Presentation: Art, Community, and Engagement
Over the past decade, Japan has witnessed a remarkable rise in contemporary art projects across the country, with art increasingly serving as a catalyst for urban regeneration and community revitalisation. What distinguishes many of these initiatives is their departure from conventional museum settings. Instead, they take shape within local communities, abandoned buildings, rural landscapes, and public spaces, often driven by the people who live and work there. This shift challenges established notions of where art belongs, whom it serves, and who has the authority to shape its meaning. Community-based art projects occupy an increasingly influential position in Japan’s contemporary art scene, opening up new perspectives on the relationship between art, place, and society.
In this event, Takashi Serizawa, founder and Director of P3 art and environment, explores the evolution of contemporary art projects in Japan since the 1990s, highlighting innovative initiatives that demonstrate the transformative potential of art beyond institutional boundaries. With extensive experience in the field, Serizawa’s work includes involvement in major projects such as the Beppu Contemporary Art Festival 2009. He also serves as Director of the Asahi Art Festival and brings curatorial experience from the International Triennale of Contemporary Art Yokohama 2005.
Serizawa’s presentation is followed by a discussion with Keith Whittle, International Projects, Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, and Andrea Schlieker, Director of Exhibitions and Displays at Tate Britain and former Curator of the Folkestone Triennial. Together, they examine how community-based art projects reshape the production, presentation, and reception of contemporary art. By considering the possibilities and limitations of these initiatives in relation to conventional museum exhibitions, the discussion explores a central question: Can art rooted in local communities offer a more dynamic, inclusive, and sustainable model for presenting contemporary art?
Andrea Schlieker is a German-born British curator and art historian specialising in contemporary art exhibitions, public art, and large-scale cultural projects. She is Director of Exhibitions and Displays at Tate Britain and is recognised as the founding curator of the Folkestone Triennial, curating its inaugural editions in 2008 and 2011. Her wider experience includes the Fourth Plinth in London’s Trafalgar Square, the British Art Show 6, and major public art commissions such as Antony Gormley’s Angel of the North. She holds a PhD in Art History from the University of Bonn and contributes to international discussions on contemporary art, exhibition-making, and public engagement.
Takashi Serizawa is a Japanese art director, planner, and curator, born in Tokyo in 1951. He is the founder and Executive Director of P3 art and environment, an independent organisation established in 1989 that explores the intersections of contemporary art, the environment, and society.
With a background in mathematics at Kobe University and architecture at Yokohama National University, Serizawa approaches art as a means of connecting place, environment, and community. His major projects include the Tokachi International Contemporary Art Exhibition DEMETER (2002), the Yokohama Triennale 2005, and the Beppu Contemporary Art Festival Mixed Bathing World (2009). He has also played a leading role in the Asahi Art Festival, supporting initiatives that connect artists, local organisations, and communities across Japan.
Year: 2010
Organised by: Keith Whittle and The Japan Foundation
Speaker: Takashi Serizawa, Founder and Director of P3 art and environment
Discussants: Keith Whittle, International Projects, Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design; Andrea Schlieker, Director of Exhibitions and Displays at Tate Britain and former Curator of the Folkestone Triennial
Format: Presentation and panel discussion
Location: The Japan Foundation, London