As frameworks for artists to travel, Artist-in-Residence (AIR) has played a significant role for many years globally. However, since 2020, such programs have been deeply impacted by the travel restrictions due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. In this peculiar time, many AIR organizers in Japan attempted to make their programs more sustainable and creative, exploring new approaches such as utilizing ICT platforms.

As the end of the fiscal year 2020 approached on March 18, 2021, the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan held an online symposium to reflect on residency programs and exchange information, resources, and opinions to think about future possibilities among organizers and participants.
As the only website specializing in the field today, AIR_J shares the following reports of the events and essays on related topics to reexamine how AIR can relate to current developments in contemporary arts and what can be seen beyond the pandemic through the lens of AIR, that largely relied on global mobility. At this turning point in these turbulent times, we document these findings and ideas to think further about the practice of AIR.

FY 2020 “Artist-in-Residence Program” Online Symposium

13:00-16:00, Thursday, March 18, 2021

●Talk “Residence and Resilience”
Speakers: Mitsuhiro Susaki (Ise City Industry and Tourism Department), Junpei Mori (Director, PARADISE AIR)
Moderator: Arata Hasegawa (Guest Curator, PARADISE AIR)
●Discussion
Moderator: Tomoko Wakabayashi (Project Coordinator and Rikkyo University Graduate School of Social Design Studies Field of Study: Business Administration in Network and Social Organization Specially Appointed Associate Professor)
Facilitators: Mami Odai (AIR Director, Sapporo Tenjinyama Art Studio), Teiko Hinuma (Program Director, KESEN AIR and Professor, Joshibi University of Art and Design), Taro Inamura (Program Officer, The Saison Foundation), Tomoko Wakabayashi
*Titles as of March, 2021

Organized by Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan
Co-organized by City of Kyoto
Managed by Kyoto Art Center, Arts Initiative Tokyo [AIT]
Supported by AIR_J, Performing Arts AIR Research, AIR Network Japan

List of Archives
– Activity Report by Paricipating Organizations (PDF, 8.5MB, JP only)
– Artist Interview 2020-2021 (subtitles available)
– Talk “Residence and Resilience” (JP only)
– Event Report by Yuka Keino

Related Articles

– “How will the New Coronavirus Transform Socially Engaged Art−From the Perspective of Artist In Residencies.” by Hiroki Yamamoto

– IN AND OUT OF THE SCENE “Artist-in-Residence” by AIT

– “AIR on air Symposium”−Artist in Residence under the pandemic by Jamie Humphreys