Kyoto as a Cultural Crossroad

Speakers: Aoki Jun, Hayashi Yasuta and Kato Izumi　｜　Moderator: Yamashita Yukako

Kyoto is an international tourist city, and one can encounter a variety of both Japanese and international art and culture on a daily basis, even outside art festivals and art fairs. What does Kyoto need now, as a focal point of cultural exchange? What is the best way to spread Japanese contemporary art to the world? Artist Kato Izumi, who bases his activities in several locations in both Japan and around the world, Architect Aoki Jun who is also Director of the Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art, Agency for Cultural Affairs Cultural Strategy Officer Hayashi Yasuta, and ACK Director Yamashita Yukako will together fix their eyes on future possibilities.

Speakers:
Aoki Jun (Architect/Director, Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art)
Hayashi Yasuta (Director/Arts and Culture Division, Agency for Cultural Affairs – Japan (BUNKA-CHO) )
Kato Izumi (Artist)
Moderator: Yamashita Yukako (Program Director, ACK)

Speaker’s Profiles
　

Aoki Jun

Born in Yokohama, Japan, in 1956 and graduated from the University of Tokyo in 1982. After working with Arata Isozaki and associates, he founded Jun Aoki & Associates in 1991 (reorganized to AS in 2020). Subsequent works have included not only architecture such as a series of houses, public facilities, and fashion boutiques for Louis Vuitton, but also art work like 〈U bis.〉 and 〈Red and Blue line〉. Received Architectural Institute of Japan Annual Award (1999, 2020) and Minister of Education’s Art Encouragement Prize (2005). Mainichi Art Award (2020). Professor of Tokyo University of the Arts. Director of Kyoto City Museum of Art.

Web: AS Co.Ltd.

Hayashi Yasuta

Hayashi Yasuta has served as the director of the Agency for Cultural Affairs since July 2021. Mr. Hayashi joined the Agency for Cultural Affairs in 1994 and has worked in several management positions, including responsibilities for protecting cultural properties and launching the Power of Culture from Kansai project, proposed by Hayao Kawai, former Commissioner for Cultural Affairs, in 2003. Based on research regarding the promotion of contemporary art in Japan since August 2013, Mr. Hayashi was responsible for facilitating the Bunka-cho Art Platform Japan project (2018–2022).

Kato Izumi

Born in Shimane prefecture of Japan in 1969. Kato lives and works between Tokyo and Hong Kong.
His recent solo exhibitions include Red Brick Art Museum (Beijing, 2018), Fundación Casa Wabi (Puerto Escondido, Mexico, 2019), Hara Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo / Hara Museum ARC (Tokyo / Gunma, Concurrent exhibition, 2019), SCAD Museum of Art (Savannah, USA, September 2021 [tentative]), WATARI-UM, The Watari Museum of Contemporary Art (Tokyo, 2022).

Web: Kato Izumi

Yamashita Yukako

Born in Tokyo in 1988 to a family that runs a tea ceremony utensils business in Kyoto. Completed an MA in Art Business at Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London. After an internship at Sotheby’s London, she joined Sotheby’s Japan, where she oversaw the sales of contemporary art. From 2017 to 2022, she was the managing director of THE CLUB.
She has been a visiting professor at Kyoto University of Arts since 2020. She was appointed Program Director of Art Collaboration Kyoto and Kyoto City Growth Strategy Promotion Advisor in 2022.

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Talk’s archive
https://youtu.be/dCUauqGjDk4