name: Fiber Zero
Association Inc., FIZA
2001.7.26.~8.5. Presented the Second "Shape of the Sound" Project:
A Piece of Mind
2002.5.13~19. Will present the Second "Shape of the Sound" Project: A Piece of Mind in Missouri.
2003 The Third "Shape of the Sound" Project will take place in Nishinasuno, Tochigi JAPAN
We have started to prepare for The Third "Shape of the Sound" Project:
Breathe In/ Breathe Out (tentative subtitle) in Sep., 2003.
It will take place again in Nasu area, but the content of the project will be
totally different from the first and second ones. For the thrid one we are planning
to have several performance workshops here and there in Ootawara, Nishinasuno,
Kurobane, and Bato. There will be two day final perfomances later on. The detail
of the project will be announced in several months.
Aki Takahashi and Kaori Takami visited several potential colloborating organizations in early April. To our surprise all of their response was very positive and enthusiastic toward collaboration, and we were greatly encouraged by their positive atitude. Special thanks to Mr. Tadashi Yagisawa, Dr. Kazuo Suzuki , and Ms. Noshiko Baba for setting up meetings with Taiko-Drum Groups.
Organizations We visited:
"Mouhitotsuno Bijyutsukan" (Alternative Museum) in Bato-town
"Yui no Sato" (Senior Nursing & Day Care Service Center) in Nishinasuno-town
"Ooyama Jidou Kan" (Ooyama Children's Center) in Nishinasuno-town
"Kurobane Daiko" (Kurobane Taiko-Drum Group) in Kurobane-town
"Sosui Daiko" (Sosui Taiko-Drum Group) in Nishinasuno-town
"Yoichi Daiko" (Yoichi Taiko-Drum Group) in Ootawara-city
"Kurosaki Wood Sculpture Studio" in Kanuma-city
"Asian Rural Institute" in Nishinasuno-town
We've also started to negociate with possible participating artists.
Brief Reports & introductions on the places we visited
Mouhitotsu no Bijyutsukan (Alturnative Museum) exhibits art pieces created by autistic people. The purpose of the museum is very attractive to FIZA since one of our goals is to work with physically & mentaly challenged people through art acitivities. We totally fell in love with the atmosphere of the museum as well. The current exhibition that will be going on until May 26 is very powerful and we highly recomend you to see.
Add: 1181-2 Koguchi Batou-cho, Nasu-gun Tochigi 324-0618
Tel/Fax: (0287)92-8088
More detailed info on the place and the exhibition, please cotact the address
and phone number above.
Yui no Sato is a nursing & day care service center for siniors in Nishinasuno-town. We visited the place hoping that we could work with grand-pas and grand-mas through one of the workshops for the next year project. Keiko Iijima, Dir., was very enthusiastic about participating in the project, and she gave us many suggestions on networking in Nasu area. Staff members at the center were all friendly and the siniors there looked very relaxed and happy.
Oyama Children's Cneter looks after grade school children after the school. There would be a schedule conflict between school and FIZA's activities if we decide to have the project in Sep. It requires us to plan the date carefully so that we could work with these energetic children too. This center is part of "Oyama Comunity Center". In the site there is a sizable playground, and that is one of the proposed site for the workshop.
Kurobane Daiko(Taiko-Drum) Group, Sosui Daiko(Taiko-Drum) Group, and Yoichi
Diko(Taiko-Drum) Group
We are hoping to do sound collaboration with Taiko-drums. All the groups we
visited were very enthusiastic about the collaboration. The comments they gave
us were promissing. It was nice and encouraging to hear each person commented
on our project title, "Shape of the Sound" very attractive and that
makes them think a lot about the relations between shape and shound. We hope
our project will be meaningful and satisfying for those who deal with sounds
on the daily basis.
