2022年6月28日（火）から7月7日（木）にかけて開催された国際カンファレンス「だれもが文化でつながる国際会議」。東京国立博物館で開催された国際会議と並行し、7月3日（日）から7日（木）までの間、東京都美術館を会場に【国際会議（分科会）】、【ショーケース（展示会）】、【短期集中キャンプ「共鳴する身体」成果展示】、【ネットワーキング（ブース・プレゼンテーション、グループ・ミーティング）】が行われ、世界各国の企業や団体により展開されているさまざまな取り組みが紹介されました。
ここでは、【①国際会議編】につづき、【ショーケース（展示会）】を中心にレポートします。
"Innovation Design Exhibition" Introduces Cutting-Edge Accessibility Technologies
The "Innovation Design Exhibition," a showcase that introduces the current state of social inclusion through arts and culture, mainly introduced cutting-edge technologies and products developed through inclusive design, in which people with disabilities themselves are involved in the design process.
Exiii Design is a design agency founded by Tetsuya Konishi. Through collaboration with disabled users and people in various fields, we have developed the WF01TR athletic wheelchair, C-FREX long-leg orthosis for people with spinal cord injury, and HACKberry, an open source prosthetic arm, to propose new lifestyles and mobility for the future.
HACKberry is an open source prosthetic arm that provides the necessary data, such as the shape, foundation, and programming, for free. Users can customize the prosthesis to suit themselves, and it is now possible to make a myoelectric prosthesis, which normally costs about 1.5 million yen, for about 50,000 yen. Today, engineers and users around the world are adding new features and designs, and even customizing it to a child's size.
Junichi Kanabako, an associate professor at the Kobe University of Arts and Sciences, is a musical instrument interface researcher who is developing a "co-play instrument" that allows people with and without visual or hearing disabilities to play and feel together. "Touch the sound picnic" is a tool that you can touch the sound by turning the megaphone-shaped body in the direction of the sound and pressing a button. The "Mountain Guitar" is a guitar that allows you to change the pitch simply by changing the height or direction of the instrument. Even people with disabilities can play intuitively.
OriHime is an alter-ego robot developed by OriR & D Co., Ltd. OriHime is equipped with a camera and microphone so that people with disabilities or who are unable to leave home can operate OriHime from home. On the day of the interview, Mr. Ito, who is receiving treatment at home for cancer, remotely controlled OriHime and explained to the visitors.
The café "Alter-ego Robot Cafe DAWN ver.β", where people who are unable to go out work by remotely controlling the robot, OriHime, won the "Prix Ars Electronica 2022 " in the digital community category at the international media art festival Ars Electronica.
"Archive Exhibition" introducing various efforts of cultural institutions in Asia
Also in the showcase is the "Archive Exhibition," which introduces the activities of cultural institutions and organizations spread across Asia. Although their subjects and purposes are different, each institution proposed new approaches to various social issues, and we were able to see new possibilities for cultural institutions.
Opened in 2018, the National Human Rights Museum of Taiwan (NHRM) is Asia's first museum with the words "state" and "human rights" in its name. NHRM is also active in the Asia-Pacific region (FIHRM-AP) of the International Federation of Human Rights Museums (FIHRM), and as part of this project, "Ayo! Ayo! Tomorrow will surely be a good day. Special exhibition on the human rights of migrant workers" was held from October 2021 to March 2022. The exhibition showed how the exhibition on the theme of migrant workers was born and held, together with the contents of the exhibition and the process leading up to it.
Indonesia's "Struggles for Sovereignty: Land, Water, Farming, Food (SFS)" is a collective of artists, curators and other specialists. This exhibition introduces the activities of the people living in the area where cacao trees grow through the documentary film "How to Make Chocolate," which describes the journey of the people to recover the ancient farming methods, techniques, and knowledge of cacao that were lost to the latest Western technology during the colonial period, as well as through the films of conversations and interviews with the residents centered on art.
また、会場となった東京都美術館の活動についての展示スペースも。同館は、2012年のリニューアルオープン時にハード面にユニバーサルデザインを取り入れ、さらに一般から集まったアート・コミュニケータ（とびラー）とともに活動を行う「とびらプロジェクト」をスタート。ほかにも、上野にある他の美術館や文化施設と提携して行っている子どもたちのためのプログラム「Museum Start あいうえの」やシニアの方々を対象にした「Creative Ageing ずっとび」など、同館が展覧会事業と並行し展開しているアート・コミュニケーション事業について紹介しました。
Exhibits of workshop results and a corner introducing activities of various organizations are also available.
In addition to the showcase, a corner was set up to display the results of the "Resonant Body" training camp. This was a five-day workshop where people with disabilities, different cultures, languages and ways of thinking worked together to come up with new ways of enjoying art and culture.
The participants, who were recruited from the public, worked together to create prototypes through lectures by guest lecturers and group work, and exhibited the new instruments they had devised.
"Onomatopet" is a speech bubble interface that can be enjoyed by both hearing and hard of hearing people. When you touch the onomatopoeia on the tablet, the onomatopoeia conveys the image of the onomatopoeia through vibration, vision, and sound.
"Cookie House" is a musical instrument that changes from the soundscape of a busy house to the soundscape of a quiet house when touched by a sensor. Popcorn produces a pop-pop-pop sound similar to when popcorn is being made. The cute design that can be displayed in a corner of the room is also the focal point of this item.
In addition, a networking program will be held in which hosts selected from the public will hold presentations and meetings. At the booth presentation, 23 organizations, including cultural organizations, NPOs, and creators from Japan and overseas, set up booths to introduce their activities to visitors.
Over 100 groups of experts, organizations, and creators from 5 countries and regions around the world gathered in Tokyo for the "International Conference Where Everyone Can Connect Through Culture". Through the intensive program, various knowledge was exchanged and new cooperation was born. It was a 10 day period in which I realized once again the importance of mutual understanding and connection toward the realization of a symbiotic society.
Reporting and text by Urashima Shigeyo