On December 11th, the third creative meeting “Sho Ishiguro – An eighteen-day exploration of New York” took place at the ICC Café Plus.
Ishiguro is a visual artist and dancer. He kept a record while spending 18 days in New York observing art. He went to feel the difference in art and design that the immigrants of the Big Apple created on a daily basis. He says as a result he felt the response to art in New York was very different compared to Japan, including street performance. In New York, art was part of people’s daily lives.
A report that took place right after a dance. Still catching his breath.
The subway ticket booths had a stark look.
A captive audience.
The report began with a live performance of a dance that was performed in New York, and then continued on to a visual presentation of his works and New York.
A subway window with a bullet hole in it, a mirror with a scribble that says “McDonalds toilet”, the bright neon signs of Times Square, new buildings built on top of old buildings… these were all sights that expressed New York in a way art museums can’t.
His largest surprise and most heartfelt moment was when he learnt that there was no set entrance fee to the Metropolitan Museum. The attitude to art was so that people are encouraged to come as many times as they want for ten cents or ten dollars. Ishiguro decided to enter with a fee of one dollar.
He said he performed as a dancer in a fashion show as well, finding opportunities to interact with the lively city that is New York. His smile was vibrant as he talked about New York, displaying all of the energy he had absorbed from his trip.
Later, ICC resident Akihito Yamamoto, with Harebare Shashin, and S-AIR's Fuyuka Shindo reported on their experiences in Thailand. They invited some Ainu people to join them in visiting several tribes in there. Traveling to the depths of mountains and seeing new ways of living, their interest never seemed to end. Each tribe showed their dances and rituals to other tribes, a true display of non-verbal communication between cultures.
(left) Shindo with S-AIR. She travels all over Japan researching apples and salmon, as well as tribes around the world. (right) Yamamoto with Harebare Shashin. His beautiful photos make it hard to believe they were taken with a digital camera.
An umbrella made out of banana peals. It looks perfect.
A woman's tribal dress.
This creative meeting featured New York and Thailand, plenty to satisfy the creative palette of the entire audience.
A dance session with friends. Dance is another form of expression.
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