Friday 4th – Sunday 6th October in Civic Gallary / Studio B, Hirosaki Museum of Contemporary Art, Aomori Apple-themed awards Special ‘HELP Award’ endorsement the Apple Creative Awards will be held
Greenpeace Japan will host“ HELP: A EULOGY 30 YEARS IN THE MAKING In Aomori ”in Hirosaki, Aomori, a conceptual exhibition superimposing art and the climate crisis, from 4th to 6th October.
The exhibition will feature several Japanese cultural phenomena which may be lost in 30 years partly due to climate change. A collaboration with a variety of artists and cultural figures, including plush toy artist Kataoka Meriyasu, Miyasaka Kiyoshi, the chief priest of Yatsurugi Shrine, and Doi Yoshiharu, a culinary expert, this exhibition allows you to‘ feel’ with your senses the climate crisis impacting Japan.
Following the exhibition in Shiga, the Aomori touring exhibition aims to provide an opportunity for visitors to feel the impact of climate change on their immediate surroundings from the perspective of art and creativity, and to begin to take action.
A project unique to the Aomori touring exhibition
ndorsing the Apple Creative Award organised by the Fujisaki Town, birthplace of the Fuji apple, which boasts the world’s No.1 market share, a special HELP Award will be created within the Award. By inviting artists to create artworks based on the two concepts of the Apple Creative Award 2024 ‘The desire to deliver apples first’ and the HELP exhibition ‘Climate change and art,’ the award will offer an opportunity to become more aware of climate change through the memories related to apples and the five senses.
A talk event will also be held on 6th Sunday, October at 14:00 in Studio B in the Hirosaki Museum of Contemporary Art. The talk, focusing on the theme of ‘Life in Aomori and Climate Change,’ will serve as an inspiring opportunity for the production of the Apple Creative Award ‘HELP Award’ artwork, as well as a chance to learn about Aomori like never before. Please come along and join us.
【HELP Exhibition In Aomori】
ORGANIZER: Greenpeace Japan
DIRECTION: Creative Unit, HAKUA
PRODUCTION COOPERATION: UESATSU (KV Graphic Designer) Kamemura Yoshihiro (Videographer) Shimada Ayako (Social Media Marketer) Kitahara Kazuki (UMMM, page layout Graphic Designer)
DATE： 10/4–6, 2024
VENUE： Civic Gallary / Studio B, Hirosaki Museum of Contemporary Art（2-1 Yoshino-cho Hirosaki City Aomori）
TIME: 9:00–17:00
*Friday and Saturday: open until 21:00 ADMISSION： Free
• The exhibition is available in English
• Wheelchair accessible
• The museum does not have parking. Please use public transport or paid parking nearby. *Two dedicated parking spaces (compassionate parking) are available for the elderly, pregnant and nursing women, injured and disabled persons.
What is “HELP Exhibition”?
HELP Exhibition
An exhibition held in Aoyama, Tokyo, from 17 to 26 November 2023, where the impact of climate change in Japan was felt through art. The exhibition attracted more than 750 visitors and was introduced by numerous media outlets. The exhibition was covered not only by major media and environmental media, but also by art and lifestyle media. Several visitors said they were drawn to the exhibition because of its focus on ‘climate change and art.’
In addition, 59 out of 62 items were taken home from the exhibition as a part of the social experiment in reuse, in which visitors were allowed to take home artworks from the exhibition, including display furniture, successfully demonstrating a new form of exhibition that does not waste resources.
Furthermore, a short film about the Miwatari of Lake Suwa in Nagano Prefecture, which was exhibited at the HELP Exhibition, was highly acclaimed and won the grand prix award in the documentary category at an international film festival CCCL held in Thailand in February 2024.
HELP Exhibition In SHIGA
The Shiga touring exhibition of the HELP exhibition was held in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, from 10 to 11 August 2024. Supported by Shiga Prefecture, the exhibition was a great success, attracting more than 230 visitors over the two days, with a talk event on the theme of‘ Lake Biwa and climate change’ and a collaboration with a high school newspaper club, which is renowned for its activities across the country. For more information, please read our event report below.
Collaborating with the Apple Creative Award, the‘ HELP Award’ is created especially to connect art, apples and climate change
The Ringoka Museum was opened by the Fujisaki Town in Aomori Prefecture as a facility where visitors can play with apples, renovating the only school in Japan that had a department specialised in apple farming. To commemorate the opening of the museum, the Apple Creative Award was established in 2023, calling for entries to be displayed at the Ringoka Museum.
This year, the HELP Award is created especially in conjunction with the HELP Exhibition In AOMORI. Entries are also invited to include memories of apples and works related to climate change through the five senses.
