Source: Peatix

first
New or different
By welcoming ideas and beings,
Pioneering the future.

At museums and galleries
Contemporary art research and exhibitions
Organize events and educational activities
The essence of a curator's work is
I think there is something like that.

When you grasp the essence of it,
The place of work is museums and galleries.
It will no longer be limited.

From each of our lives,
Influencing society and the world.
In curation as hospitality,
We will continue to put such things into practice.

Outline
Dates: Sunday, November 10, 2024 - Sunday, April 6, 2025
Number of sessions: 10 in total / 2.5 hours per class
Target audience: Teens (junior high school students and above) to early 20s
Capacity: Approximately 12 people
Venue: GAKU (Shibuya PARCO 9th floor), SHIBUYA STREAM
Fee: Free
[Co-sponsored by] Tokyu Corporation

Main Instructor

Kaho Ikeda
Independent curator. Since 2016, she has been researching collectives and DIY cultures that have developed from indigenous cultures and social conditions, mainly in East and Southeast Asia. She has co-organized exhibitions and workshops with local artists, mainly in Indonesia. She is interested in cross-disciplinary curation that combines exhibitions, performing arts, and educational programs. She gained experience as an assistant at the Mori Art Museum, and will become independent in spring 2023. Recent achievements include "Open Park MINE: Street/How to Play?" (Yamanaka suplex Annex MINE, 2023), "Radical Guidebooks to Our Futures" (Leggy_/Dig A Hole Zines, 2023, co-organized with Jason Waite), "Bug School: Let's Move!" (BUG, 2023), "Go Alone, Get There Quickly, Aim Far, or Everyone Will Perish" (Yamanaka suplex, 2024), and was appointed curator of Kobe Rokko Meets Art 2024 Beyond. She is co-program director of Yamanaka suplex.https://bug.art/article/crawl_interview_ikeda-1/

Guest Lecturer

Yasutaka Hayashi (Chim↑Pom from Smappa!Group)
A member of the artist collective Chim↑Pom from Smappa!Group, formed in 2005. He is mainly in charge of visuals such as photography and video works, and also organizes events. He also runs the gardening project "Leggy_" with Motomu Inaoka and Kenta Nishimura.

Hiroshi Ohta
Born in Tokyo in 1968. Architect. PhD (Engineering) / Engineer (Urban and Regional Planning). Graduated from the Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, University of Tokyo in 1991. Completed a Master's course in Architecture, Graduate School, University of Tokyo in 1993. After working as an assistant at the Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo, he co-founded Design Nouveau 1st Class Architect Office in 2000. From 2003 to 2008, he was a specially appointed researcher at the International Urban Renewal Center, University of Tokyo, and from 2009 to 2015, he was a lecturer at the Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo. Since 2015, he has been the CEO of Nouveau Inc. His main works include Minamiaso Railway Takamori Station, Yabuki Town First Ward Community Center, and PopulouSCAPE. His main publications include 100 SSDs of the World (Shokokusha, 2007) and Compact Architectural Design Document Collection [Urban Renewal] (Maruzen, 2014). Since 2002, he has been co-founder of the Tokyo Picnic Club.

Tokyo Picnic Club
A group of creators who advocate the "right to a picnic" as a basic human right for urban dwellers and who are practicing innovation in the use of public spaces. The group was formed in 2002 by architects, urban planners, designers, food coordinators, and editors who call themselves "Picnicians" and "Picnichennes" to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the origin of the picnic. They are engaged in a wide range of activities, from researching the history and culture of picnics to restoring picnic recipes and developing products such as blended teas and beers, to selecting picnic music, known as Pycnosound.
https://www.rs.noda.tus.ac.jp/~kaori/

Leonhard Bartolomeus
Born in 1987, he is a curator at Yamaguchi Center for Arts and Media (YCAM). After graduating from Jakarta University of the Arts, he joined ruangrupa (later Gudskul Ekosistem) in 2012. His recent curatorial projects focus on open education and collaborative projects. In 2017, he formed the curatorial collective KKK (Kolektif Kurator Kampung / Urban Poor Curator) with several other curators from Jakarta, Semarang and Surabaya. He is also currently passionately engaged in independent research and collaborative projects overseas.
https://bijutsutecho.com/magazine/interview/21189