Kurosaki Wooden Sculpture Studio
We didn't know that Taiko-Drum often incorporates with "ohayashi",
musical accompaniment instruments consist of mainly vertical and/or holizontal
flute and a small drum. Mr. Yagisawa told us that there is a very interesting
person who plays flute in Kanuma-city. We soon found ourselves in Yagisawa's
van moving toward Kanuma. Despite of our sudden visit Mr. Kurosaki geneously
took us to "Yatai's Town Central Park" where wood carved festival
carts were displayed, introduced us several artists in the resion, and showed
us his own sculpture studio.
Asian Rural Institute is a training center which teaches rural leadership. Participants are from all over the world, mainly from economically oppressed countries. The atmosphere of the campus is nice & relaxing, but diffinately different from rest of Japan. There are many attractive spots for workshop shite on this campus. We wish to have workshop with the participants here to add more international quality in our project. We got positive comments on the collaboration possibility, so now we will seek further & firmer possibility.
2002 FIZA activities in the USA
We are going to present "Shape of the Sound" Project: A Piece of Mind, The Missouri Project between May 13 - 19, 2002. This project is the same project that FIZA presented last summer in Ootawara, Tochigi in Japan. The Missouri Project was once postponed because of the 9.11. insident.
One of the 2001 participating artists, Marie Oberkirsch, has been working hard to realize this project in her home state, Missouri. As the Missouri Project Manager, she has contacted many organizations around St. Louis to participate in this project, individual volunteers to help the activities and host the participating artists, and art fundations to support us financially. Main participating organizations would be: Mad Art Gallery, Missouri School for the Blind, Lift for Life Academy, and some local groupd. (See the List of Parcitipating Organizations.)
It is our great joy that we are finally realizing this project in Missouri despite the unstability of international politics and economical situation in the USA. Many thanks to all of you who helped and supported this event to be happened.
Those people who can visit Mad Art Gallery, please join us in both ball and sound making.
Those people who cannot come to the project site, please join us in sound making through this website and occasionally chek our progress in ball making.
Sound Making Section
What we are going to atchive through this Sound
Page is:
*To enabl non-sighted people, hearing impared people, home bound people, those
who are not comfortable using computers, etc to use the mouse intuitionally
and mix sounds on the screen. Later, the mixed sound will be recorded in to
a record/play device and put in to a ball.
Please join us by sending in sounds. We will be collecting sounds until Fri., May 17, at 12:00 noon.
There are three ways of putting sounds in to balls.
1. Put objects directly in to balls. You can listen to sounds when you shake
them. or
2. Directly record sound into a sound device. or
3. Mix sounds on the computer and recort it to the sound device, and this si
what we aretrying to do on the internet.
If you cannot come to the gallery, please send us sound.
What is the sound device?
It is a small device about 1 and 3/4 inches in diameter. It records about 12
seconds and plays the sound over and over when you push a button in the middle.
What do you do with the device?
You can record the sound directly to the device or you can open up our sound
pages and mix sounds on the screen and record it with the device. When you record
your sound from computer, put the speaker side of the device close to the microphone
either attached or built in to the computer.
It will be ideal that the ball and the sound we make become as one when we put
them together at the gallery.
The sounds we would like to use are listed below. If you would like to listen
the sounds we've already have please click on the "Open Page" letters.
1. Generate energy with Laughing sounds Open
Page 1
2. Happy Cooking sounds Open
P.2
3. Excting Sounds through the windows Open
P.3
4. Soothing Water Sound Open
P.4
5. Filling Sounds at Dining Settings Open
P.5
6. Familiar Sounds in your Neighborhood Open
P.6
7. Say Hello to the World Open
P.7
8. Say Thank you Open
P.8
9. Stress Relief Nature Sounds Open
P.9
10.Be energetic with this Sounds Open
P.10
Looking forward to receiving in different languages and coutries!
How to submitt sounds: (Submission Form is attached below)
Please include your name, coutry you live, language you've used, sound category
and the brief discription of the recording setting (ex. sound from cutting onion.)
in the message. Your suggestions/opinion toward the project is greatly appreciated
too.
Below formats are preffered:
1. MP3compressed File
2. AIFF
3. .wav composed by QuickTime4 or higher version.
We will convert rest of the sound formats as we receive.
