sa Sound Arts vol.3

XEBEC SoundCulture Membership Magazine

Kobe After The Quake

There has been a lot of big news about Japan this year, and many people have already forgotten the Great Hanshin Earthquake and immersed themselves in other news. However, here in the quake-stricken area, the sight of each blue tarpaulin, pile of rubble, and person wearing a backpack causes daily pangs in the heart.

Part of the project to reconstruct Kobe involves the activities of artists. There is a movement by C.A.P. (The Conference on Art and Art Projects), which includes artists such as SUGIYAMA Tomoko, TSUBAKI Noboru, and FUJIMOTO Yukio, to build a contemporary art center in the former foreign settlement of Kobe, and make the streets themselves into an art museum. The aim of the project is to create an area that works as an incubator for art, and plans are being made to preserve the appearance of the streets so that the charm of the neighborhood isn't lost in the rush to rebuild. A musician living in France, Barre PHILLIPS, also held an event called "Acte Kobe" in Marseilles beginning on April 9. More than 150 of Phillips's friends from a variety of fields participated, and the proceeds will be donated to artists in Kobe. The event continued until June 9, and preparations are now apparently underway by a different producer to hold a similar event in Switzerland. The effects of the earthquake are still evident everywhere, but in the hearts and minds of people, there is already a sense of joy and an expansive vision for the future. I sincerely hope human history proceeds in this direction.
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