Megijima Cultural Festival and Artist Workshop at Uno Port
【Megijima】The 28th Megijima Cultural Festival took place on March 2 (Sat)!
The Koebi-tai had their works displayed, helped set up the venue, and provided assistance in operation and clean-up on that day. We played a particularly important role in enlivening the cultural festival by making a splendid flower arrangement.
This year, we asked a local man on the island to help us find a plum tree to be used for the flower arrangement. The local man and two Koebi-tai staff members have become plum tree hunters. One day, we looked up at trees in the mountain of Megijima. “Is that tree good?” We headed down the pathless path, and secured a very fine plum tree.
On the day before the cultural festival, we helped prepare the venue and display the exhibits. The center of the venue was impressively decorated with the flower arrangement made of the plum tree.
Then, the cultural festival started.
On that day, a small pop-up market was organized, centered on local restaurants on the island. The Koebi-tai also participated, and prepared sweets and dressing from Shima Kitchen, as well as roppōyaki sweets from Oshima.
Locals from Megijima prepared bread, baked goods, oden, and “ogre soup” (pork soup with dango dumpling). Everyone was looking forward to the island’s vegetables; mushrooms were also available and it was a great success.
Moreover, there was a puffed rice machine near the entrance of the venue. Every time the puffed rice snack was ready it made a loud “Don!” sound. While the sound startled us all day long, seeing everyone enjoyably stuffing their mouths with the snack also made us pleased.
The exhibits displayed at the cultural festival were full of masterpieces! Members from the Koebi-tai and the Setouchi Triennale Executive Committee also had their works exhibited, while visitors appreciated the displays with great interest.
The cultural festival was held for about four hours on that day, where everyone from the island got together, enjoyed the works with smiling faces, and chatted while shopping at the pop-up market. Once again, we recognized our wish that this cultural festival will continue forever.
【Uno】Helping in Bicycle Disassembling Workshop of Atsushi Ozawa’s Beyond the Last Stop on March 2 (Sat).
Beyond the Last Stop is an artwork for which ten abandoned bicycles have been recycled into new ones by heating, hammering, and welding the iron parts. Atsushi Ozawa, an artist who excels at working with iron, created this artwork for the Triennale in 2016. The bicycles are on display next to Uno Station, while they are also for rent and can be ridden on. Moreover, if you look closely, you will find names such as KOJIMAMARU, SETOMARU, IYOMARU and TOSAMARU at the top of the rear wheel of each of these bicycles. In addition, these bicycles have been painted in a way to reflect the color of each of the train ferries of the past. This artwork is filled with our thoughts of the train ferry route that once connected Uno Station to Takamatsu Station over the Inland Sea.
This bicycle in light blue is SANUKIMARU.
Maintenance, such as parts replacement. However, due to their exposure to the sea breeze and sun, these bicycles had become quite worn out. Therefore, while disassembling the bicycles for maintenance, we also decided to repaint them so as to enhance the image of the train ferries. This time, before repainting, the Koebi-tai helped in a workshop where the bicycles were disassembled.
Images of the artwork after repainting were displayed at the workshop venue,
“You can make it and disassemble the bicycle!” Some children responded, “Let me try!” All of a sudden, the work area transformed into a place full of life. Of course, grown-ups also joined us! The Koebi-tai helped invite workshop participants, introduce the artwork, and disassemble the bicycles. A Koebi-tai member has been working with Mr. Ozawa for over ten years since the Triennale in 2013, and we have witnessed their wonderful collaboration again and again.
The workshop lasted for two hours. Before that, we wondered if would be too difficult to disassemble all the ten bicycles within the given time, but we finished the task even before we realized that.
After that, we uploaded the bicycle parts, which were to be transported to the exhibition venue next to Uno Station, then we called it a day!
Later, Mr. Ozawa continued working on the bicycles beside Uno Station for about a week, removing rust, repainting, replacing parts, before reassembling the bicycles.
After finishing the repaint, please come and see the bicycles, and try riding them!
Go Beyond the Last Stop as many times as you like!