If you need a free software to record & edit sounds or if you want to try out recording sounds with your computer but don't know how, please follow the instruction below.
Recording sound on your computer.
1. Look for a microphone input
jack on your computer and plug in your microphone. If you don't see a microphone
input jack on your computer, you might have a built in microphone (iMac, ibook,
and Powerbook).
2. If you need software for sound editing get Audacity 0.98 either for Mac or PC according to the type of your computer. It's free. Get "Audacity"
3. Download it, open it up (If for some reasons you cannot download the software or can't open it after downloading, it could be because your OS is old. You may also have to download StuffIt Expander(for Mac) or WinZip (for PC) to open the file. They are free too.)
4. Once you are in Audacity, go to FILE, open "New" file, and press the blue button with black circle to record your sound. When you press it, the color will be red. To stop recording, press the blue button with square in the middle. Please keep the recording time shorter than 10 sec. (3-5 would be ideal.)
5. Go to FILE and click on Export as WAV. Choose the place you want to keep the file in your computer, then save. You need to remember where you've saved the file.
6. Go to www.fiber-zero.com/2002project/2002Soundpages_eng/sound01-eng and/or open the submission form.
7. Fill out the equestions and press "Continue" button.
8. Attach your sound file and images(if you have some) by pressing "Browser" and choosing your file.
9. Press "Upload!", and you are done!
Note: If for some reasons the file won't open, there are many similar sounds in a same category, or we think it's inappropreate sound, we won't be able to put it up on the website.
*Project Calender
*Participating Artists
*Participaing Organizations
*Sponsors and supporters
*Support FIZA Activities
*Project Questionnaire
*Special Thanks
'01 The Significance of the Second Project: A Peice of Mind
Goals
of the Project.
1. To collaborate with non artists. (Including physically impaired people.)
2. To collaborate with other artists in various art fields.
3. To create interactive art pieces that require various senses to appreciate
them.
4. To have international art & cultural exchange.
5. To promote fiber art and our activities.
This was the second project in Ootawara and Nishinasuno area and it was met
with greater acceptance and deeper understanding. At the same time, some people
said it was still hard for them to understand the purpose of the project.
Given the project's five goals participants' level of comfort could not be the top priority. Participants clearly needed positive attitude, a keen sense of beauty, and willingness to explore beyond their comfort zone to carry out this project. It is hard to be positive and active in a group of unknown people. Psychological stress often occurs when one tries new things in a new environment with strangers. However this experience could lead one to new discoveries that he/she has never imagined.
The participating artists also experienced the same uncomfortable feelings. Their reactions toward the project varied. Some artists were disappointed and frustrated with the outcome of the project because it was different from what they imagined or planed, some of them were delighted by their unexpected satisfaction with new discoveries, and some accepted with flexibility the entire project as it is. Hopefully each artist will positively and actively utilize the experience they gained from this project.
The uncomfortable feelings one has when trying out new things arenÕt necessarily a negative experience. The sparkly eyes when strangers started to know each other through art making process and glowing faces of the people when they talked about their new experiences show the result of overcoming the uncomfortable experience. We believe the true significance of the project lies in entirely this overcoming uncomfortable initial reactions to experience the joy of new discoveries.
Our project with its inherent obstacles does not easily lend itself to the "perfect exhibition." It is quite natural to be imperfect since there were many people involved in art making process without specific guide lines to follow, individual expression was more important than uniformity, and the time was limited. The significance of this project lays in the continuous effort to represent in forms our emotions and ideas positively and actively with keen sense of beauty.
Volunteerism is the main supporting force of this project. To volunteer is to willingly work on an endeavor for self-development not for compensation. Many volunteers worked quietly yet consistently; their working attitude was filled with silent power and seemed to be the manifestation of a positive and active attitude. It is meaningful and wonderful that this art project cannot be completed without the help of volunteers.
