Hikaru Fujii

“Performing the Japanese”

Workshop

Photograph of 1896 Sanriku Earthquake, “The construction of history is dedicated to the memories of the unnamed” Exhibition Catalog (Aomori Contemporary Art Centre, 2015)

Hikaru Fujii brings his socially incisive perspective to a workshop exploring the roots of contemporary divisions

The artist and filmmaker Hikaru Fujii confronts political and social problems whose roots lie in history. Rather than presenting his research into past events just as it is, he has continued to use his work to attempt reinterpretations of the issues from contemporary perspectives.
For Theater Commons Tokyo, Fujii will lead a special workshop about filmmaking. Participants will perform “Japanese people.” Through these “reenactments,” social and community divides will be visualized as the physical experiences of the participants.
What are the origins of the divisions now fracturing the world? The workshop will examine the issues in contemporary society that lie behind these divides, including the impact of disasters on communities, depopulation, immigration, and discrimination. Drawing on past actions and language, these issues will be internalized by the participants and then objectified by adding the external gaze of the camera in order to create a forum for participants to investigate the theme. In this way, the workshop will offer a chance to search for answers to today’s seemingly irresolvable problems.

Profile

Hikaru Fujii
Born in 1976, Hikaru Fujii creates video installations that respond to contemporary social problems. He makes use of extensive research and fieldwork investigating existing systems and structures, based on the idea that art is produced out of the intimate relationship between society and history. His work explores modern education and social systems in Japan and Asia as well as the nature of museums and art museums.

  • Dates
  • Workshop

    January 30th / 13:00–16:00

  • Workshop

    January 31st / 18:00–21:00

  • How to Participate
  • Free / Reservations required
  • Language
  • Japanese