Appendix : Art Setouchi 2022 04.Work (Japan)

2022-12-26

As Art Setouchi enters its 5th and 12th year, how would the relationships between volunteers and work or between livelihoods and new businesses change?

See the art tour by a volunteer, who explains on Rikuji Makabe's artwork, in Ogijima island.
https://goo.gl/maps/GDueASB5m1Nz7onp8

Where is the line between volunteering and work? At many art festivals, artists produce artwork on a volunteer-like fee in exchange for the honor of participating, except for the special-feature artists, and many volunteers support the on-site operations. Even the Art Setouchi, which has grown to an economic effect of 1 million tourists and 20 billion Japanese yen for 12 years from the first festival, depends on much volunteer-like work. The prefectural government doesn't provide project expenses that match the economic effect, the operating body thinks that the festival is a social service project, and artists accept cheap fees due to their weak status and the art festival's dissemination effect. Now it is time to turn the art festival into a proper business.

And the relationship between traditional livelihood and new business. In the past 12 years, small new tourism businesses have grown in the islands in the eastern area of the festival near the prefecture capital, Takamatsu. Ogijima island is the place with the most change, where as of 2022 there are 10 restaurants and cafes for a population of 170. The island probably has the most restaurants per capita in Japan. Those new businesses are mainly carried out by immigrants and U-turners, meanwhile, the traditional means of livelihood of the islanders, such as fishing and agriculture, are declining. The life and landscape of the island were formed by their means of livelihood. I wish to avoid the situation where most islanders close their means of livelihood and shift to tourism, and all private houses become cafes or guesthouses. The next step would be that tourism contributes to the innovation of means of livelihood as the island's identity.

Due to the inconvenience of transportation from Takamatsu, new busines and means of livelihood are not active on the islands in the western area. The exception is Ibukijima island, which earns about 1 - 2 billion Japanese yen a year from the production of Japan's finest dried anchovies. Therefore, those concerned with the fishing industry have little interest in the art festival. However, the catch and population are declining, so innovation for the future should be urgent. Then, the connection with art festivals and tourism must open up a new perspective. My friend's islanders started to re-cultivate a white potato that was a specialty and make sweets. It is a small step in revitalizing the means of livelihood, triggered by the art festival.