Many questions and both critical and positive comments surfaced during the project: What is the true international exchange, what is the role of participating artists, what is an "art making volunteers." Those comments with peopleÕs emotions attached are precious assets to the project. We hope that people will make best use of their gained confidence and the feelings they got from the project incorporating that positive experience into their own lives.
Wishes and ideas for improvements become truly valuable when they are realized in action. We will do our utmost to use this experience to improve the Missouri Project as well as our future artistic endeavors.
'01 Open Studio: 7.23.(Mon) - 29.(Sun) (9am - 9pm)
Activity Contents
*We create balls with fiber materials, bamboo, paper, fabric, etc., and put
sound in each ball.
*We asked people to bring memorabilia to use as ball materials.
*Sounds were composed by people who came to Harmony Hall. They used the computers
that were set for that purpose. Yo Kano, one of the participating artists, sent
his sounds through the internet from NY.
'01 Exhibition: 7.30.(Mon)-8.5.(Sun) 10am-6pm
After a week of Open Studio balls were displayed for the exhibition. Each ball had its unique size, material, shape, and sound. It seemed like the audience had a much easier time touching and interacting with the created pieces than the previous project. We were grately encouraged by several visits of school children and seniors who go to near by nursering homes.
'01 Number of Participants & Visitors
During the Open Studio: July 23rd (Mon.)Ð 29th (Sun.)
Approximately 200 *Repeat participants are not counted. *Refereed to
the numbers of name tags and guest book.
During the Exhibition: July 30th (Mon.)-Aug. 5th(Sun.):
Approximately 35/day Except Aug. 1st about 70 visitors Aug. 5th
about 90 visitors Visitors through
Web Site FIZA Web Site (www.fiber-zero.org):
Approximately 700 Internet Pavilion (www. )
A pproximately 18,000 as of July 29th (Sun.) Among 18,000, about 1000
visitors serf through several pages and about 500 tried to interact with the
web site. With the help of ACOM Ltd.
Comments and Reflections
Apparently many people came to visit the gallery through word of mouth. The
distribution of posters and flyers in Nasu area done by local volunteers was
effective, the number of participating/visiting groups increased from last time.
They were also nursing homes, volunteer groups for blind people, and day care
centers for school children who attended. Some groups visited the gallery repeatedly.
There were several individuals who came to see our activity, got involved and
kept coming for rest of the week and during the exhibition. There was a mother
saying, "My children and I enjoyed the last project so much that when we found
out about this project we had to come at once." The general comments from the
people were, "I don't understand the whole thing but it was surely fun."
Other comments were:
"It might be difficult for us to enjoy this project without having our own opinions
and thinking. I didn't know much about contemporary art and this was the nice
time for me to interpret and develop ideas in my own way. As the time went by
I started to enjoy more and more.",
"When I found out about this project I was quite amazed by the challenging concept. Not only artists but general audience will also be participating the art making and complete the whole thing. It is wonderful. However this type of art making is unfamiliar in Japan and the unfamiliarity stopped me from being able to enjoy the process entirely."
It seemed like everybody enjoyed touching the balls and listening the sound coming from the balls during the exhibition. In general, verbal explanation was required for adults to touch the balls, but on the contrary, children didn't need the explanation. Looking at children play with the balls was liberating.
'01 Screening the Artists and Project site
Criteria for selection of the Artists
1 Working professionally or have received artistic training.
2 Use either sound or fiber materials as medium of art expression.
3 Willing to utilize computer as a media for art activities.
4 Willing to create art pieces which require more than visual sense to appreciate.
5 Being able to attend everyday during the Open Studio. (Participating through
internet counts.)
Chosen Artists
Karen Bellin is a Web artist from NYC. We wanted to explore
the possibility of interacting with people through computer sound making.
Barbara Boeke is a painter as well as art therapist from Germany. Her enthusiasm and persistence toward art making is something we all can learn.
Yo Kano is a NYC musician. We wanted to fully utilize his non-visual senses to sound making and being participate through web site.
Marie Oberkirsch is a fiber artist from the US, whose artwork has involved motorized devices with squeaking noises. Her work has a very tactile aspect to it, something we considered important for the project.
