COMPLETIONREPORT

An Anthological Study of Revitalization-Oriented Contemporary Art Festivals in Japan
Shiu Hong Simon TuPhD Student
Department of Japanese Studies
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
The three-month fieldwork period (Jun 1 -Aug 27 2018) directly funded by the Sumitomo Grant has constituted anintegral part of my overall research in Japan that lasted until late 2019. In this three-month period, 1.) I went toTokyo for library research, and conducted interviews with Kanto-based artists; 2.) using Kyoto as a base, I
conducted interviews with Kansai-based artists and other informants; 3.) I spent one month in Tokamachi, Niigata
Prefecture, conducting participant observations and interviews especially during the preparation stage of EchigoTsumari Art Triennale 2018; 4.) I proceeded to the Setouchi area (Kagawa and Okayama Prefecture) to interview
local people residing at the venues of Setouchi Triennale. During my fieldwork, I identified four groups of actors
as my major subjects: 1.) local people; 2.) volunteers and supporters; 3.) artists; 4) festival organizers, including
officials of local governments and gallery staff. This three-month period has engendered 45 interviews, out of thetotal number of 158 of my overall research. Significantly, it has been my only chance to closely observe thesocial and artistic process of Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale.

I have observed that revitalization-oriented art

festivals in Japan, as exemplified by Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale and Setouchi Triennale, are innovative
attempts of municipal and prefectural governments to solve socioeconomic problems in the context that theneoliberal governance of the national government has prompted the devolution of responsibility in both culturaland local affairs. The results are complicated, and I scrutinize their relation with the artistic process. In these art
festivals, , local villages and islands of are transformed as global spotlights, receiving international artists and alarge number of visitors. At the same time, the process of artist selection was such implemented that the artists areexpected to engage with local people and local cultures in the process of artmaking. Not all the artworks,
however, are equally inclusive in the process of making, and different artistic approaches would result incontrasting socioeconomic effects . I identify two categories of artworks in Japanese art festivals for analysis: 1.)
artworks made by highly-regarded gallery artists who are not used to work with local communities; 2.) artworks
made by project-based artists who are good at mingling with local communities. The first type of artworks areusually monumental and permanent, capable to draw a great number of visitors, while the process of making isexclusive to professionals. Localities where this type of artworks are installed would generally better benefit fromtourism, and some residents can further capitalize from it by starting new tourism business. The second type ofartworks are usually processual, stressing on local participation and subjectivities in the making. Because of thetemporary nature, these artworks are less likely to bring substantial economic opportunities to the communities;
however, senior residents who have participated in the making process report that they felt rejuvenated by lively
engaging with young artists. I find that preferences for artworks are mixed even in a small communities, and each
community relies on top-down decisions regarding which type of artworks would be placed. These decisions
might ultimately shape the path to revitalization of the community.

Publication of the Results of Research Project:Verbal Presentation(Date, Venue, Name of Conference, Title of Presentation, Presenter, etc.)

Sep 7 2018, University of Sheffield (U.K.), British Association for Japanese Studies Conference 2018-

Title of Presentation: Contemporary Art as Remedy?

An Anthropological Examination of

Revitalization-oriented Art Festivals in Rural Japan-Presenter: Shiu Hong Simon Tu

Apr 16 2019, Aarhus University (Denmark), Japan Anthropology Workshop Conference 2019-

Title of Presentation: Networked Art, Networked Happiness?

Ethnographic Cases from

Revitalization-oriented Art Festivals in Rural Japan-Presenter: Shiu Hong Simon Tu

Jul 16 2019, Leiden University (Netherlands), The 11th International Convention of Asia Scholars-Title of Presentation: Artists in the Field: How Artists Negotiate with Revitalization-oriented Art
Festivals of Rural Japan-Presenter: Shiu Hong Simon Tu

Feb 18 2020, Wakayama University (Japan), The 2nd International Conference of Critical Tourism Studies Asia
Pacific-Title of Presentation: Volunteering in Art Festivals of Rural Japan: An Ethnographic Overview-Presenter: Shiu Hong Simon Tu

Thesis (Name of Journal and its Date, Title and Author of Thesis, etc.)(Doctoral dissertation pending in late 2020)
Book (Publisher and Date of the Book, Title and Author of the Book, etc.)