2011.04.21
Message: OSAKA Eriko, Director General, Yokohama Triennale 2011】
Yokohama Triennale 2011 will not make any changes to its opening dates: August 6 to November 6.
OSAKA Eriko, Director General, releases her response to the Great East Japan Earthquake.
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I would like to extend my heartfelt condolences to all those affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake. It is my sincere wish that life returns to normal as quickly as possible for everyone.
Since commencing preparations last year, it has been a race to try to plan Yokohama Triennale 2011 in time for its August 6 starting date. Now, in the aftermath of an unprecedented disaster and with attention shifting towards reconstruction, we must think about what we can do ‒ and what we should do ‒ in response.
We are filled with appreciation for the messages we have received from the artists, both in Japan and abroad, wishing us encouragement and also reaffirming their commitment to the event. Those messages deepen our awareness of the seriousness of the task we face. Directing our thoughts to those who suffer not just in Japan but around the world through natural disasters and also wars, we know that we must return to the basics. We feel that it is our mission to hold this event and thereby convey to as many people as possible the power of art. As is suggested in the very title of this year’s triennale, “Our Magic Hour: How Much of the World Can We Know?” this world we inhabit is full of wonders. The more we try to understand the world, the more it seems we discover about human folly, ugliness, and at the same time human tolerance and dignity. We also learn that we must humbly accept the immensity of the world and the enigma it contains.
When the pain is too great, when even the act of going about life is a challenge, what art can do in response may well be small. But, when the time comes to renew our life, having survived these testing times, art, in its broadest form, have the power to effect people deeply, to hint at different viewpoints and directions that might be taken.
My wish is that visitors to the Yokohama Triennale 2011 will come away from the event having experienced a time apart, a time of exploring the wonders of human existence and creativity.
OSAKA Eriko
Director General Yokohama Triennale 2011
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