Erin Miller is a fiber artist from the US. Much of her three dimensional art objects have been interactive. Her innovations have included the use of aroma in her artwork.
Aki Takahashi is trained as a printmaker whose work incorporates a broad spectrum of material and techniques. She was chosen for her strong interest in collaborative and interactive art pieces to find out new ways of art expressions. She is from Yokohama.
Kaori Takami is a fiber artist. She is very interested in creating tactile and interactive art pieces through other senses besides visual sense. She is highly interested in the collaborative process that involves not only artists but also many different kinds of people.
Tadashi Yagisawa is a well established bamboo master in Ootawara. He is interested in challenging and collaborating with contemporary artists with his background of bamboo craft.
Project Site
Project Committee chose Nasunogahara Harmony Hall based on geographic conditions,
architectural quality of the building, the facility has the connections to.
We also needed to get ISDN service line and the Hall allowed us to do the minor
construction work for that purpose. "Fureai no Oka " in Sakuyama, Ootawara was
nominated for the site.
'01 Constructive Comments (mainly by artists)
FIZA would like to keep those in mind and improve future projects.
*It might have been useful to have one day between the Open Studio and the Exhibition
to plan and organize the show.
*The connection between a ball and the sound in it was not strong enough.
*We intended that each artist should prepare 50 to 100 balls but this turned out to be too ambitious. As a lack of balls on Day 1 left volunteers without enough structure in which to be comfortable. Preparation of the balls was quite critical.
*Each artist was also supposed to record and bring the sounds of their own environment, but this didn't happen. Most of the sound created and put in to balls were Yo Kano's sounds and the sound created by people at the gallery. It might have been better to have variety of sounds.
*People who created sounds on the web site had trouble sending their files to us. People at the gallery couldn't with web site participants.
*Many volunteers and audience at the gallery simply used ready made pop songs and didn't create their own sounds. This reaction was unexpected and shocking to the artists.
*The sound making section in FIZA web site wasn't easy for blind people to handle. It took long time and effort for them to use it.
*The artists felt pressure to fill the huge gallery space with balls and forgot to enjoy the making process for awhile.
*Did we really use the 7day effectively? Could we have fully utilized the computers and digital cameras for the project?
*Artists should have had their own meeting right before the project started.
*It could be more efficient and easier to do registration for general participants so that they come in certain time and can have some expectation what they will be doing.
Other opinions:
"I participated the project without having any expectations and particular plans.
My mind was pure white when I started making balls. While making balls I thought
about all the nice memories happened in my life and tried to transfer the memories
into the balls. I enjoyed the process very much."
"I didn't quite understand the significance of this project until I actually started to work. My whole experience was absolutely inspiring and I would like to bring this project in to my country. I will start making contacts as soon as I get home."
"I am not sure if my role was needed for the project."
Preparation Activities (Feb. Ð July, 2001)
Project Committee Meetings and Volunteer Meetings (2 times each), Publication
(see the detail of the activities next page), Fund raising, Coordination of
each volunteer activity, Computer acquisition and set up, Distribution of posters
and flyers
During the Open Studio
Front Desk, Documentation, Gallery Guide, Meal Service, Interpretation, Opening
Preparation, Artist Assistant
Reflections on Volunteer Activities
During Preparation Period
* Need to make communication during the preparation period much smoother. *
Need to confirm information often to avoid unnecessary confusion. * Need to
find more volunteers to distribute posters and flyers in Nasu, Utsunomiya, and
Tokyo area.
During Project
* Need to clearly define the assigned work. Especially the Front Desk needs
written materials describing details of work and occasional meetings for common
understanding. * Need written manual for each volunteer activity. Prepare enough
activities and prepare volunteers to be flexible about situation changes. *
Need to make brief history and statement of each artist for volunteers to be
able to explain to visitors. * Need to make diagram of finished art piece with
simply explanation of the concept, so that the volunteers can explain that to
visitors. * Need a general manager for entire volunteer activities.
