INTRODUCTION
We spend one third of our lifetime working. Labour is a type of activity that is immensely meaningful for us, but it has become such a self-evident part of daily life we rarely face situations that inspire us to think about its meaning. Even when we are forced to look for a new job, our mind is so busy finding one that we have little time to sit back and reflect on its meaning. There is no illness diagnosed as ‘disability to finding the meaning of living and working’ that allows access to doctors and therapists who can provide necessary care and support; therefore, it is very limited unless you are diagnosed with a mental disorder. Given the consequences, we launched Jobcentre Hongo, an exhibition acting as an alternative jobcentre that offers people to reflect upon the meaning of working today.
At first, those who visit Jobcentre Hongo watches a series of interviews compiled by the artist based on the meaning of working before the interview take place. At the interview, visitors share and reflect their meaning of working to one of the Agency staff. All interviews are filmed which visitors can choose to play at the exhibition if they wish to.
Based on the TOKAS Hongo building which was originally established in the early Showa period as a jobcentre, it operated as a live artwork for 1.5 month through the process of listening to others, speaking to others and building archives about the purpose of working.
Exhibition
11:00-19:00, 5 February – 21 March 2022*
Closed on Mondays except the last day
*Exhibition has ended
Interviews are open every Thursday to Sunday and Public Holidays
13:30 / 14:00 / 14:30 / 15:00 / 15:30 / 16:00 / 16:30 / 17:00 / 17:30 / 18:00
Booking in advance required: https://artsticker.app/share/events/1056
Venue
Tokyo Arts and Space Hongo (TOKAS Hongo) Space B (2F)
2-4-16 Hongo Bunkyo Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
Phone: +81(0)3 5689 5331
* The exhibition is part of ACT (Artist Contemporary Tokas) Vol. 4.
* The TOKAS Hongo building was erected in 1928 as part of Tokyo City’s reconstruction project after the Great Kanto Earthquake. It initially served as a jobcentre, before being transformed into a public vocational guidance centre in 1949. Having functioned as a training school for several decades, it finally reopened in 2001 as an art centre.
Admission
Free
* Booking is required for interviews (not required for general admission)
Duration
60 minutes including the interview
Capacity
One person per slot for the interview
HOW IT WORKS
1. Plan your visit
If you booked a slot in advance for the interview, you will be interviewed by the Agency ‘staff’ of the Hongo Employee Agency. Booking is not required for viewing the exhibition.
2. Understanding the context
Find out about the history behind the building of TOKAS Hongo and how it relates to the artist’s intention to the artwork.
3. Watch the videos
A series of recorded interviews are played on screen in loop. Introduced by his friends who they would like to listen to the stories behind their meaning of working, the artist held interviews with people who he met for the first time. The interviewees were also selected considering the ratio of occupation in the national census.
4. Interview with the staff
While watching the videos, you will be greeted by the Agency ’staff’ and takes you to the interview room. Visitors can view the room if the interviews are not taking place.
5. Recording the interview
After the introductions, the staff will take you next door with cameras and lightings to record the interview. If you wish to, your video will be shown as a part of the exhibition and shared using online platform that is exclusive to visitors who attended the interviews.
Poultry farming, Kyoto prefecture, male in his 40s
Hospital general affairs, Okayama prefecture, women in their 20s
Interview question
1.What kind of work are you doing now?
2.What value does the job provide to people and society?
3.What does that job mean for your life?
ARTIST
Daisuke Nakazawa
Daisuke is an artist who listens to small and individual stories that are hidden behind our daily lives, such as people, places, society and customs, and reconstructs the collected stories to connect the dots. In 2015, Daisuke graduated from a Masters degree in Narrative Environments at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London. Based on his background in theatre, architecture, and cultural anthropology, he develops participatory works for participants to experience and discover an alternative perspective of the everyday. Daisuke is a founding member of an artist collective Pepin Structural Designs since high school founded in 1999. Their early works focused on creating theatrical performances, whereas recent works include performative interventions that are specific to people and spaces, using the cityscape as a backdrop.
architectingstories.com
‘STAFF MEMBERS’ OF JOBCENTRE HONGO
This exhibition invites professionals who work in social care and listening, or someone who is in search for their purpose of working, to operate an alternative jobcentre which took place for 1.5 month. The staff members took turns to hold 1-to-1 recorded interviews with the visitors and reflect upon the meaning of working.
Momoko Yajima
Working as a freelance writer with her passion in interviewing and writing, Momoko also works alongside as a social care worker and advisor specialised in poverty and abuse. She pursues active listening and open dialogue through both streams of work.
Ohashi Tsutomu
Based on his personal experience and witnessingworkplace harassment while working at a major company, he left his job before retirement and now works as a freelance counsellor and lecturer to make better workplace environment.
Chieri Miura
After the pregnancy and childbirth during her Masters, followed by several years of child raising, Chieri struggled seeking for jobs within the employment system where new graduates being typically favoured in industries. Having worked in a company for few years, she currently explores her future through this project while being a housewife.
Rumi Takata
After working in a company and being a housewife, Rumi completed her Masters in thanatology (the scientific studies of death). She continues to explore her research in how people accept life and death through active listening and open dialogue, such as ‘death café’ where people talk about death and ‘storytelling of illness’.
Haruka Toyoshima
Working as a stage actress and a film script writer, Haruka recently focuses her approach in script writing by listening to the participating performers about their everyday life and capturing ideas based on its stories.
Yukiko Watanabe
After working in a company and child raising abroad, Yukiko achieved a certificate in grief care and graduated her Masters in Tokyo. She practices active listening in stillbirth during perinatal period as well as listening support for home-visit nursing.
CREDIT
Concept and direction: Daisuke Nakazawa
Cast: Momoko Yajima, Tsutomu Ohashi, Chieri Miura, Rumi Takata, Haruka Toyoshima and Yukiko Watanabe
Research: Takeshi Okahashi
Online experience: Takaaki Sukegawa (Penne)
Filming and lighting support: Ryo Mikami
Set design and construction: HIGURE 17-15 cas
Photo: Ken Kato, photo courtesy of Tokyo Arts and Space
Special thanks: Sotaro Ota, Hiroko Haji, Yugaku Ikawa, Teruyuki & Eriko Kuchu, Yusuke Satomi, Mashu Ohashi, Yuta Ishii, Naoki Yamamoto and Yukie Nagasawa
ACT (Artist Contemporary TOKAS) Vol. 4
Organiser: Tokyo Arts and Space, Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture
Exhibition coordinator: Junko Ono, Makiko Tsuji (TOKAS)
