Art practice as an integral
part of everyday life
AMENOMORI Nov

D i r e c t o r, B r e a k e r P r o j e c t

Haji Oh has conducted a series of ongoing workshops
called “ Unraveling / untying knitted items ” with local

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memories from different perspectives. “ Naruhesoof the location, which gave depth back to the project,result of the years we invested. We could of course say that

Newspaper” projects include other editions in the past

whose co-relation invited unpredictables to happen, forthe soil was ready since the Breaker Project has a longer

such as Nagoya in 2009 and Berlin in 2011, both held as

example a local resident suddenly starting his own tour, orhistory in this neighbourhood, however I never felt theworkshops. Starting out as a photographer, Yamada has

another resident coming to listen to the old music from thesame sense of achievement with our previous one-year

expanded his practice to paper mediums such as books

gramophone that the artist installed - as if another reality

projects. Newly set up places, including our base campand newspapers, which he reconstructs from a critical andcontinues on forever.

Shin Fukuju-so, and “Kioku Shugei-kan ʻTansuʼ” continue

unique point of view. His previous projects include “The“Nishinari Childrenʼs Orchestra” by the first musician the

Other Day Workers Times 3”, a performance and newspaper

Breaker Project invited, Yoshihide Otomo, stems from ourconsisting of memories of the first work or jobs done byencounter with his project “Orchestra FUKUSHIMA ! ”, which

We are based in this part of the city because many

visitors at a museum, and “Oven Baked Old News 4”, wherewas an improvisational orchestra played at the opening of

problematic issues in contemporary society have been

he focused on the economic value of a newspaper, which is

the music festival held in Fukushima in the summer ofpresent here in a condensed forms, dating back to thelost in a day.

2011, organised by the “Project FUKUSHIMA ! 5 ”, a reaction

modernisation period after the Meiji era, through to theto exist, as well as the relationship with the local coordinators, which will lead to our next step.

residents over a period of two years. Oh has been engaged

The “Nishinari Naruheso Newspaper” has evolved since

to the nuclear plant incident after the disaster in March of

post-war period of high economic growth, and to thewith the act of ʻ unraveling ʼ for a long time. The time-

initial editions in a number of aspects; it was issued every

the same year. The overwhelming performance by arecent years of accelerated globalisation. Nevertheless, theconsuming process is also an important factor in revealing

three weeks for a duration of ten months. A local resident-

massive group of some 260 members comprised ofcontroversy this town faces is ubiquitous, and similar to theʻsilent memoriesʼ that the artist has been exploring 1 , asturned writer who applied through the open call had aprofessional musicians and amateurs gathered by an open

contradictions that every economy-driven society inevitably

well as creating a dialogue with the material and re-serial column. The paper did not stay inside the workshop,

call, gave off an energy which felt as if it contained the lofty

holds. Entangled with global politics and economics, thesecreating shapes. The starting point of her primal concept

but was distributed in the town which was a target area

determination to face both harsh reality and theissues do not seem likely to be solved any time soon. And

was to think about unspoken memories of her

for the writers. Editorial staff of the paper consisted ofcontradiction of society under circumstances that seemed

this situation is in fact closely connected to our daily life.

grandmother who immigrated from Cheju island of Korea

the locals from different generations and professions,

impossible to restore. Our response was the “ChildrenʼsThat is exactly why we want to start small steps here; into Osaka.

although notably the majority was male and over the ageOrchestra” in Osaka. The issues caused by the nuclear

these places, in our daily life. Without making change here,

In this case, the materials gathered by local residentsof 50, being contemporaries of the artist. Furthermore,

plant in Fukushima are connected at a fundamental level towe cannot go forward.

were knitted items such as sweaters and scarfs buried

the continuous activity of the paper constantly generated

what is happening in Nishinari.

deep in closets; a departure from the materials Oh used ina new circuit of connections in town, which appeared in

What should be mentioned regarding the workshops inthe past. This was the first attempt of the artist to open thesubsequent editions, such as an interviewee who, in turn,

Nishinari was the support by the local coordinators6 ; theprocess and share it with others, who gathered withinterviewed other locals, or locals calling in potential

teaching staff of our collaborator Imaike Kodomo-no-Iedifferent motivations. The workshop, which she began asnews tips. According to Yamada, the paper has become aChildren Community Centre, who could bridge children andresearch, turned into a place of conversation asʻplayground of adults in the communityʼ.