*Special thanks to those who came and helped individually, through Wakatake Group, through ACOM, and through other organizations. Without your enthusiastic volunteer work we couldnÕt have made it to realize this entire project. Thank you very much!!
Published & Broad casted:
The project article was on Nishinasuno and Ootawara town(city) newspaper, Shimotsuke
and Asahi Newspaper, AM Planning CompanyÕs newspaper.
MX TV from Tokyo made a documentation on the project and was broadcasted on
Sat., Aug. 18th and 24th.
Number of Printed Publication materials
Posters: 500, Flyers: 8000, Invitation Card: 1000, Pamphlet:
1000
Distribution:
Nasu Town: Town Office, Education Committee, Town Hall, Health Center,
Public Library, Cultural Center, Gymnasium, Nasu Elementary, Junior and Senior
High School
Ootawara City: City Hall, Library, Social Welfare Committee, Youth Center, Culture Center, Rotary Club, Education Committee, Elementary, Junior and Senior High Schools, Community centers, Sansaku and other restaurants, Buranko no Kai, International Medical Welfare University
Kurobane Town: Rotary Club, Chamber of Commerce and Industry, restaurants, Community Centers, Social Welfare Committee, Ajisai Festival Committee
Nishinasuno Town: Town Hall, Community Centers, Social Welfare Committee, Elementary, Junior and Senior High Schools, Nasu Seminar House, Asian Rural Institute, Youth Center, Nishinasuno Church, Nishinasuno Kindergarten, Takata, Sanko-do, Oonoya, and others.
Yaita City: York Benimaru, Health Center, City Hall, Cultural Center, Library, and other public facilities.
Kuroiso City Area: Atsuzaki Community Center, English class, others.
Utsunomiya City Area: Prefectural Blind School, through Mr. Fukumoto, Palty WomenÕs Center, Utsunomiya YMCA, students of Mr. Yagisawa, others.
Tokyo Yokohama Area: Japan Braille Library, Tokyo Helen Keller Association, Kanagawa Lifelong Education Center, NEC, Fuji Film, JLA
Distribution of Press Release
Japan Arts Fund and its 8 juries, Shimotsuke Newspaper Headquarter, Shimotsuke
Newspaper Ootawara Branch, Tokyo Hellen Keller Association, Radio-Berry NHK
Utsunomiya Office, Tochigi Yomiuri Newspaper Utsunomiya Office, Mainichi Newspaper
Utsunomiya Office, Asahi Newspaper Utsunomiya Office, NHK New Sunday Art Museum
A catch phrase, "Join us to create unique objects" is placed on upper right hand side corner. Light blue bubbles and some bubbles which contenin images from previous project are floating with alphabet and Japanese charactor combined letters. The letters say, "Shape of the Sound". Down the left side bottom, there are detailed information on the dates, place, name of artists, and supporting organizations. It was desigend by Kaori Takami.
'01 Supporting Organizations and Individuals
Grant Organization: Japan Arts fund, Ootawara Rotary Club
Sponsor: ACOM Ltd.
Material Sponsor: NEC, Fuji Film, Skif Fabric, Jackman's Fabric
Support: Ootawara City, Nishinasuno Town, Ootawara & Nishinasuno Educational Committee, Ootawara & Nishinasuno Cultural Association, Ootawara & Nishinasuno Social Welfare Committee, Shimotsuke Newspaper, AM Planning, Buranko no kai
Individual Donors: Mr.&Mrs. Inoue, Shizu Oomori, Sumko Okamura, Mr.&Mrs. Kikuchi, Susumu Sawato, Kazuo Suzuki, Yukiko Suzuki, Ritsuko Takanosu, Masako Takayanagi, Tooru Hara, Kimiyo Masuzawa, Atsuko Matsumoto, Katsumi Fukumoto, Buranko no kai, Yasuo Furuya, Norie Horiuchi, Rumiko Yabuki, Wakatake kai, Yoshitaka Wada
Individual Material & Food Donors: Individuals through ACOM, Mitsuko Ichikawa, Diane Oono, Machiko Sakurai, Scole peole, Kazuo Suzuki, Takeshi Suzuki, Kimie Takagi, Mr.&Mrs. Takami, Ritsuko Takanosu, Toshiaki Nakazato, Kaori Nakamura, Tooru Har,a Kimiyo Masuzawa, Hiroe Masubuchi, Keiko Minamizawa, Rumiko & Ayumi Yabuki, Mr.&Mrs. Yagisawa, Wakatake kai, Hiroko Watanabe
*Thank you very much for your financial support and donating your precious memorabilia. Thank you also for the people who brought delicious homemade meals and snacks. We enjoyed tasting them immensely.