Co-host
Tokyu Corporation
Tokyu Corporation, as the core company of the Tokyu Group, which is made up of 224 companies and 5 corporations, has been working for many years in various fields closely related to people's daily lives, with "urban development" at the core of its business. With the goal of "creating beautiful living environments," the Tokyu Group is also actively engaged in the development of cultural projects and support for cultural and sports activities.

program
Rather than curating works in an editorial manner in a white cube, we will first find the motivation for "exhibiting" in the city and land of Shibuya, and then experience organic curation that cultivates the seeds of ideas while working alongside the artists. We will consider the possibilities of curation as a form of hospitality by including spaces that arise from cultural practices rather than just exhibiting works as "exhibitions" in the candidates for venues such as buildings and outdoors in the city of Shibuya.

Introduction: Participants will have the opportunity to interact with each other and get an overview of the program's themes (5 sessions in total)

①②Redefining the curator
Date: Sunday, November 10, 2024 13:00-17:00
Venue: GAKU (Shibuya PARCO 9F)
Lecturer: Kaho Ikeda (Curator)

A curator's job is to plan and realize exhibitions for museums and galleries. However, if the art itself expands beyond the stage of a museum or gallery, the work of a curator will naturally lead and support that expansion. We will hear from Mr. Ikeda about his past activities and prospects, and while grasping the general image of a curator, we will also gain a richer understanding of that definition. We will also confirm the theme of this project and the ultimate goal.

3. Visit the Shibuya site
Date: Sunday, November 17, 2024, 17:00-19:00
Venue: GAKU (Shibuya PARCO 9F) and surrounding areas
Instructors: Kaho Ikeda (curator), Yasutaka Hayashi (Chim↑Pom from Smappa! Group member)
Guest artist: Aokid (dancer)

We will tour the streets of Shibuya with member Yasutaka Hayashi, while talking about the group's past works and projects that were created in Shibuya. Furthermore, by witnessing the "art scene" in the streets of Shibuya, from institute-like facilities to ongoing cultural practices on the streets, we will think together about the motivation behind planning.

④⑤The right to picnic in the city
Date: Saturday, December 14, 2024 13:00-17:00
Venue: SHIBUYA STREAM
Lecturers: Kaho Ikeda (curator), Hiroshi Ota (architect/Tokyo Picnic Club)

Tokyo Picnic Club advocates for the "right to a picnic" as a basic human right for city dwellers. The idea of a picnic is said to have originated in London in 1802, when a group called the "Pic-Nic Club" held social parties where people drank and danced. From the ethical perspective of the time, parties with singing and dancing were frowned upon, but they later spread widely through London society and the style became familiar. Through picnics, we will experience and consider "curation as hospitality."
https://www.biz-lixil.com/column/urban_development/pk_surveys009/
https://wb.kirinholdings.com/future/hint/05.html

Planning: Concept of the "Exhibition" (3 panels)

⑥ Visit to GUDSKUL (online)
Date: Tuesday, January 21, 2025, 17:00-19:00
Venue: GAKU (Shibuya PARCO 9F)
Lecturers: Kaho Ikeda (curator), Leonhard Bartolomeus (curator)

To generate ideas for hospitality and curation, Ikeda will connect online with Yamaguchi-based Ruangrupa curator Leonhard Bartolomeus and conduct an online tour of Ruangrupa's base "GUDSKUL" in Jakarta, followed by a cross-talk between Ikeda and Bartolomeus. Touching on examples from the large-scale international art festival "Documenta 15," the participants will learn about the richness of gathering people together and the potential of cultural spaces that arise from action.

