Pat's Blog

August is closing, the winds are cooler, and things are ending. So is the summer and the Bengal Island show, which has been and of course still is a big part of the Setouchi Art Festival 2013. Slowly it’s drawing to a close.
http://setouchi-artfest.jp/en/
If you haven’t seen this yet, then please do, as it’s been such a wonderful event. In the beginning I had reservations about its place in a major art festival such as the Setouchi Triennale but I was wrong. Hopelessly wrong in fact. My good friend and fellow blogger Cathy Hirano wizened me up with her observations and excellent blogs. Art is many faceted, so thanks Cathy!



Master boat builder, writer & researcher Douglas Brooks from the US has been building a traditional Japanese boat, which will be launched here in Takamatsu this coming weekend. The Setouchi Art site link above will have the details available about this.



www.douglasbrooksboatbuilding.com
Douglas told me the boat in these pictures is almost complete and just needs the small Shinto shrine installed to be finished.



The Bangladeshi craftsmen also completed a wooden boat of traditional design as a part of this festival and that boat too, had a launching in Takamatsu. These construction methods are ancient and the skills are being lost over time.



There are a disappearing group of carpenters in Japan called ‘miyadaiku’ みやだいくThe miyadaiku’s skills are legendary and they’re the ones who build and repair shrines and temples and if you’ve ever stopped to marvel at the perfection of joints, carvings etc. on shrines or temples they’re the ones that did it. Some years ago in Kyoto a group of 5 miyadaiku opened a school hoping to pass on their skills to anyone interested in learning their craft. Despite a very low tuition fee, the school had to close due to a lack of enrolments & public support.



So traditional skills are being lost and it’s great to see people like David Brooks and the Bangladeshi boat-builders getting the chance to show their art to us so fortunate to see it firsthand.


I’ll be back next month with more art related reports for you so until then, please check out other bloggers here in our wonderful city Takamatsu.
Other bloggers of interest:
http://cathy.ashita-sanuki.jp
http://ogijima.com
http://ww8.tiki.ne.jp/~tmath/home/

Where we are:
http://wikitravel.org/en/Takamatsu


http://www.city.takamatsu.kagawa.jp/english/

http://www.my-kagawa.jp/special/visitor/kanko/index.htm

http://www.i-pal.or.jp/profile/topics/kagawas-welcome-card.html

  

World of Projection Mapping will finish this Sunday, 18th so if you’re in Takamatsu and have the time it’s a fascinating show at the e-topia kagawa. This is in the Sunport’s Symbol Tower Building West side, 4th and 5th floors. From 10:00~20:00. Please DO look at the two clips below, as they will give you and idea of the high quality of these exhibits. I spoke with Angela Fukutome at the show and she gave me some insights on the pieces. Also, I interviewed digital artist, Joanie Lemercier for this article and learned about ‘digital mapping’ as an art form firsthand.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151739772137591&set=vb.612117590&type=2&theater
(By Sembilan Matahari)
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151739966667591&set=vb.612117590&type=2&theater
(By Joanie Lemercier)



Spatially mapped, projection mapping mimics real environments and through tweaking software shapes can be given the illusion of extra dimensions. Disney had a hand in its development I was told and they’ve used it at Disneyland. Nokia, Samsung and others used the technology to project advertisements on to buildings.
I like it even though I’m a neophyte with technology.



This show will finish on this coming Sunday the 18th. E-topia is easy to find being right across from the Central JR rail station. They have a website but no in English unfortunately. Several of the attendants can speak English so there shouldn’t be any problems if you’re visiting.
https://www.facebook.com/etopiakagawa



This is an excellent month for great art shows in Kagawa, so I hope you’ll catch some of the events at the Triennale.
http://setouchi-artfest.jp/en/



Other bloggers of interest:
http://cathy.ashita-sanuki.jp
http://ogijima.com
http://ww8.tiki.ne.jp/~tmath/home/

Where we are:
http://wikitravel.org/en/Takamatsu


http://www.city.takamatsu.kagawa.jp/english/

http://www.my-kagawa.jp/special/visitor/kanko/index.htm

http://www.i-pal.or.jp/profile/topics/kagawas-welcome-card.html

  

Kenzo Tange is one of Japan’s most important post-war architects and he’s left a number of his unique buildings here in Takamatsu. Wikipedia can quickly provide the outline of this important man and his legacy, which has influenced so many Japanese architects who followed in his footsteps.


Tange himself was influenced by the Swiss great, Le Corbusier and that’s the way it is with art, the greats take ideas and then develop them both further and into their own styles creating something totally unique. Who can forget the Tokyo Olympics stadium and pool? They were revolutionary for the time and still look magnificent after all these years. In short, they’ve become classics and instantly recognizable.


I’ve had a lot of personal experience with Kenzo Tange’s buildings having worked in one for many years and used the superbly designed Takamatsu Prefectural Gymnasium affectionately know as ‘the Ark’ by many foreigners here. In fact I was here this morning, sweating andlooking at the daring concrete curves, swoops, rock and pool gardens and thinking about this blog.
http://www.japan-photo.de/e-mo-j19-24.htm


The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Building is a favorite. Supported by unobtrusive concrete pillars it just seems to float in the air and is considered a masterpiece. One of the world’s most beautiful buildings.


The Takamatsu Prefectural Offices is also a building designed by Tange and I’ve spent many days working in it. This is a building that utilizes natural light and offers workers views of the city.



Architecture is always a struggle to integrate the best of form & function and as time passes, utilitarian concerns override aesthetics, so what was once a beautiful concrete structure of concrete and glass has had to be reconsidered in the light of ageing, constant personnel changes, policies on budgets, on heating and air conditioning. Tanges’s instantly recognizable lateral and stacked beams with glass seeming to support them. The Romans made the best concrete and there was something in their recipes that have stood the test of time very well.




This wonderful exhibition will run until the 23rd of September at the Takamatsu History Museum. Please do see it if you’re in the city visiting.
http://www.city.takamatsu.kagawa.jp/english/sightseeing/sees/takamatsu-history-museum.html

There are a few other bloggers in town and here they are. My old pal Cathy Hirano writes a wonderful blog with me and Cathy always puts me to shame with her deep local knowledge and writing skills.
http://cathy.ashita-sanuki.jp

David is from France, speaks perfect English and has a great blog that I’ll include the link to each month.
http://ogijima.com
A bit quiet of late but a man named Tim also has a good one.
http://ww8.tiki.ne.jp/~tmath/home/
I’ll be back soon as the city want 3 blogs a month, which is a bit tough. Fortunately there’s a wealth of material at the moment, so see you soon!


http://wikitravel.org/en/Takamatsu


http://www.city.takamatsu.kagawa.jp/english/

http://www.my-kagawa.jp/special/visitor/kanko/index.htm

http://www.i-pal.or.jp/profile/topics/kagawas-welcome-card.html