The winning entries will be exhibited at the Ringoka Museum for one year. The HELP Award was made possible with the top prize received in February 2024 from the CCCL International Film Festival by winning the grand prix award in the documentary category with the short film MIWATARI, ”which was made as an exhibition piece for the HELP exhibition. The award will pass on the wills to expand efforts to tackle climate change to the next project.
〈 Award Summary 〉
‘HELP Award ’judging criteria
Entries are invited in line with the two concepts of the Apple Creative Award 2024, ‘The desire to deliver apples first, a’nd the HELP Exhibition‘, Climate change and art.’ With the ongoing climate change associated with‘ global boiling, ’the effects of climate change are becoming apparent in Aomori Prefecture in a variety of ways, including apples. We are looking forward to seeing artworks that will bring awareness of climate change in a serious but fun way and make people see it as an event that is close to us. (It is even better if the work motivates people to take action on climate change.) In addition to the above, above, judging criteria includes originality and technical expression.
Eligibility (qualifications) and entries
• Entries can be made by teams or individuals.
• There is no age limit.
• Please create a work in accordance with the concept.
• There are no restrictions on the form of the artwork, such as product, craft, painting, sculpture, poetry, photography, video, etc.
How to apply
You can apply by email or via Google Form. For more information, please visit the official Apple Creative Awards website.
Entry period
Wednesday 18 September – Friday 15 November 2024
For more information, please visit the official Apple Creative Awards website. Official website: https://ringoca-award.com/
Life in Aomori and climate change,” an original theme for HELP In AOMORI
Global warming and climate change are literally global-scale problems. At the same time, the effects of these changes will affect entire Japan and the daily lives of each and every one of us living in Aomori. As air and sea water temperatures arise, precipitation patterns change, and as the four seasons shift, the culture and ‘normal daily life’ rooted in the areas will also change. The impact has already begun to be noticeable in the northern country of Aomori. For example, in Aomori Prefecture, which boasts Japan’s largest apple production, especially in the Tsugaru region, apples are connected to every aspect of daily life, however the variety, quality, production volume and the way work is done in the fields are slowly being forced to change due to the effects of climate change.
What do we want to conserve and protect? What can we do to turn a hardship into an opportunity and a change into a turning point? How can we communicate about climate change, which is often perceived as difficult and serious, and lead to actions?
The theme of the talk will be ‘Life in Aomori and climate change’ with a variety of perspectives, including a climate change expert, an apple farmer, a radio host and an artist.
Please come and join us for an inspiring opportunity for the production of the Apple Creative Award ‘HELP Award’ work, and for a chance to discover about Aomori like never before.
[ Talk Event ]
On Sunday 6 October, a diverse panel of speakers will give talks on the HELP Exhibition In AOMORI’s original theme ‘Life in Aomori and climate change.’ Listen to the talks by guests from inside and outside the prefecture and a pause to think about the ways of life in Aomori that you would like to preserve.
DATE: Sunday 6 October 2024, 14:00–15:30
VENUE: Studio B, Hirosaki Museum of Contemporary Art
THEME: Life in Aomori and climate change
SPEAKERS:
Fujino Junichi : Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)
Nakasato Rena : FM Aomori announcer
Toki Akinaga : Apple farmer
Miyazono Yuuka : Artist and creative director of HAKUA for the HELP exhibition
CAPACITY: 50 people (Free of charge)
LANGUAGE: The talk event is in Japanese only.
Fujino Junichi
Principal Researcher. Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES).
Obtained Ph.D from Electrical Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo. He engaged in “Low Carbon Society Scenarios Research Project towards 2050” in Japan and Asia. He was involved in the reconstruction of renewable energy in Fukushima Prefecture after the Great East Japan Earthquake and was also involved in the formulation of the reconstruction plan for Iitate Village.Nowadays he has served as the acting chair of “Decarbonizing Leading Areas” by MoEJ since Jan 2022 (SDG 11).He is the author of many books, including “Manga de wakaru datsutanso” (Understanding Decarbonization through Manga).
Nakasato Rena
FM Aomori announcer.
Born in Aomori City.After graduating from Shukutoku University, she joined FM Nagasaki as an announcer in 2018. Mother of one child. She moved to FM Aomori in her hometown of Aomori in 2020. She is currently the presenter of the Monday noon weather programme Smile (12:00–12:55 every Monday) and Radi mott! Wednesdays (16:50–18:55).
Toki Akinaga
Apple farmer, Representative of Toki Apple Company.
Born in Goshogawara City, Aomori. He was originally engaged in telecommunications technology, but in 2019 he made a U-turn and started working as an apple farmer in his hometown. In particular, he is receiving attention for the development of Toki Cidre, which uses Toki, a yellow apple originating from Goshogawara City. The company is making a significant contribution to the promotion of local agriculture and the creation of new values.
