Symposium Series ~ Understanding Kogei around the World! Globalization and Kogei

Both globally and within Japan, Kogei (craft) is facing a period of great change as people living in societies experiencing disruption in the areas of economic globalization and communication (due to the rise of social media) seek alternative ways of living. Kogei, in the broadest sense, may have an important role to play in the development of these new lifestyles.

On the one hand, practitioners of Kogei are unusually insistent on the quality of their materials and highly focused on the deployment of skilled techniques to manufacture hand-crafted products. On the other hand, their work also has an aesthetic value, as expressed in phrases such as “the beauty of Kogei.” This dichotomy is due to the fact that Kogei is not only informed by its own specific ideologies and attitudes related to the concept of craftsmanship, but is also a category of the arts in general. These contrasting facets have recently given rise to a reconsideration of Kogei.

Compared to contemporary art and design, Kogei exhibits a degree of heterogeneity and contextual diversity that may hold the key to the full realization of its future potential. Kogei is currently enjoying a revival of interest thanks to its powerful sense of place and its many diverse contexts, while traditional forms of Kogei that continue to prosper in local areas are attracting renewed attention both as innovative modes of manufacture and for their ability to develop as new art forms.

Kogei is currently being repositioned in new and diverse contexts. During this symposium, Kogei’s future development in its new roles will be discussed with reference to concepts and activities such as cultural policy, international exhibitions, craft fairs, galleries, and collections. The panelists are professionals in these areas, including policy-makers, market-leading organizers, and gallerists, as well as collectors engaged in the creative purchase of Kogei. We hope that other specialists who are passionate about Kogei will gather for this opportunity to discuss and deepen our understanding of Kogei from a range of different perspectives.

Timetable for each Symposium / Daily Schedule

Moderator

Yuji Akimoto

Director/Professor,
The University Art Museum, Tokyo University of the Arts
Chief Executive Director,
21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa

Oct. 20 fri.
Kogei Culture Policy and its Promotion
–Evaluating Local Kogei Resources in the Global Arena

Kogei has been protected and promoted as a regional culture and industry by several government promotion policies. Kogei is also being promoted actively on the world stage as a new cultural industry. Discussions will be held covering broad perspectives, from domestic preservation and generational inheritance to the international viewpoint of Kogei as a form of creative art culture and industry, as well as how to further promote Kogei and the new era of Kogei promotional policies.

Panelists

Hyeyoung Cho Art Director, KCDF Korean Representative, Tresor Contemporary Craft, Basel, Switzerland

Guy Salter OBE MVO Chairman, London Craft Week

Masanori Aoyagi Former Commissioner, Agency for Cultural Affairs Professor, Tokyo University of the Arts Director, Yamanashi Prefectural Art Museum Professor Emeritus, University of Tokyo

Oct. 21 sat.
Museums and Galleries
– Creating and Promoting Kogei Values

Museums and galleries are attracting attention as places from which to promote new Kogei values. Discussion will be held about curation and direction: the context in which Kogei is placed; the manner in which Kogei is interpreted; as well as how the new values of Kogei are promoted. Museum curators and gallerists will deepen understanding of the evaluation of aesthetic values and the originality of artists, as well as the significance of curation and direction in this new Kogei.

Panelists

Ronald T. Labaco Independent Curator Former Senior Curator, Museum of Arts and Design, New York

Joe Earle Senior Consultant, Japanese Works of Art, Bonhams Former Director, Japan Society Gallery, New York Former Chair, Department of Asian Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Shoko Aono Director, Ippodo Gallery New York

Oct. 22 sun.
International Exhibitions and Art Fairs
-New Platforms for Kogei Values and Distribution

Kogei has been protected and promoted as a regional culture and industry by several government promotion policies. Kogei is also being promoted actively on the world stage as a new cultural industry. Discussions will be held covering broad perspectives, from domestic preservation and generational inheritance to the international viewpoint of Kogei as a form of creative art culture and industry, as well as how to further promote Kogei and the new era of Kogei promotional policies.

Panelists

Tina Rose Director, Craft Biennale Scotland Director, Really Interesting Objects CIC

Jungwon Park PhD Curator, Korea Craft & Design Foundation Former Curator, Cheongju International Craft Biennale 2015

Jun Ura President, Approved Specified Nonprofit Corporation Syuto Kanazawa President, Ura Architects & Engineering Ltd