What I felt when I went to Hong Kong
I recently returned from Hong Kong safely after participating in the first Hong Kong AR Art Fair. This time, through the Hong Kong art fair, I not only made a lot of discoveries, but I was also really happy to meet people who are doing creative work like me in Hong Kong.
This time, I visited Hong Kong for the first time in my life, and I was surprised by how calm the city and people were. People were walking slowly, and even at night there were families and women walking alone. The town was quieter than I expected, and the roads were clean. A year ago, when I stayed in Tokyo's Ginza for a month for an exhibition, the whole street was so noisy and people were walking so fast that I got clicked or yelled at just by passing each other. Thinking back on this, I was surprised at how safe Hong Kong was. And the fashion of the younger generation was just as fashionable as in Japan. Before I went to Hong Kong, I researched the history of Hong Kong and its current political and economic situation, and the impression I had of Hong Kong was completely different from the impression I had of Hong Kong when I actually saw it with my own eyes. I realized once again that there are so many things I won't understand unless I actually go there.
Not only the people in the city, but also the people I met in Hong Kong treated me kindly. In particular, people who do creative work like me and people who are involved in AR art respected us as artists even without exchanging words.
My teacher, Mr. Hibino, often said this. “In Japan, people are harsh towards artists who are not famous, but overseas there is a lot of respect for the artist profession itself. This is because artists are working to raise issues in the world and create a brighter future. People around the world know that."
In particular, people who work in creative fields understand the difficulty of creation itself and the difficulty of continuing creative activities. That's why, even if we don't exchange words, when they see my work, they can understand the effort I've put into it.
This time, I did not promote my work myself. People asked me if I had any of your work, and people around me introduced my work to me. There was even someone who said to me, ``If you have any trouble, please let me know.'' Even though I didn't explain my situation at all, I guess he understood that we were desperately trying to do art without even having to exchange words. When I think of the hurtful things that were said to me and the disrespect I received in Japan, I am grateful that the people I met at the art fair in Hong Kong respected me as an artist.
People who understand the importance and difficulty of continuing to pursue art activities will honestly appreciate it, regardless of nationality, gender, or age. Just knowing this made it seem like all the blood and tears I had shed up until now had paid off.
I was very surprised to see that some of the artists participating in the art fair had studied Japanese culture deeply and reflected it in their own works. When I listened to them talk, I learned that they had researched all about Japanese history and the various issues facing Japan, and were interested in Japanese culture. They may know more about Japan than me, who was born and raised in Japan. I was impressed by their diligence and curiosity, and at the same time, as a Japanese contemporary artist, I felt the need to learn more about Japan.
In this way, I learned about the wonderful people I met in Hong Kong, and also learned that Hong Kong's economic situation is deteriorating. Food and rent in Hong Kong are extremely expensive. During my stay in Hong Kong, I mostly ate out, but due to the weak yen, food in Hong Kong was 1.5 to 2 times more expensive than in Japan. Also, rent in Hong Kong is extremely high, with even a very small room costing at least 400,000 yen. As a result, most young people in Hong Kong do not live alone but with their parents, making it difficult for them to choose to get married or have children. Similarly, in Japan, the number of young people living alone is decreasing due to the worsening economic situation, but Hong Kong's economic situation is not comparable to Japan. Also, just like Japan, Hong Kong is experiencing a declining birthrate and aging population. I'm sure young people in Hong Kong are in a tougher situation than young people in Japan.
However, on the other hand, the tax system is very favorable, and the government is putting effort into the development of culture and the arts. According to my master, the tax system is very important for the contemporary art market. That's why Hong Kong, which has a good tax system, hosts Asia's largest art fair, Art Basel Hong Kong, every year.
So even though the economic situation is deteriorating, the master says there are still opportunities for contemporary artists in Hong Kong.
So, among the young people I met at an art fair in Hong Kong, there were some who saw an opportunity in art and were desperately searching for a path forward. However, taking on the challenge of something unprecedented is not an easy task. When I talked to them, I felt a great sense of urgency. And they had the courage to talk to their masters to get hints. Since we didn't understand each other's language, we tried our best to explain what we were doing, using translation apps on our smartphones.
Seeing them working so hard reminded me of the time before I met my master. It takes a lot of courage to continue to make positive choices for the future you believe in when no one understands you. Knowing that what I wanted to do was unprecedented, I walked into a group of adults to take advantage of the opportunity, but I got so nervous that my knees were shaking. Now, I am thankful that I am being guided by a master who has been active as a contemporary artist for 35 years, but I have learned that there are people in the world who are struggling under much more difficult circumstances than I am.
At this Hong Kong art fair, I felt the potential for developing art activities in Hong Kong, and at the same time, I was keenly aware of my own shortcomings. That's why I am studying everything from scratch, not just contemporary art, but languages, world affairs, Japanese culture, and more. Then, I have to reconsider the composition and constantly create works. Unfortunately, the world situation is deteriorating at a tremendous speed, and no one can stop it. That is why I will do what I can as soon as possible in order to properly connect possibilities.
この記事が気に入ったらサポートをしてみませんか？