Kengo Tonotsuka x Tomoko Sekiguchi (Interviewer: Hiroki Kageyama) | Is Art Necessary in the Community? (4) -- Self-Questioning Regarding a "Sustainable Art Festival" [Part 2]
The Matsudo "Science and Art Hill" focuses on local residents, exploring sustainability through creating encounters between art and daily life and accumulating relational capital.Summary
Kengo Tonotsuka, a founding member, and Tomoko Sekiguchi, the former General Director, discuss the "Science and Art Hill" festival in Matsudo City, Chiba, which has been held annually since 2018 as a citizen-participation-based regional art festival prioritizing local residents over attracting outside tourists. Sekiguchi emphasizes curating exhibitions that pose a moderate question to the audience, avoiding overly complex works, and designing visitor flow, integrating elements like a marketplace, to encourage accidental encounters with art. Tonotsuka notes that the festival introduces creative individuals newly active in Matsudo, using art's power to dismantle assumptions and foster flexible thinking in the city. Both analyze that the festival's 'Catalyst' staff act as 'community managers,' building relational capital by connecting local residents, officials, and artists, which contributes to sustainability. They maintain the annual schedule to ensure the inheritance of experience and relationships, planting seeds for spontaneous activities in daily life. Sekiguchi is stepping down as Director to become an advisor, promoting opportunities for younger generations. Tonotsuka suggests the ideal outcome is when DIY actions become normalized throughout the city, or when the festival naturally evolves or is even 'taken over' by other beneficial projects, signifying its success.
(Source：artscape)