Miyazono Yuuka
Artist and creative director of the HAKUA for the HELP exhibition.
Born in Tokyo and currently resident in Kyoto. After working in product development for a clothing material trading company for about 10 years, she became independent in 2018. While working as a button artist and designer, she is also involved in a wide range of activities, including art direction for brands, exhibition direction and part-time lecturing at art universities. Major awards include the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Prize at the 16th Japan Button Grand Prix in 2010, and the Joshibi Milan Prize in 2012 (she spent a year in Milan, completing her training at the Migliore+Servetto architectural office).
Showcased Works
1. HELP for Animals
Today, about one million species of animals and plants are in danger of extinction, and biodiversity is disappearing at the same rate as during the mass extinction that wiped out the dinosaurs 65.5 million years ago. In this work, these disappearing animals are introduced through plush toys created by Kataoka Meriyasu for this exhibition. The plush toy animals in this exhibition are also available for purchase. Visitors to the exhibition will be able to purchase them via lottery selection after the exhibition is over.
Collaborating artist: Plush Toy Artist Kataoka Meriyasu
2. HELP for Sushi
Sushi, the star of Japanese cuisine, is also suffering from the effects of climate change. More and more fish are expected to disappear due to rising sea water temperatures and ocean acidification, and more detailed research is required. In this work, we created sushi made of resin objects with varying degrees of transparency, relative to the likelihood of their disappearing in the future. This work allows visitors to intuitively feel the effects of climate change that will become apparent in our daily lives.
There will also be a survey of people’s favourite sushi. Just how much of it will still be around in 30 years?
Collaborating Artist: Creative Unit HAKUA
3. HELP for Lake Suwa’s miwatari Ritual
When Lake Suwa in Nagano Prefecture is completely frozen over, the ice breaks apart from the southern toward the northern shore, creating a large vein of icy shards that range from 30 cm to 180cm in height. This is known as miwatari, and the Shinto ritual associated with it is designated as an Intangible Folk Cultural Asset of Suwa City. In recent years, the appearance of miwatari has been decreasing due to climate change. In this work, the exhibition is based on the reflections of Kiyoshi Miyasaka, the chief priest of Yatsurugi Shrine, who assesses the appearance of miwatari, and the records of miwatari that have been meticulously kept since 1683. We hope this exhibition will provide visitors with an opportunity to think not only about Lake Suwa but also about Japan’s disappearing traditional culture.
Featuring: Chief Priest of Yatsurugi Shrine, Miyasaka Kiyoshi
4. HELP for Kombu
Kombu may also disappear due to the effects of climate change. Kombu has long been popular as soup stock and has nurtured Japan’s food culture through the ages. The seaweed beds formed by kombu and other seaweeds are also habitats for many living creatures. Could the disappearance of kombu affect Japan’s food culture or even the spiritual nature of the Japanese people? We asked culinary expert Yoshiharu Doi to answer these questions.
Featuring: Culinary Expert Doi Yoshiharu
Participation in Exhibitions
This exhibition offers a variety of participatory programs to make climate change more accessible and relatable to visitors.
① Join a social experiment in exhibition reuse by taking home exhibits and artwork
We are aware that the exhibition itself consumes energy and generates waste, and we aim to reduce the use of new and discarded materials as much as possible, while sharing the process and methods with as many visitors to the exhibition as possible. During this exhibition, we will conduct a social experiment in collaboration with visitors to reduce waste as much as possible through the reuse of materials, by inviting visitors to purchase or take home the exhibited works and artwork.
The HELP exhibition will become a collaborative project with visitors, as ideas for reusing the exhibits and artwork will increase over time. We hope you will visit the exhibition as many times as you like during the exhibition period.
Note: Some works will be available for purchase for a fee. Rental equipment and other items cannot be taken home.
② Simulated fundraising for the things you want to help
You will be given an original coin at the entrance and are invited to keep it with you as you view the exhibition. At the end of the exhibition, you will be able to put the coin into a donation box for the things you want to help.
You will receive a thank you letter from the item which you donated to, written on the spot by a mechanical pencil.
③Voicemail to the future
As a tool to connect citizens and policy makers, a telephone-like voicemail service allows visitors to use their own voice, like a telephone voicemail, to record their message to policymakers to ask them to protect beautiful local landscapes and a comfortable healthy life for the future generation. The collected messages will be delivered by Greenpeace Japan to legislators, government administrators and other policy makers. More than 50 voice messages were collected during the two days of the Shiga touring exhibition, showing the high level of interest in climate change.
