Ota Photo Sketch vol. 6 Workshop “Come tell us your story.”

Takayoshi Tsuchiya, “unnamed (things with no proper names)”, 2020
Installation, cutout letters
“Chikugo Art Farm Project 2020  Love & Journey” (Kyushu Geibun-kan, 2020)
Photo: Satoshi Nagano

Your life story in Ota made into an exhibition

 

Based on the idea of “exploring the city of Ota from new angles through the photo camera,” variously-themed “Ota Photo Sketch” exhibitions have previous showcased photographs taken in Ota by selected members of the general public and invited guest photographers. Each of these exhibitions was an occasion for rediscovering the appeal of Ota from multiple new perspectives.
As a new approach for this 6th installment, not a photographer but a contemporary artist was invited. Takayoshi Tsuchiya conducts a two-day workshop with citizens, and subsequently puts together an exhibition of the photographs and comments that emerge as results of the workshop.
Tsuchiya proposed as a general topic “things that might be meaningless for others yet have a very special meaning for yourself.” Attending the workshop and creating works on this theme, may be an opportunity for participants to rediscover such “things” and what they mean to them personally, including also their memories of living in Ota. Also involved in the workshop is the psychologist Masataka Murakubo, who will assist participants in their deeper reflections and discussions on the topic.
The assorted “things” that the participants will bring to the table, will come together as an exhibition that portrays the life activities of the people of Ota, and that may inspire each viewer to find in them new meanings for themselves.

Details

Instructor: Takayoshi Tsuchiya (Contemporary Artist), Masataka Murakubo (Psychologist)
Date and Time (Must attend both days): June 22 (Sat), 2024, 14:00 – 16:00 and June 29 (Sat), 2024, 14:00 – 17:00
Location: 3F, AV Hall Shichoukaku Hall, Art Museum & Library, Ota
Capacity: 30 (Lottery if exceeded)
Eligibility: High school students and older who have a connection to Ota City, such as current or former residents, workers, or students.
Admission: Free
The workshop will be held in Japanese, but if you need an interpreter, please specify your language at the time of application. (Updated on April 4)
Conditions:
Participation on both days is mandatory.
Photographs and texts made by participants at the workshop will be shown at Ota Photo Sketch vol. 6 (below “the exhibition”) based on an exhibition plan conceived by Takayoshi Tsuchiya and Art Museum & Library, Ota.
Photos and videos taken during the workshop will be used for documentation purposes and as promotional material for the exhibition. 
Cameras used at the workshop are disposable cameras provided by the museum. Participants are asked to refrain from using their own cameras.

●Workshop Content
In this workshop, each of you will engage in expression through taking photos, writing and voice recording, or through the combination of three fragments of images, words and sounds. These three segments are to be chosen from your memories in Ota, reflecting your life in Ota.   No skills or abilities are required for the workshop. So there is no worry about making mistakes. When those three segments you have chosen cross one another, they will naturally make a story.  

◎Theme: A Thing That Might Be Meaningless for Others Yet Have a Very Special Meaning for Yourself
A thing that holds no meaning to others, but holds special significance to you (hereafter referred to as “it”). It is deeply embedded in your memory, sensory and subjective memory,based on personal experiences. Now it may be nothing special or a thing that makes you smile with recollection. Or it may be a little sentimental or like an obsession or a wound. Let’s look back your life in Ota through your memories and records. Recall your emotions and senses associated with your special, important “it” once more and hold them in mind.

◎Three fragments related to “it”
・words : write some sentences relating to your “it”
・images: take photos of something (objects, places, situations, etc,) relating to your “it”
・sound : read aloud the sentences you wrote and record it 

◎As an artist, your work is exhibited in the museum
Produced by Takaya Tsuchida and the museum, works of participants in the workshop will be publicly exhibited in Ota Photo Sketch vol.6 held in this museum as ‘works of art’ by each of the participants. The participants’ names are made public as “artists” in the exhibition.