Music Equipment
This time as well as last Mr. Nakazato let us use his precious music equipment.
He also spent several months helping us to get the right kind of computer equipment
and setting them up. Thank you so very much for all the help you gave us.
Experiencing Japan
Mr.&Mrs. Kikuchi kindly invited artists for their special Soba making session
followed by lunch. Soba was delicious and the experience was remarkable.
Mrs. Isohi hosted home stays for two sets of artists. Thank you for the Isohi family, their relatives and the friends for welcoming the artists, showing them places, feeding them delicious Japanese food, and letting them experience so many aspects of Japanese lifestyle.
Noriko Baba invited the artists to listen to Japanese Drums. She performed in Yoichi Summer Festival in Ootawara City. Thank you very much.
Project Site
Nasunogahara Harmony Hall is a public facility consists of Big & Small Concert
Halls, two galleries, and several rehearsal rooms. It is run by both Ootawara
city and Nishinasuno town. Through out the year many cultural events take place
at this hall. The architecture itself is very unique and beautiful. It is recommended
to check out the event schedule when you have an opportunity to visit Nasu area.
First Gallry where the project took place, has its north side of wall coverd
entirely with glasses. The space is wide open with high ceiling.
Address: Nasunogahara Harmony Hall, 1-2703-6 Honmachi Ootawara, Tochigi-ken 324-0041
Directions:
By JR (Japan Railway) Tohoku Shinkansen (Super Express - Bullet Train)
It takes 1 hour and 15 minutes from Tokyo. Get off at JR Nasu-Shiobara Station.
It takes 20 to 30 minutes to get to Harmony Hall from JR Nasu-Shiobara Station
by taxi or car. You can take a local line from JR Nasu-Shiobara Station and
get off at Nishinasuno Station. (See below)
By JR Tohoku Honsen (Local Line)
It takes about three hours from Ueno Station, Tokyo. Get on "Kaisoku-Rapid"
if you can, it is about 30 minutes faster than the rest of the local trains.
You may have to change trains at Utsumoniya. Get off at JR Nishinasuno Station.
It takes 10 minutes from Nishinasuno Station by taxi or car to Harmony Hall.
From Nishinasuno Station South Exit there is a bus to Ootawara. Get off at Honcho
Icchome. From Honcho Icchome bus stop it will be a 3-4 minute walk.
By Expressway:
It takes 20 minutes from the Nasu-Shiobara interchange, Tohoku Highway. Take
Route 400 straight down toward Ootawara. KFC is a nice landmark when you make
a right turn toward Harmony Hall.
National Highway 4:
From National Highway 4 take Route 400 towards Ootawara City. Turn right at
the corner of KFC.
'99 Open Studio: July 26th ~ Aug. 1st, 1999
We had about 30 people working constantly during the seven day Open
Studio. All the artists and some of the volunteers worked thirteen hours a day
and the rest came whenever they could. The audience also spent many hours making
art. They were free to walk around in the gallery, communicate with the artists
and volunteers, and participate in the art making process. An exchange program
with Utsunomiya Prefectural School for the Blind took place during the Open
Studio as well.
Contents of the Open Studio
Eight artists, two sound artists and six fiber artists, carried out this project.
