中村 亮一

Since 2015, I have been working on a piece called "A Study of Identity" in order to understand minority groups, who are becoming less visible in modern society, as something that concerns me personally. The reason I started working on this theme was because of the unintentional prejudice and discrimination I experienced as a minority while living in Berlin from 2003 to 2008. I was also strongly influenced by my experience running the alternative space, Bashhaus, with support from the Gregor Gleichfeld Foundation in Berlin for the purpose of cultural exchange activities with the local community. Bashhaus was located in an area where Turkish immigrant families, isolated from German society, lived together. Being on the fringes of two separated societies, made me seriously think about what an artist can do for society. From 2015 to 2016, I received a grant for overseas training for young artists from the Pola Art Foundation, and received training in historical research on Japanese Americans during World War II and how to express social issues in my work. I started the series "A Study of Identity" to deepen my understanding of minorities by learning about the complex and unstable identity of Japanese Americans during the war. In recent years, I have adopted a collaborative production style, based on the idea that communication with the viewer is more important than appreciation in the intervention of art in society. I am active in the hope that by participating in the production, people will gain a deeper awareness of minority people who are difficult to see in the society in which we live.