The purpose of this project was too closely examine the ways in which the art community has responded to the March 11th Disaster. The reason being, that the art community is often very influential as well as reflective of national sentiment. The world we experience every day is at least %50 visual. What we see around us is what affects our thoughts, emotions and opinions just as much as any other environmental factor which facilitates the ways in which we behave. As consumers, we look towards advertisements to choose our product, and eventually, our brand loyalty. What the companies choose to support if often directly transmitted to the most loyal customers. But what does that have to do with the disaster? In the same way that art works to advocate the motives of the economic world, it has just as large a community role in creating awareness among citizens to support what artists see as major areas of concern. What I had hoped to learn about in looking at what has emerged from the commercial art produced in the past few months is the trend of support. As I mention in the video, the Kobe earthquake shows no accessible record of advertisements or posters of support such as those created as of recent. I say accessible because no such records have been found using recent technology such as the internet. I posed the question; maybe, they could not even exist in the same capacity as at this time, simply due to a lack of communication technology. The major thread amongst the resources I found was that these are largely web based or web centric organizations that rely on internet aware citizens for support and for the spreading of awareness. Current means of garnering support are much faster and well taken advantage of by media centric users. In the chain of events that occurs after a disaster, the world is instantly made aware thanks to the internet and communication technology. And so the people who feel helpless will produce something small, an image, a podcast, a video, just to feel useful. Their work is instantly viewed by more users who have not produced but discovered these media and will often share through more sources, in order to boost their own sense of usefulness in disaster situations. I can say, I did both of these things when everything first occurred. The point becomes that much like articles effect public opinion in terms of knowledge, art and design affect the sentiment of public. Besides that, artists and designers are the public, so they are using their own sentiment to influence the art produced. In this case it is a two way street. Therefore, when you view the ads, the t-shirts, and the posters regarding any aspect of the disaster, you are seeing the support the community that creates it as well as their wish to spread the idea of support to others. Originally my thinking was to find not neccesarily design work, which tends to be more commercial, but rather artwork, such as paintings, public art or performance art, which would reflect public sentiment. However, what I came to find is that, while artists that do such art are supporting the cause through the community, they are not necessarily producing new work such as those media for the cause. It has been more geared towards utilizing their name and popularity or gallery spaces for other events dedicated to the cause of support, which is another aspect. While I expected to find a whole host of nostalgic and somber artwork, what I came to discover were these examples of an uprising of support. These are in fact incredibly indicative of national sentiment as well as a changing of the age. Not even for more recent disasters such as 911 or Katrina did we see so much commercial art geared toward support and national unification. It in fact concentrates much more on the positive and the “what can we do to help” aspect than I first imagined. I also believe that Japan is a special case, where a number of factors regarding pre-existing nationalistic ideas due to isolationism, their current relationship with the U.S. both economic and politically as well as a want to combat the tense global climate regarding the nuclear power plants, have all lead towards this response of positive energy rather than pity, in relation to the disaster.
Below is the video I have created as well as the transcribed audio.
The question has been raised, 「今、アートができることは何だろう？」Now what can art do? For many people, including the victims of the March 11 Tohoku Disaster, this is not a pressing question, but for artists, it is important to know whether or not there is power left in art. Art has and will continue to effect the state of the world we live in. The art we see around us has the power to effect collective mood and sentiment. Given today’s society’s reliance on technology and visual culture, such as the news, internet and advertisements, art and design are constantly underlying the way in which we live. Which regards to the March 11 Tohoku region disaster, many might say that design media can’t be far reaching for the disaster victims, however the Tokyo art and design community has responded quickly to put combined efforts towards raising awareness, collecting donations, and garnering support worldwide through networks of artists via the internet and local agencies. In looking to compare current post-disaster art community trends with those of the 1995 Kobe earthquake, there was little to no information regarding this topic. Is this because art did not play a role then? Or is it that, the lack of communication technology at that time means that there is no viable information access for us today? In looking at the following measures of support, think, would this have been possible 15 years ago?