There were seven days of Open Studio creative activity. One of the sound artists,
Monthian Buntan, who has been blind since his birth, interacted with art pieces
being created by the six fiber artists. The artists were encouraged to use more
than their visual sense to create their art works. Monthian then composed sounds
according to the impression he got from each piece. Another sound artist, Krit
Buranavitayawut, worked with Monthian to enrich the sound Monthian had created.
The six fiber artists then finished their pieces with the feed back of the sounds
Monthian and Krit created.
'99 Exhibition: Aug. 2nd - 8th, 1999
We had average of 30 people a day coming to see the show. Some of them spent
several hours playing with the art pieces. We received comments like: "I've
never been to an art show like this with this nice atmosphere." " It is great
that we are encouraged to touch and even lie down on the art pieces." "The space
between pieces is wide enough that I can walk without worrying about stepping
on art pieces. Having many different textures on the surface is interesting."
This commnet was mady by one of the Blind persons who came with his group members.
"My children really enjoyed spending time yesterday, so I took them today too.",
"Being in this space makes me feel calm and gives energy for the next day.",
etc.
There were voices like; "I've never seen art pieces like these. At first I questioned if these are art but after experiencing the whole event, I don't want to go back where I was and my old art view." "I couldn't fully understand the whole event as an art activity but it was surely fun." "I am still trying to figure out what I have experienced the last several days." "I am not sure what I am looking at right now."
Despite the confusion among the adult audience, children took the whole thing easyly and in fun. They played with art pieces without any hesitation.
It seemed like Blind people had an easier time listening to the sounds coming out of art pieces. You could easily miss those small sounds unless you paid attention.
'99 Participating Artists
name, country, field of art
Daina Blackstone, USA, Fibr Artist
Monthian Buntan, Thailand, Composer
Krit Buranavitayawut, Thailand, Musician/Arichitect
Kiichiro Fujiki, Japan, Yuzen Dyeing Master
Doris Louie, USA, Fiber artist
Kaori Takami, Japan, Fiber artist
Tadashi Yagisawa, Japan, Bamboo Craft Master
'99 Poster
Phrases in Japanese
are drawn like water wripples. Those phrases express sounds you can hear through
your daily life. Middle of a wripple, there is a big Japanese letter representing
each charactor for the project title, "Shape of the Sound". Detailed
information for the dates, place, and supporting organization is placed on the
down right corner. It was designed by Nao Suzuki.
'99 Volunteer Activities: Shirt Poster/Tactile Poster Making,
May 10th-July 25th (11 times)
People got together every Sunday evening for about two hours. An average of
15 pople attended each time and worked on tactile posters (Shirt Poster), pamphlet,
name tags, etc. Thank you so very much for enthusiastically participated in
this event. Besides this once a week activity, the Braille Volunteer Group in
Ootawara, "Karin", helped to make pamphelts and posters in Braille. "Kusanomi",
a volunteer group for blind people in Nishinasuno, distributed voice letters
to those who needed their service.
We completed 33 Shirt Posters (Tactile Posters). They were distributed to public organizations mainly in Ootawara, Nishinasuno and Utsunomiya. Arms of the shirt are placed on heart. It is the expression of each individual participant's 'heart' toward this project. The arms are holding "Present Flower". In side the present box, there are things that produce sounds when shaken.
'99 Supporting Organizations
Presentor: Fiber Zero Associates, FIZA,
Sponsor: ACOM Ltd., T&T Fund Ootawara Rotary Club, Support:
Shimotsuke Newspaper Company AM Planning Nishinasuno Board of Education,
Cultural Council, Social Welfare Council Ootawara Board of Education, Cultural
Council, Social Welfare Council
'99 Newspaper Clips on 1999 Projecta
Fri., 6.25, 1999 Shimotsuke Newspaper: "Expressing the
Image of Sounds - Calls for Volunteers"
Mon., 7.5,1999 Tochigikko News: "Everybody get together and make art"
Wed., 7.21, 1999 Mainichi Newspaper: "Expressing Sounds with Fiber materials"
Sat., 7.24, 1999 Tochigi Yomiuri Newspaper: "Art of Fiber and Sounds - Open Studio and Exchange Program"