By MASATO NISHIDA/ Staff Writer
November 1, 2022 at 08:00 JST
Shoko Nishikawa tries to form a symbiotic relationship with goats. (Masato Nishida)
KOBE--A contemporary art event “Rokko Meets Art: Art Walk 2022” is challenging visitors here with large installations aimed at getting people to understand themselves better through art.
Held in the Mount Rokkosan area each autumn, it is billed as Kobe’s most renowned art festival. This year marks the 13th anniversary of this unusual exhibition.
Organized by Mt. Rokko Cable Car & Tourism Co., along with other entities, the outdoor art festival has been held annually since 2010.
This year, artworks created by 38 artists are installed at aerial tramway stations, an old hotel building, a botanical garden and other facilities.
“This year, some works are themed on communication between strangers,” said Kiyotaka Takamizawa, a key organizer, referring to chaotic global events that have been unfolding.
Shoko Nishikawa, who lives in Akita Prefecture, is staging a performance in which she impersonates a goat while co-existing with three of the animals in a fenced yard.
Her idea is to explore the possibilities of interacting with another species while she experiences stages of cohabitation, separation and reunion during the event that runs for about three months.
“It’s about understanding each other’s cognitive world and living in compartmentalized ways,” the artist said. “I’m doing my performance, thinking how wonderful it would be if everyone can live in peace on Earth like that.”
Sculptor Nobuharu Asano placed weirdly-shaped, three-legged objects called “Tricksters” on benches.
His concept is to make people feel like they are members of a minority group when they sit among the sculptures and snap photos.
Avant-garde artist Kaname Ueda installed a large cube inflated with air collected at Mount Rokkosan. His aim is to make visitors reach an obvious conclusion: Humans, animals and plants share the same air.
His piece also raises a fundamental question: Who owns atmosphere, nature and Earth?
The art event is open daily until Nov. 23, except for some venues.
A viewing pass is required for some venues, which costs 2,500 yen ($16.50) for adults.
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