⑦⑧ Curation Planning
Date: Sunday, February 9th, 2025 and Saturday, March 1st, 2025, 13:00-15:30
Venue: SHIBUYA STREAM
Lecturer: Kaho Ikeda (Curator)

We will brainstorm what kind of place we will carry out the practice in. We can choose a collaborating artist from the idea, or we can expand on the idea from the collaborating artist. Even spending time together playing and talking can be considered an "exhibition." Therefore, we will also consider how to appeal to the "audience" and how they can participate. We will also create a statement and leaflets for the exhibition together with the students.

Action: Realizing the "Exhibition" (2 frames)

⑨ Realizing the plan
Date: March 29, 2025 (Saturday), March 30, 2025 (Sunday) / All day
Venue: SHIBUYA STREAM
Lecturers: Kaho Ikeda (curator), Leonhard Bartolomeus (curator)

The plan will be realized as an "event" and "exhibition." Rather than following the plan exactly, we will incorporate the contingencies of the moment and experience the time that arises on the spot. We will invite the curator, Leonhard Bartolomeus, as a guest on the day to witness and experience the site.

10. Reflection
Date: Sunday, April 6, 2025 13:00-15:00
Venue: GAKU (Shibuya PARCO 9F)
Lecturers: Kaho Ikeda (curator), Hiroshi Ota (architect/Tokyo Picnic Club), Leonhard Bartolomeus (curator)

We reflect on the activity together, come up with ways to keep the conversation going, and then conclude the activity.

Support outside of class
At GAKU, we want to support our students' learning and creative endeavors outside of class time, so we operate in the following way.

・Opening GAKU as a study room
Once a week, GAKU is open to teenagers as a free study room. Students are free to use it to complete assignments or to communicate with each other. For detailed schedules, please check here or on GAKU's social media.

・Providing online distribution and recorded videos
We value face-to-face classes on-site, but we also believe it is necessary to follow up on unavoidable absences due to the spread of infection, etc. Specifically, we are preparing an online distribution environment and a viewing environment for recorded class videos limited to applicable students (please note that some classes may not be able to be distributed or recorded).

・Operation of open chat
We operate a LINE Open Chat exclusively for students and instructors, managed by the GAKU office, mainly for contact from class leaders regarding assignments and Q&A sessions. We expect students to participate themselves, but parents can also participate on their behalf (LINE Open Chat is a "chat" feature that allows students to participate without disclosing their personal ID or contact information. We will operate in accordance with the LINE Open Chat Safety and Security Guidelines).

Application
1) Application
Please apply via this Peatix page.

2) Confirmation of enrollment
Once your application has been confirmed, the GAKU office will send you an "application completion email" within 3 business days. Your enrollment will be confirmed upon receiving this email.
*If you do not receive the "Application Completion Email," it may be in your spam folder or your application may not have been completed. We apologize for the inconvenience, but please contact us using the information below.

3) Online interview
The GAKU office will conduct an online one-on-one interview (approximately 30 minutes) to provide a detailed explanation of this class.
*If you wish, we can also accommodate consultations before you apply. Please feel free to contact us.

Application deadline: [Sunday, October 27th, 23:59]

Class Schedule
Sunday, November 10, 2024 13:00-17:00 1-2. Redefining the Curator
Sunday, November 17, 2024 17:00-19:00 3. Visit the Shibuya site
Saturday, December 14, 2024 13:00-17:00 4~5. The right to picnic in the city
Tuesday, January 21, 2025 17:00-19:00 6.GUDSKUL (online) visit
Sunday, February 9, 2025 13:00-15:30 7. Curation Planning
March 1, 2025 (Sat) 13:00-15:30 8. Curation Planning
Saturday, March 29, 2025 and Sunday, March 30, 2025 (all day) 9. Realization of the plan
Sunday, April 6, 2025 13:00-15:00 10. Reflection

Class inquiries
At GAKU, we welcome visits to our classes. If you have any questions about applying, such as "I would like to know what it's like on a regular basis" or "I would like to confirm more details," please feel free to contact us. We will arrange a face-to-face or ZOOM interview beforehand, or a class visit.

GAKU Office Umi Sato
info@gaku.school

Venue