NISHIKAWA Mihoko

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NISHIKAWA Mihoko

Participating Project	Exchange Residency Program (Japan-based creators sent abroad)
Activity Based	Tokyo
City / Place stayed	Los Angeles / 18th Street Arts Center
Period	2024.9

Purpose of the residency

I would like to study what has happened on the West Coast in my area of research on immaterial art from the 1960s to the present. I would also like to learn more about the relationship between art and society by observing the experiments being developed in LA.

Plan during the residency

• Research on curation and accessibility at Art Museums in the United States, focusing on Los Angeles
• Research on the current art scene in Los Angeles 
  
• Research on the activities of Fluxus artists in and around the California Institute of the Arts in the late 1960s and early 1970s
  
• Research on feminist and alternative activism, including 18SAC
  

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*Nishikawa Mihoko’s residency was made possible by an artist residency partnership with 18th Street Arts Center through the Call to Dream: The Sam Francis Fellowship and TOKAS.

Activities during the regidency

My research focused on performative art forms, such as happenings and actions, as well as alternative activities connected to local communities and histories, including those associated with the 18th Street Arts Center. The investigation was conducted through methods such as exhibition surveys, archival research, studio visits, and interviews. This research broadened my interest in the history and works of Asian Americans, leading to visits to Japanese American internment camps from the World War II era and interviews with relevant artists.

Outcome of the residency

During my many years of working as a curator at a public art museum in Japan, having the opportunity to step away from my regular duties for a month and engage with the international art scene proved to be a highly valuable experience in shaping my mindset. In Los Angeles, where performance art thrives, I felt a sense of hope witnessing the continued emergence of art as a response to social issues. At the same time, it raised questions about whether such practices could also be realized within the institutional context of art museums, and this will likely be a direction I explore in my future activities. Moreover, through encounters with several Japanese Americans, I developed a deeper understanding of their historical background and their engagement with art. In particular, volunteering for a project by fellows of the 18th Street Arts Center and visiting the former Japanese American internment camp at Manzanar became an especially memorable and impactful experience.

Creator Information