Post 3.11 - What Can Art Do? Case 3 - Listening to the Voices from Tohoku - Artists or Archivists?

Post 3.11 is a series of talks with individuals who through art have been involved in various ways in supporting the victims of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in the Tohoku region of Japan. Showcasing their activities, this series aims to examine how the role of the artist and art activities can be vital in such unprecedented situations, in spreading awareness and helping restore confidence among those affected, fundamentally questioning whether art has to have a practical social function.

 

For this third session and to commemorate the third anniversary of the disaster of March 2011, the Japan Foundation has invited emerging artist duo Haruka Komori and Natsumi Seo, who moved to the Tohoku area immediately after the disaster and have since been working with the local people. Starting off with recording their observations on their online blog, Komori and Seo have been providing a voice for those who suffered, transforming the people's experiences into artworks.

 

Considering the role of artists in such unparalleled situations, Komori and Seo will discuss the aim of their practice and how their art can help those in the disaster stricken areas. In a discussion to follow, Komori and Seo will be joined by Meryl Doney, freelance curator and former director of Wallspace Gallery, London, and Mark Dean, an artist who includes archive footage to create his own works, to discuss the different ways artists can use the archive in their practice, and how these approaches can deliver their artistic intentions and stories, looking beyond art as an aesthetic.