In Tokyo, the uprising of support first came in the form of Art Galleries utilizing their space for donation centers, and charity auctions. Then began the individual donations such as those of architectural designer, Shigeru Ban, who contributed these partitions to the refugees at the evacuation centers in affected areas. They have been used to divide large spaces, such as the gymnasiums and school halls. He is the only designer mentioned as having put forth efforts in 1995, doing the same thing except at that time, creating simple and cheap structures out of sand-filled beer cases, paper tubes and tent material. For the victims of that disaster, his concept provided the first physical support in terms of the relief effort.Manabu Mizuno of the Good Design Company also proves that graphic design can play a vital role in disaster situations. He created this poster identifying the supplies and aid being distributed to Tohoku.While many art-galleries in Tokyo closed due to the minor earthquake damage they just as quickly reopened. As mentioned, many of these efforts first included auctions and art sales such as those of the Tobin Ohashi Gallery as well as the Mori Art Gallery. However, as an interesting concept, Taka Iishi Gallery first launched the “No Art” Show which instead of featuring art, the space contained only had single donation box out with the proceeds going to the Japan Red Cross. Special exhibitions where put on throughout Tokyo which featured some facet of the disaster. The Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art showcased in the regular exhibition collection, a number works by artists from the Tohoku region.The "Life Carries On" Exhibition” showcases a number of paintings and pages from local newspapers from Oshu city in Iwate prefecture which offer viewers a glimpse of "everyday" life in there three months after the disaster through the lenses of both art and the mass media. The rally of efforts in Japan truly reaches many crowds through the art community. However, across the world art communities are finding their own inventive ways of helping. Charitable goods merchandise, where some of the profit becomes donation, where created by a number of foreign artists as well as Japanese. Everyone is familiar with Lady Gaga’s bracelet design “We Pray for Japan” but there has also been Ian Lynam’s specially designed skateboards. The Osaka based t-shirt company Sweatshop Union has gathered an international lineup of designers to create special %100 cotton t-shirts the sale proceeds of which will all go directly to Japan Red Cross. Uniqulo has also produced a series of T-shirts specific to the save Japan effort.Also Hosted this year was Design for Japan, a project through which a series of posters dedicated to the cause, were created.. They are free to public use through their website, designforjapan.jp. They only ask that you use them to promote the cause of donation and support. The designs themselves range in topic such as setsuden, fundraising, the panic buying, hope and more.Besides these individual efforts, larger organizations are coming together to show support.Art Aid, the Basel Project for Japan began this past June in Basel Switzerland. Receiving enthusiastic responses from many artists who want to support the people in need in the Tohoku region lead to the start of this voluntary organization called “Art Aid.”According to the organization ” Ways in which art can get involved may be limited, but it has an enormous power to cross the boundaries because of its universal appeal.There are also many people all over the world who believe in the power of art, and “Art Aid” is intended to bring these two beliefs together.” Put onscreen.Their mission is to raise funds for the victims of the Tohoku disaster. In the exhibition, Art 42 Basel, “Remebrance of the Future to come” Supporting galleries which participated in donated 1 % of their sales Japan Red Cross. All donations from exhibition visitors went to Ashinaga, a Japanese NGO which provides mental and educational support for the orphans affected by the disaster. The participating artists as well as committee members are volunteers. They are dedicated to making ART-AID: Basel Project for Japan a positive contribution for the people who need support in the devastated area.Yet another organization showing support is called “pechakucha” Drawing its name from the Japanese term for the sound of "chit chat", it rests on a presentation format that is based on a simple idea: 20 images x 20 seconds. It's a format that makes presentations concise, and keeps things moving at a rapid pace.On April 16 they organized Global PechaKucha day, where cities around the world came together and held events, broadcasting out to the world and Japan over Ustream. Starting from Christchurch and Tokyo and going all the way to Quito, the Global PechaKucha Day inspired Japan and the world through hundreds of presentations. To date PechaKucha has raised an amazing $50,000, in over 430 cities and counting, with all donations made at these events going to Architecture for Humanity and ArchiAid's reconstruction work in Japan. These presentations have a range of topics including one in conjuction with Tokyo Art beat regarding the Power of Art post disaster.Several art galleries have been donating sale proceeds and holding charity auctions, including 3331 Arts Chiyoda, whose charity auction took place on April 2, 3. The Nakamura Keith Haring Collection is also selling tickets online for ¥800, instead of the usual ¥1,000, with all proceeds going to its Tohoku Earthquake HeArt Aid fund to be donated to relief organizations.Some artists and designers are selling special products and giving the proceeds to disaster relief projects. Max Erdenberger of Wieden and Kennedy design firm, produced the “Help Japan and “Japan Tsunami Appeal” posters. They currently selling online at a “to-be-named” donation price starting at $25. Prominent travel guide writer, Luis Mendo is also selling editions of his illustrated one-sheet poster-size Tokyo City report.Osaka-based T-shirt maker Sweatshop Union was quick to enlist the aid of an international lineup of designers to contribute designs for a special series, with all proceeds going to Japan Red Cross. And, in a similar manner, Tomodachi Calling, a charity web shop created in response to the earthquake and tsunami, has brought together a group of artists, including Alexander Gelman to create logos for T-shirts, tote bags, pin badges and more through café press.com. So far an estimated 6,ooo, us dollars have been raised.Recovery from a disaster of this scale takes time and long-term continued efforts. Even if you have already donated, please keep an eye out for other ways to participate in the future. In going back to the original question, what can art do? It is evident that today we have many of the resources needed to bring art to the global stage. Unlike the time of the Kobe earthquake when universal efforts could not be so easily coordinated, due to lack of communication technology, now, the interconnectedness of the art community can truly be put to use.
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