Go for Kogei 2022 offered a range of programs that reexamined the relationship between people and objects in contemporary life in dialogue with craft, under the theme “Journey through the World of Craft.” The Special Exhibition, titled The Act of Making: Intersections of Region, Lifestyle, and Faith, featured works by 20 artists, showcasing the breadth of craft practices across time—from a return to primitive practices to the use of cutting-edge technology. With the easing of the COVID-19 pandemic this year, experiential programs offered visitors the chance to engage with products created for the 2021 Special Exhibition II, which were made available for use in restaurants and cafes throughout the city. These exhibitions and programs provided opportunities for a multisensory, firsthand experience of craft, daily life, and their deep connection to the vernacular. Additionally, craft historian Kikuchi Yuko was invited as a guest speaker to lead the symposium Reconsidering Kogei: Perspectives of Art, Politics and Gender, which addressed current issues surrounding craft from a global perspective.


[Special Exhibition]
The Act of Making: Intersections of Region, Lifestyle, and Faith
The Act of Making: Intersections of Region, Lifestyle, and Faith is a sequel to last year’s exhibition, The Future of Craft Aesthetics: Kogei, Contemporary Art, and Art Brut, which explored the relationship and creative potential of materials and processes that transcend the boundaries of genre. This year’s exhibition explores the uses and techniques surrounding a diverse range of materials, including fibers, textiles, ceramics, lacquer, metal, wood, and paper, recontextualizing them within the broader scope of “the act of making” as seen through the creative endeavors of the participating artists.

Artists by material and theme are as follows: Works by Kashio Satomi, Kawai Yumiko, Komoriya Akira, Fukumoto Shihoko, Hosoo Masataka, and Yoshida Shinichiro demonstrate the diverse, expressive possibilities of fibers and textiles. Kondo Nanase, Nara Yuki, and Niisato Akio use pottery and metalworking techniques typical of craft traditions to produce hybrid works that challenge established genres. The art of Inoue Yui, Ukai Kohei, and Sago Michiko pushes the boundaries of craft expression while engaging with material and place. Konoike Tomoko, Hashimoto Masaya, and Roppongi Yurika establish new narratives surrounding region and history, fashioning them into works of art. Pieces by Kosogawa Runa and Miyaki Ana express the interrelations of material, world, self, and other through the mediation of the body and human existence. Irisawa Taku, Kamae Kazumi, and Ogasawara Shin explore expression from the perspective of “play,” transcending the question of technique and antitechnique to render such frameworks irrelevant.

Exhibition visitors can enjoy site-specific art displayed in the buildings, gardens, and natural spaces of prominent temples and shrines in Toyama, Ishikawa, and Fukui Prefectures.

Fukumoto Shihoko, Hashimoto Masaya, Hosoo Masataka, Inoue Yui, Irisawa Taku, Kamae Kazumi, Kashio Satomi, Kawai Yumiko, Komoriya Akira, Kondo Nanase, Konoike Tomoko, Kosogawa Runa, Miyaki Ana, Nara Yuki, Niisato Akio, Ogasawara Shin, Roppongi Yurika, Sago Michiko, Ukai Kohei, Yoshida Shinichiro

• Exhibition Dates September 17th–October 23rd, 2022
• Venues Shokoji Temple (Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture); Natadera Temple (Komatsu, Ishikawa Prefecture); Otaki-Okamoto Shrines (Echizen, Fukui Prefecture)
• Organizer Approved Specified Nonprofit Corporation Syuto Kanazawa; Ministry of Culture; Japan Arts Council
• Co-organizers Kanazawa 21st Century Craft Festival Executive Committee; KUTANism Executive Committee; Glass Festa (Toyama Glass Studio) ; Takaoka Craft Market Executive Committee; RENEW Executive Committee; Craft Fest Executive Committee
• Special Cooperation Ikebana Ohara School (Ohararyu Foundation)
• Cooperation Shokoji Temple; Natadera Temple; Otaki-Okamoto Shrines; Toyama Institute of Glass Art; Nikko Company
• Support Toyama Prefecture; Ishikawa Prefecture; Fukui Prefecture; Toyama City; Takaoka City; Kanazawa City; Nomi City; Komatsu City; Echizen City; Toyama Association of Corporate Executives; Kanazawa Association of Corporate Executives; Fukui Association of Corporate Executives; Junior Chamber International Toyama; Junior Chamber International Takaoka; Junior Chamber International Kanazawa; Junior Chamber International Komatsu; Junior Chamber International Takefu; West Japan Railway Company
• Consignment FY 2022 Japan Cultural Expo Project Presented and Co presented by Japan Arts Council and Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan

https://2022.goforkogei.com/en/