Hitoshi Motohashi | Towards 40 Years of "The Street"
Hitoshi Motohashi reports on activities leading up to the 40th anniversary of the Street Observation Society and an exhibition questioning the nature of "the street" in public space.Summary
Hitoshi Motohashi reports on the activities leading up to the 40th anniversary (in 2026) of the Street Observation Society, which originated from the street observation boom of the late 1980s. Motohashi, who found solace in street observation during his architectural studies, initiated projects to connect the Society with younger generations as a form of repayment. A kick-off event was held at the Tokyo University Club in late 2024, fostering interaction between founding members and younger participants. To secure funding for ongoing activities, the "Street Observation Society Official Club" was established, archiving the Society's history through monthly online lectures. Academically, interviews reflecting the Society's two distinct periods were compiled in the journal 'Kenchiku Toron.' The 39th-anniversary event was held on a large scale at the Kyoto International Conference Center, integrated into the Kyoto Modern Architecture Festival, featuring actress Takako Tokiwa. Finally, Motohashi, who works as a curator at the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, is planning an exhibition titled "Street, Am I in the Way?" This project is conceived as a movement crossing multiple media, questioning the nature of public space, spurred by the awareness of violence that denies the existence of people on the street. These efforts are supported by grants from the Pola Art Foundation and Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research.
(Source：artscape)