Yuken Teruya
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Exchange Residency Program
(Japan-based creators sent abroad)
update: 2019.11.7
Yuken Teruya
| Participating Project | Exchange Residency Program (Japanese Creators sent abroad) |
|---|---|
| Activity Based | Japan / United States |
| City | Berlin |
| Period | 2012.8 - 2012.11 |
Purpose of the residency
The year of 2011 was a significant year for individual's values and rights that the world started focusing on them. The democratizing movements all over Middle East and "Occupy" movements in the US stirred the tide. Civilians stood up against the authority and demanded for the new structure that is created by pedestrian views. We saw demonstrators on the street expressing their demands.
As many of my art works reflect the small thoughts and experiences passing by me in everyday life, I am interested in the process and environment of how a social movement and a demonstration become an expression.
Because Germany has a progressive base to recognize political expression as a artistic one, I am very excited about the opportunity to observe the society, it's movements and people involved, and discussing the possibilities of social and political art with other artists.
I am also interested in exploring how they revive the city sites and buildings utilizing their social meaning and history. I feel that is what contemporary art could do for the society.
Especially for Berlin and Bethanien, that counts more than 3 decades of combining socio-cultural activities and organizations with art in one space.
In Japan, the earthquake, tsunami and tragic nuclear power plant incident in the Northeast woken japan's society up. The people started recognizing the power of art as a language to talk about civilian's rights especially to share the issues with the rest of the world. As a Japanese artist from Okinawa, where political movement is rather active, it is my responsibility to develop my method of language to address such political issues.
Also, when we talk about such movements we usually think of them done by groups of people. However, I do not want to forget the fact that they are formed with small individual voices. That is also my stance toward my works to listen to the minority, and to invite communication between the individuals.
Plan during the residency
Research on Bethanien's historical roll in the society. I would like to visit other art organizations in Bethanien to study how political movement effects art, and vise versa. I also would like to research on individual voices versus organized group activity, and beyond of the political activity. For studio practices, I will continue to search for everyday things, such as a empty bottle or public equipment, such as a life saver on bridge. Reviving a part of everyday life with as most simple gesture as possible, is the same way as lighting up the individual's voices.
