Traditions and renewal
Chikako Watanabe, City Farm Sugoroku (2005)
In Holland, Watanabe based works on encounters with people in different – everyday – situations. First and foremost she was curious about local and traditional customs, which for her as an outsider aren't that customary at all.
In 1996, Chikako Watanabe from Japan came to the Netherlands to study at the Sandberg Institute in Amsterdam. She experienced the problems of living in another culture where a language was spoken that was unknown to her. In Japan, ever since her collaboration with the multi-disciplinary artists' group Dumb Type, Watanabe had already shown great interest in communication and contact. Her move to a foreign country only strengthened this interest; the fear of not being able to communicate as well as the search for ways to communicate despite language barriers reverberated in her work.
With another artist of Japanese origin, Tomoko Take, she collaborated under the name Chiko & Toko. In 2000, their Kitchen project formed part of the exhibition Ideas for Living II at Museum De Paviljoens.
In 2003, for the exhibition BLACK MY STORY, Watanabe researched rural traditions in Flevoland that – once conquered upon the sea – is urbanising at a rapid pace. She investigated the creation of new cities such as Almere and the disappearance of old crafts. In Almere, Watanabe was introduced to the cheese farm, amongst other things, which has since disappeared. She learned how to make cheese herself, spicing it with wasabi.
The installation that she made for BLACK MY STORY, entitled Chikahome -2003/Almere/NL, is part of an international project that she has executed in various locations. In the Chikahome projects, Watanabe combines different disciplines from different countries: songs, traditional crafts and food and drink are part of these installations as well. During her research for BLACK MY STORY, Watanabe was also introduced to Almere's city farm, an organic farm that has been in the city since 1996. In 2005 this farm, which is the only one of its kind in Holland, became the point of departure for a new work by Watanabe: on the basis of the origins and history of the City Farm she developed the Stadsboerderij Sugoroku (City Farm Sugoroku).
City Farm Sugoroku
The age-old Japanese dice game Sugoroku takes a life course or series of important events as a starting point. Over the years, this game has taken on different forms and thus is a reflection of the customs, habits and values in a certain era. In the Stadsboerderij Sugoroku (City Farm Sugoroku), Watanabe has depicted the reality of an Almere farm on a playing field of 8 by 5 metres. By playing the game, members of the public can immerse themselves in the City Farm's situation: from negotiations with the Municipality of Almere about land and complaints about the cow path to successfully growing organic onions and the exuberant harvest festival.
With the Stadsboerderij Sugoroku (City Farm Sugoroku), Watanabe once again targets multiple senses: before the game is played, every visitor chooses an organic vegetable from the City Farm; after the game is finished one can taste a touch of Flevoland in the soup that is made from this variety of vegetables.
Annick Kleizen
Chikako Watanabe, Stadsboerderij Sugoroku (City Farm Sugoroku)
Chikako Watanabe, 1969 Aichi, Japan
Stadsboerderij Sugoroku (City Farm Sugoroku), 2005
performance/installation
variable dimensions
acquisition 2005, Museum De Paviljoens
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