Opening Talk Session: ‘Ecology and Art: why is slime mold important now?’

Kinan Art Week is pleased to announce Kinan Art Week 2024 “Igoku Tamaru: lives without boundaries” exhibition from 20 September.

Prior to the opening of the exhibition, Prof. Shikata Yukiko, curator and critic who has been active in the forefront of media art for over 30 years, will be invited as guest speaker to give an opening talk the day before the exhibition opens.

In the introduction, Mr. Yabumoto, the chairperson of Kinan Art Week, will introduce the concept and an overview of the exhibition, including the artists. Afterwards, Mr. Yabumoto and Ms. Shikata will engage in a discussion based on keywords such as Kumano, Minakata Kumagusu and slime mold’s thoughs.

In particular, Ms. Shikata was the author of last year’s Ecosophic Art: Art Theory Connecting Nature, Spirit and Society, which attracted much attention for its critique of contemporary art that transcends ecology, philosophy, art and other fields. In addition, this year’s Kinan Art Residence Vol.2 In the dialogue, she plans to touch on Geert’s practice and exhibitions in Kinan/Kumano.

In this place where ecological pioneer Kumagusu Minakata is laid to rest, we create a space for thinking together about Kumagusu’s symbiotic and creative practices from the perspectives of ecology, philosophy and art, which go beyond the human perspective.

[Opening Talk Overview]
Date: 19 September 2024, from 18.30 to around 20.00.
Fee: Free of Charge
Location: tanabe en+.
41-1 Minato, Tanabe, Wakayama 646-0031 (one minute walk from Kii Tanabe Station)
TEL: 0739-33-9761
Organiser: Kinan Art Week
Contact: info@kinan-art.jp
Application: https://openingtalksession.peatix.com

Guest Speaker: Shikata Yukiko
Curator/critic, President of AICA (International Association of Art Critics) Japan.
Artistic Director of “Forest for Dialogue and Creativity”. Visiting professor at Tama Art University and Tokyo Zokei University, lecturer at Musashino Art University and Institute of Advanced Media Arts and Sciences (IAMAS) and Kyoto University of the Arts.
Her activities traverse existing fields by focusing on “Information flows”. In parallel, working as a curator of Cannon ARTLAB (1990-2001), Mori Art Museum (2002-2004), senior curator of NTT  InterCommunication Center[ICC] (2004-2010), as an independent curator, realized many experimental exhibitions and projects.
Works in 2010s including SIAF 2014, KENPOKU ART 2016. Works since 2020 including the Symposium of AICA Japan, MMFS 2020, “Forking PiraGene” (C-Lab Taipei), the Forum “Information as a form of  <capital> ” (2021), Forum “Spirits as Energy｜Stone, Water, Forest and Human”(2021), “EIR (Energies in Rural) ” (2021-2023), Maki Ohkojima + Yosuke Tsuji “CHIKATO” (2023), “Konton-ni-Ai! / Encounter “CHAOS – Digging Deep into Care by Sound & Media Art by connecting Europe and Tokyo“(2024). Juror of many international competitions. Published “Ecosophic Art” in 2023, many co-publications. yukikoshikata.com

Moderator：Yabumoto Yuto
Born in Shirahama City, Wakayama Prefecture
Co-founder of One Asia Lawyers, President of AURA Contemporary Art Foundation, President of Artport Co.
Yabumoto’s ancestors are buried in Nakaheji, Kumano Kodo, and his mother was the first female orca trainer at Adventure World.
He founded JBL Mekong Group, the predecessor of One Asia Lawyers, in 2011, and he has lived and worked in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand for more than a decade, providing grants and exhibitions to artists, curators and art collectives across the region.
His current research focuses on anthropology and art, with an interest in the myths, legends, fables and folklore of the Asia Pacific region.
His research focuses on the Kumano region, where her ancestors lie, and on issues such as Zomia, highland civilisation and animism.