the project. The project owes much to their attentive work,

participants moved their hands. “ When we unraveled

After working in the deserted apartment location Shinwhose aim is to rescue children from the negative spiral ofsweaters, our conversation was on events from past to theFukuju-so for the exhibition “ Small things that seemthe poverty in this district. There were times when wepresent, and sometimes linked to the future. I felt thebig”, Tetsuya Umeda moved on to the streets of Sanno

made discoveries due to this crucial collaboration, such asworkshop became a place for time travel. That was when I

and staged his new work “Age 0”, inspired by the townʼsobserving positive changes in children who participated,

realised the workshop itself has become an art piece.”, asunique aspects. He inserted trivial (poisonous) tricks in theand looking for a solution to problems together.

Oh looks back, the space where they worked together

townscape, connecting past to future, to let the ʻabstract

In addition, the teaching staff highly valued ʻthe art andgradually shifted to the place for their stories, and turnedworld with no beginning nor end' surface. Umeda hasmusic professionals who could draw childrenʼs potential

into a “place where the imagination is unleashed2”. Her

been working with this method of no beginning and nomore than they could possibly doʼ. I think the success wasaim to let unspoken memories surface has been realisedend, which has no linear structure nor climax. In addition,

due to their open-mindedness toward the possibility of art

through the workshop. The setting up of her workshop

as this project was executed in town, where unforeseen

to childrenʼs issues, which was the key to our collaboration.

“ Kioku Shugei-kan ʻ Tansu ʼ” functioned to open up thishappenings occurred, it became increasingly challenging

Otomo ʼ s distinguished improvisation skills awakened

experience more. Workshops were held twice a week for afor viewers to know what was actually meant to be

childrenʼs personalities and let them shine. Above all, hisperiod of one year. Participants consisted of a neighbouring

watched. What to watch was up to the viewer, while atthoughts must have connected with childrens spirits.

lady who showed up consistently every time, people who

the same time viewers who wondered about this abstract

As I mentioned in the introduction, the various projects

heard via the neighborhood, and passers-by. Through its

territory became part of ʻthe world without the centreʼ thatintermingled with the daily life of the community to create

continuation, the “ Unraveling / untying knitted items ”

Umeda intended to create. It is no longer important whata new reality, and involved many people as they continued

project merged into the participantsʼ daily scenery.

was constructed and what was not. What stood out wasfor three years. Looking back at what was happening on

Ko Yamada, who conducted the “ Nishinari Naruheso

the way in which art intermingled with the surrounding

individual projects sites, combined with the motivations,

Newspaper ” project, is concerned with individual ʼ sreality. Additionally, the project revealed the singularity

I feel that a seed has come into bud and taken root, as a

1. Haji Oh “Text-tile as a Metaphor: Centering on the ʻMemoriesof Silenceʼ” 2011, p.82
2. Ibid., p.85
3. One-day performance involving audience participation, incollaboration with a poet Jin Murata, held in the Rodochenko
Room at the Gifu Contemporary Ceramic Museum, Tajimishi, Gifu, at the occasion of the exhibition “Russian AvantGarde Ceramic Art”.
4. Two-day performance based on the concept that the oldnewspaper still has some value. The one-day old paper wassold at 100 yen, which comes with a baked sweet potato,
when the artist performed in the classical paper reporterstyle in a suit and a bow tie. On the second day, the paperʼs
information value dropped so he sold the baked potato
wrapped by the paper, and he was dressed as a usual
baked potato vendor in town.
5. A long term project to think about the future of Fukushima
and Japan, set up by Yoshihide Otomo, Michiro Endo andRyoichi Wago, after the disaster in Fukushima where people
still suffer from the nuclear plant incident. A numberof musicians, poets, scientists, etc. who are originallyfrom Fukushima or based there, get together and send amessage to the world through music/art projects regarding
what the future of Fukushima could be.
6. The collaboration with the local coordinators was one of our
new attempts since 2011. We chose the most supportive
local residents among the ones who we had met throughthe previous projects and made a structure to collaborate
with them so that they could bridge the projects and thecommunities.
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