The Tokyo Metropolitan Government-run Tokyo Wonder Site (TWS) has recently been in the headlines. TWS is a public but "alternative space" kind of facility that is neither a museum nor a commercial gallery. The mission of TWS is explained on their website as follows:
1) discover, foster and promote young artists from Tokyo
2) create a platform in Tokyo that serves as a hub for the art network in Asia and the rest of the world
3) support the artistic and cultural diversity that gives Tokyo its special drive
4) serve as a laboratory for research, development and trial of the Tokyo Government’s cultural policy strategic concepts
5) foster human resources in the cultural field
As you might have heard or read in the newspapers, magazines or on TV, one of the scandals around Tokyo governor Ishihara Shitaro involves the activities of TWS. What the media and the Japanese Communist Party that opposes the Metropolitan Government pursue as a primary issue is the fact that shihara’s fourth son Nobuhiro is involved with TWS. He designed the stained-glass picture at TWS Hongo, has a role in the facility’s operation as a "curating artist" (CA), received (but later returned) approximately 280,000 yen for his journeys as an external commissioner to Germany, France and Korea, and spent public expenses for traveling to Davos in order to design the setting for a Tokyo Government-hosted party at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in 2004. The intimate attachment between governor Ishihara, TWS director Imamura Yusaku and Nobuhiro is another point that is being criticized as part of the "personalization of the govenment". Ishihara has come under even heavier fire for stating that "(the talent of) Nobuhiro is irreplaceable", and later added the supplementary explanation that "there was no 'replacement' available in terms of volunteering to do unremunerative work".
I met Nobuhiro several times at exhibition openings to which I was invited by TWS director Imamura. He is a quiet and honest-looking man, and his colorful paintings that often use mythological motifs are not bad. He is insightful about art and culture, and I got the impression that his views are rather liberal (as opposed to his father’s notorious "populist conservatism"). Evidence for this is provided by none other than governor Ishihara himself in an episode he writes about in his essay titled "In order to make young people love this country" (published in the July '06 issue of "Bungei Shunju"). Ishihara was taught Amino Yoshihiko’s theory of the "painting fourth son". Amino is known as a heretic historian who expressed disagreement with "authentic history" based on settled people, agro-industry, the ruling class and adult men, and attempted to establish a history of Japan that centers around nomadic life, hunting, fishing and forestry, and discriminated people including women, children and old people. While it’s kind of a charming little mistake to interpret this perfect dissident totally wrongly and defending him as "not being the anti-imperialistic academic people are calling him", the strong-arm tactics of making his father read Amino Yoshihiko is surely another irreplaceable talent of Nobuhiro’s.
This does of course not mean that such personnel matters deserve consent. as many analysts have pointed out, ethically it is not acceptable that recruitment in a public institution takes place in the family circle, and the governor as a public figure should be operating in line with common sense. However, in my opinion there is a problem beyond this question. A look at the work of TWS up to this day shows that the aforementioned "missions" are surely not entirely fulfilled, and that I believe is partly due to these personal matters. The "CA" plays an advisor-like role, and that’s definitely necessary considering that director Imamura is an architecture specialist and is not necessarily well-versed in contemporary art. But the counseling of multiple advisors including Nobuhiro seems to be not functioning organically. There are quite some exhibitions taking place that don't really differentiate themselves from shows at museums and commercial galleries, and I would say that TWS could be more successful in terms of working out ways to attract visitors. There are concerts of contemporary classical music, but there is not much exchange with art happening there, which I think is a shame.
Wouldn't it be helpful to return to the above-mentioned "missions", particularly to the most fundamental one? The cultural situation in this country is extremely poor, and in this sense a place like TWS is immensely important. "TWS Aoyama Creator-in-Residence", which opened last fall, is simply an excellent opportunity for creative people from all parts of the globe to stay and work in Tokyo. But still, what I consider more essential is the "discovering, fostering and promoting of young artists from Tokyo". The budget of TWS keeps growing, and appropriate compartmentalization with other municipally-owned facilities such as the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo and the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, whose budget dwindles from year to year, is necessary. That’s what I was thinking just when I received a message announcing the start of a "support program for programmers planning exhibitions together with artist, inviting young creators to suggest projects". Iwas further asked to become a member of the selection committee, and I didn't hesitate to reply that I'll be happy to help select. This is a brilliant strike of TWS, and a plan that ultimately fulfills all of the five missions, with special emphasis on points 1 and 5.
In the selection committee are next to myself also Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo curator Sumitomo Fumihiko, artist Taro Chiezo, and TWS program director Iemura Kayoko. I think it’s a well-balanced team of journalists, curators, artists, and TWS administrators. There’s not much time left as the deadline for entries is 1/17, but I'm hoping for many suggestions. I'd like to add that the financial aid for the realization of projects is everything but sufficient, so we decided to donate the selection committee’s entire recompense.
Ozaki Tetsuya / Editor in chief / REALTOKYO