キュレーター：シャイ・オハヨン 「ArtGigアートギグ」は現代美術の支援と、アートを一般の人々に広めることを目的としたプロジェクトです。このプロジェクトはトロント・カナダで発足し、１９９７年四月から２０００年八月までの間に私のプロデユースした９回のイベントを開催しました。イベントには新人・ベテラン両方のアーティスト達に参加してもらい、展示作品に規定を設けず多種多様の作品を集めました。また一般の方々が訪れ易いよう、どのイベントも入場料無料で行いました。 ほとんどのイベントは、クラブやバーを貸し切りにしてもらって行いました。展示作品ばかりではなく、ArtGigのために作られたライブ演奏やオペラ、バレー、ファッションショー、パフォーマンス等も催され、現在、ArtGigのイベントはトロントに活気のあるアートシーンを創ることに貢献したと広く絶賛されています。 一年前に東京に移転してから今まで東京のアートシーンと関わってきましたが、一般向けのアート・イベント、またアーティスト達が自分の作品を公表できる機会の少なさに驚き、是非ArtGigを東京で再発足させ、東京のアートシーンを活性化させたいと考えました。 多くの方々が画廊やギャラリーに入りづらいと考えていると思うので、ArtGigを用いてアートをより親しみ易い環境に置き換え、より沢山の人々が芸術と触れ合うことを願っています。 ArtGigTokyoは著名なアーティストから新人まで様々なアーティスト達の作品を隣り合わせに展示し、これまで無名だったアーティスト達にも国際的な場で自分の作品を展示する機会を与えたいと考えています。 ArtGigTokyoはトロントのプロジェクトと同じく、数年間に渡ってイベントを開催する企画です。イベントは一日行われ、アーティスト達には決められたテーマに沿って作品を展示してもらいます。ライブ、パフォーマンス、フィルム作品やバレー、オペラ、劇作品なども開催する予定です。

ArtGig is a curatorial project that aims to support and extend the development of contemporary art and to bring art back to the public realm. I developed the project originally in Toronto Canada, where I have curated and produced nine shows under the titled ArtGig between April 1997 and August 2000. The events showcased both site-specific installations and a wide variety of interdisciplinary art, aspiring to create a platform for emerging and established artists to present works outside of the gallery space. The events were always free-of-charge to visitors to encourage the public to interact with art. Typically, I curated the events at clubs and bars that have been transformed for the duration of the events into makeshift “galleries”. These events included live performances and the commission of new works of many disciplines, from live opera and ballet to a fashion show and performance art pieces, all original and commissioned specifically for ArtGig. This series of events is now renowned in Toronto for helping to launch some international careers and for helping to develop a vibrant art scene in Toronto. Upon my relocation to Tokyo over a year ago and my current involvement in the Tokyo art scene as an international curator, I was struck by the limited array of public art events and ventures and by the inadequate opportunities local artists have to present new contemporary works. This discovery motivated me to re-launch ArtGig in Tokyo to help to facilitate a healthier art scene in the city – both to promote art to new audiences that usually have little opportunity to engage with contemporary art; and to give artists a new platform to present pieces. While as an art curator and art lover I frequent galleries, I am also aware that many people who are not as involved with art often find galleries intimidating and alienating. This is why I intend to show professional art in environments that are less formal and perhaps more playful. I hope that this effort will assist people, who previously had very little interest in art, to develop a new relationship with current practices and to demystify contemporary art. While aiming to open the art scene up and to make contemporary art more public and accessible, ArtGigTokyo also aims to mix a range of disciplines and artists from different stages of their careers – established, mid-ranged and emerging artists exhibiting side-by-side to help support new artists. This, I believe, will strengthen the art community of Tokyo and will help to introduce new local artists to the international art scene. ArtGigTokyo, like the sister project in Toronto, will be a series of events spread over a number of years. Each event will be themed and include an array of relevant interdisciplinary artists who would be asked to exhibit old or new pieces – bespoke or accustomed – in a one day art happening. The events also will include music performances, performance art, video/film pieces and sometimes commissioned performances of other artistic disciplines, such as ballet, opera, theatre etc. The venues selected to host each one of the events are strongly linked to the theme of each happening to reinforce a relation. The theme for the first one was “sex” and took place at Bar Exit in Shinjuku Ni-chome. Future ArtGigs that are in the planning include a “death” themed event at a cemetery, “transportation” at a train station, “ghosts” at an abandoned building and “getting high” on a rooftop.