Naoshima New Museum of Art Pre-Talk Vol.1
"From Individual Facilities to a Group of Museums;
The Past and Future of Benesse Art Site Naoshima"
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Index
Discussion―After the Individual Talks
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Miki:
Thank you all for your talks. Ms. Osaka discussed the characteristics of Benesse Art Site Naoshima within the context of the historical development of art museums from the 1980s to the 1990s. Mr. Kurakata discussed how Tadao Andoʼs philosophy as an architect changed as he became involved with Naoshima. Ms. Hashimoto discussed several predecessors in early modern Japan and how personal thoughts foster new contexts and new fields of appreciation for works of art, as found with Benesse Art Site Naoshima.
Several key words have appeared from these three talks, such as “context of locality,” “happy encounters,” and the “presence of leaders.” As for “context of locality,” the existence of Naoshima as a hub for maritime exchanges and its stable economic foundation was historically important. In Kagawa Prefecture, there was a history of Modernist architecture by Kenzo Tange from the 1950s to the 1960s, and Isamu Noguchi lived and worked in Mure, Takamatsu from the 1960s. In Naoshima as well, it should be noted that a work of architecture by Kazuhiro Ishii has existed since as early as the 1970s. As for “happy encounters,” the encounter between Soichiro Fukutake and Tadao Ando was crucial, but even before that, if it had not been for the encounter of the town mayor （Chikatsugu Miyake） and the founder of Fukutake Publishing Co. Ltd （Tetsuhiko Fukutake）, there would not have been activities in Naoshima. These were all significant.
As for the “presence of leaders,” it seems quite important that there have been prominent business leaders in Okayama Prefecture in which the headquarters of Benesse Holdings Inc. is located, including the Ohara Family in Kurashiki among others, who were dedicated to supporting culture. Ms. Hashimoto, could you please tell us about cultural supporters in the business world today?Hashimoto:
There is an organization called “Setouchi Design Conference,” whose members are Ms. Akane Ohara, the chairperson of the Board of Ohara Art Museum and other professionals from various fields such as design and business. They have discussions about what cultural activities should be conducted in the Setouchi Region. The name of the city “Kurashiki” in Okayama, the home of the Ohara Family, was derived from a common noun kurashikichi （also called kuradokoro or kuramachi） or “warehouse sites” that were ubiquitous and the origin of many port towns across Japan such as Hakata, Kuwana, Yodo, Otsu, and Tsuruga. However, this old name remained only in Kurashiki. The land comprising kurashikichi was generally shared by several rulers. Of course, the lord of the area ruled there. However, workers in kurashikichi were mostly freemen who did not serve the lord and some of them even became small rulers themselves. Kurashikichi was thus ruled in a complex way with local lords and others who did not belong to the lordʼs territory. Therefore, in kurashikichi, while the lordʼs power became weaker, the residentsʼ self-governing power grew stronger, resulting in the establishment of autonomous cities like Sakai and Osaka （of the 16th century）. This kind of autonomous spirit perhaps remains in the Setouchi Region even today. Moreover, since the Seto Inland Sea has long been an important artery of Japanese maritime transportation, ships from foreign countries would come and go. Open to the external world, this region has attracted new information from outside places. Given that both people and information flowed into and spread out of this region, it can be said that powerful residents there naturally served and still do as a magnet for cultural activities.Kurakata:
Regarding architecture, there is the Naoshima Town office and public schools designed by Kazuhiro Ishii on Naoshima. These works of architecture may be a result of the leadership of Chikatsugu Miyake, the town mayor then, but also may have reflected the psyche of the time during the 1970s and 1980s, when local cities and towns seemed to have great potential. Since the 1990s, Benesse Art Site Naoshima has communicated a message that nature itself is valuable. It was a bold decision of Mr. Soichiro Fukutake to commission Tadao Ando, who had then seemed to stay quite far away from nature. Ando himself was fascinated by the nature of the island and continued to take up challenges. Cutting-edge works from each project have been accumulated to build a "living architectural archive." All of these form Naoshimaʼs architectural value.Osaka:
During the rapid economic growth in the 20th century, rural areas and cities alike aimed for a similar model. However, in the 21st century, as we have various problems in the world- politics, society, education, among others....... I think each of us are urged to inquire what space and lifestyle are important to us or suit us. In spite of the time of online communication, Benesse Art Site Naoshima is based on a human scale, face-to-face communication. It connects the local and the global.
There is a coined word "glocal" referring to the combination of "local" and "global." I hope Benesse Art Site lead us as a model case of the "glocal." For this goal, I think each residentʼs awareness, passion, generosity and intention to have relationship with people is vital.
Miki:
I would like to have questions from the audience.
Audience:
Naoshima has developed as a “business castle town” of Mitsubishi Materials since more than 100 years ago. Thanks to the encounter of the town mayor at the time and Mr. Tetsuhiko Fukutake, Mr. Soichiro Fukutakeʼs father, Naoshima has developed a “mecca of art.” Given the theme today, what do you expect for Naoshima for the future?
Osaka:
I expect that Naoshima Town will commit to the new art museum. It must be a symbolic project for Naoshima that a new museum is co-established in the Honmura district, the center of Naoshima, by the town office and a private foundation with such a passionate mediator as Tadao Ando. Naoshima is now a world famous place, and I expect Naoshima be an island where the children growing up here will come back one day, even if they move out of the island at some point. Kurakata: I think there is something avant-garde about the island, a tendency to defy the majorityʼs trend. While people are destined to this place from all over the world, Naoshima does not seem too content with the situation and such is the Naoshima way, isn't it? And now visitors and local residents are here increasingly indiscriminately. This is another endeavor, a respectable one.
I wish this density of the time flowing in Naoshima will last forever. The time you come face to face with art, the time you communicate with the islanders....... Experiences and things kept in your memory are dense. There are always such things in this place. I wish for this situation to last long.
Hashimoto:
I think we should beware of overtourism. I personally think maintaining the uniqueness of Naoshima with high-standards and protective efforts will ultimately lead to the enforcement of sustainability.
Miki:
Three professionals, Ms. Osaka, Mr. Kurakata and Ms. Hashimoto, gave talks about “The Past and Future of Benesse Art Site Naoshima” from wider and diverse perspectives.
Beginning with the encounter of the then town-mayor of Naoshima and the founder of Fukutake Publishing in the mid-1980s, Benesse Art Site Naoshima has created a place for contemplating about how to live well through the power of art and endeavored to collaborate with local communities. Soichiro Fukutake, currently Honorary Chairman of the Fukutake Foundation, very often speaks with a view of three hundred years ahead. Through the talks and discussions today, we are increasingly aware again that it is important to hand down to the future the ideas and philosophy of the persons who created this place here even if we would not be here hundreds years later.