Exhibition information

Ota Photo Sketch vol.6
November 24 (Sun), 2024 – January 26 (Sun), 2025 (TBC)

Ota Photo Sketch vol.6 

How to apply

Please fill out the application form with your name (in alphabet), age, sex, address, (mobile) phone number, e-mail address, information regarding your citizenship of Ota City, your motive for applying for this workshop, and requests regarding interpretation.
Deadline: June 1 (Sat), 2024

The application form  (Application is closed)
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Profiles

Takayoshi TSUCHIYA
Born 1974 in Tokyo. Professor at Saga University, Faculty of Art and Regional Design. Has been creating artworks that stir people’s perception by intervening in basic everyday life systems and things by simple methods since the 1990s, employing a wide range of media such as video, photography, two- and three-dimensional objects, language, installation, programming, etc. Collaborated with Masataka Murakubo at “Art of Resonance – Decade Session for Our Future” (Saga University Art Museum, 2023). Recent exhibitions include “KAAT Atrium Video Project vol. 24, 25” (Kanagawa Arts Theatre, 2023), “Chikugo Art Farm Project 2020 Love & Journey” (Kyushu Geibun-kan, 2020), “BORN IN 1974 ” (Museum of Modern Art, Gunma, 2014), ”Electronic Language International Festival (FILE SP) (Centro Cultural FIESP, Sao Paulo, 2014)。

 

Masataka MURAKUBO
Born 1959 in Kumamoto, grew up in Fukuoka. Associate professor at Saga University, Faculty of Medicine. Specializes in clinical psychology. Clinical psychologist and Certified Public Psychologist. Bases his practical work and research on the respective person’s own point of view and experience. Focusing on the subjective world and individual stories, he has been interested in the “how” rather than asking about the “why.” Met Takayoshi Tsuchiya at “Art of Resonance – Decade Session for Our Future.” Edited “The Challenge of Person-Centered Therapy – Actual encounters in present-day life” (Sogensha, 2011), and co-authored numerous publications including “Person-Centered Therapy and Open Dialogue – Conversation, connection, coexistence” (Tomi Shobo, 2023), and “New Developments in Encounter Groups” (Kodachinobunko, 2020).

Messages from instructors on the theme ‘A thing that holds no meaning to others, but holds special significance to you.’

One of “its” for me is a small window showing the direction on the side of the doors of a bullet train. It reads ‘Shin-Osaka’ or ‘Hakata’. More than 40 years ago, I was on a platform of a local line in Tokyo station with a little homesickness. I casually looked up and saw the track for　bullet trains. There were trains showing ‘Hakata’ there. It took more than seven hours to reach Hakata then, but my mind flew to my hometown Hakata in an instant. Realizing that the train is connected with Hakata made my homesickness a little brighter.
It is exciting to see how each of your story with Ota is being woven. Though what we can do for you is limited, we will do our best to help you create the story.

Masataka Murakubo 

 

I will tell you a little about myself. It is an old and a bit special memory.
It is the memory in the living room of our company house. On that day, my mother took me out before noon to pick up my brother at the kindergarten. We returned home a little after 1:30 in the afternoon.

My brother put down the bag and took off the uniform and changed clothes with the help of my mother. I was watching them sitting on the floor near the window with the balcony behind.

‘Fried rice is OK for lunch?’ Neither my brother nor I answered. Mother did not expect the response either. We just heard the stir-frying sound from the kitchen next to the living room. I turned my body a little to the sunlight getting in through the open curtains. I wrinkled my brows at the glare of the light. No conversations with my brother.

There were chopped green peppers and sausages in the fried rice. That how fried rice is, and the same on that day. I didn’t eat it up. I turned my eyes to the small red flip clock over the dark brown drawer. Then, ‘What day is it today?’ I asked both of them.

Tuesday, 2:00PM, the living room of the company house, sunshine in the window, fried rice, the dark brown drawer, the small red flip clock. They were nothing to remember. Nothing impressive happened. That was it.

The young me decided at the moment to remember this afternoon. The sense I felt when I decided to hold onto that memory is still very fresh in me. Whatever was fine to remember. It is the memory of my decision to remember, not a thing I remember. Such a special memory.
I often feel that the more I try to describe and share subjective things eloquently and clearly, the further away they seem to go. Eloquence, clarity and my wish for telling something may interfere with my work. Let’s taste vague and awkward selves a little. Let us hear your story.

Takayoshi Tsuchiya

Credits

Reference works

Takayoshi Tsuchiya, “unnamed (things with no proper names)”, 2020 　Installation, cutout letters “Chikugo Art Farm Project 2020 Love & Journey” (Kyushu Geibun-kan, 2020) 　Photo: Satoshi Nagano

Takayoshi Tsuchiya, “Fly” 2021
Lambda print, acrylic

 

Takayoshi Tsuchiya, “I remember you.” 2020
Media installation
“Chikugo Art Farm Project 2020 Love & Journey” (Kyushu Geibun-kan, 2020)
Photo: Satoshi Nagano

 

Takayoshi Tsuchiya, “Double Splash” 2011
Video (16 minutes)

Takayoshi Tsuchiya, “twelve cowbells” 2016
　Video (12 minutes 19 seconds）