Commons Forum #1
“Theater and Care”

  • Forum
© Juliette Larochette

The number of young people who end their own lives or become hikikomori (a term for total social recluses) has been steadily increasing in Japan. What does a space of belonging and refuge, where everyone is guaranteed dignity and subsistence, look like in such a society? Is it possible for theaters to function as such places?
In this forum, we incorporate insights from artistic practices to examine the relationship between engaging in theater and caring for one’s mental and physical well-being, as well as finding a sense of belonging. The guest speakers are Éric Minh Cuong Castaing and Anne-Sophie Turion, creators of HIKU, a theater piece that features actual hikikomori people as remote performers, and Kyun-Chome, who propose that art is “a new form of prayer” as they continue to explore artistic realms adjacent to therapy and religion. We discuss future possibilities of the kinds of care and sense of belonging theater spaces can provide in society.

Éric Minh Cuong Castaing* (choreographer), Anne-Sophie Turion* (author, director and performer), Kyun-Chome (artist)
*Through the online participation

Moderator | Chiaki Soma (chairperson and director of Theater Commons Tokyo)
Interpreter | Akito Hirano

Profile

Éric Minh Cuong Castaing
Choreographer and founder of the Shōnen company, Éric Minh Cuong Castaing combines dance and new technologies (robots, drones) in in socius creative processes rooted in societal realities (partnerships with hospitals, NGOs, research labs). He explores the dualities of reality/fiction, nature/culture, and organic/artificial, collaborating with dramaturges, videographers, and choreographers. His works are presented across France and internationally (Centre Pompidou, Comédie de Genève, MODU Theater [South Korea]), supported by the Ministry of Culture and several foundations.

Photo: Kamila K Stanley

Anne-Sophie Turion
Author, director and performer Anne-Sophie Turion creates performances for stage as well as public space. From the first person to choral narratives, through the use of objects or the spoken word, she explores the intimate in all its guises. Her projects are shifting biographical forms: we breathe in them and get lost in them, hearing things that can’t be told.
Her company, GRANDEUR NATURE, is based in Marseille and associated with Zef – Scène Nationale de Marseille.

Photo: Éric Minh Cuong Castaing

Kyun-Chome
An art unit consisting of Eri Honma and Nabuchi. Formed in response to the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, they have produced a number of video works and projects in various locations, using their own bodies as a medium to address social divisions and complexities. Recent major exhibitions include “The Color of the Soul is Blue” (Kurobe City Museum of Art, 2023), “Roppongi Crossing 2022: Coming & Going” (Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, 2022), “Current Location: To Draw a Map of the Future [1]” (21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, 2019), and “Aichi Triennale 2019” (Aichi, 2019).

Date

February 23ed [Sun] 16:00–18:00

Performance times

Approx. 120 min.

Venue

3F Minato Commons
5-28-4 Shiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0014

Ticket

Free
Booking essential.

Book now

Language

Japanese (with French interpretation)

Accessibility

Subtitles | None
Audio guide | None
Additional accessibility |
Wheelchair-accessible seating available

Credit

Venue support | Minato City
Support | Fondation Franco-Japonaise Sasakawa

Related program

Commons Tour (Tour A)
Date | February 23rd [Sun], 24th [Mon]