Saloon Tokyo was organised in January 2017 by extrapole in collaboration with Yuka Sugiyama
In the theme of “Challenge The Method”, we would like to focus on the relationship between “Community” (as a group sharing a common thing, purpose or method) “Art” and “Participants”(as individuals). The “Community”, where we belong, subsumes “Art” at various social, political and economical levels. On the other hand, we are the “Participants” of “Art”, who have a different opinion and idea. The difference gives us a chance to reconsider the system of the “Community” from the view of the “Participants” as an audience, creator, researcher, critic and so on.
In recent years, following Europe, the number of art works, events, and festivals committing to the relationship of “Community/Art/Participants” are increased in Japan. This kind of movement appeared repeatedly in art history; 1920s, 70s, and now. However it is not only the repetition of the past. We can say it something appeared from the necessity of our situation now. Here we think that the new methods; way of community management, artist’s creation and distribution, and participation, were questioned now to reflect to the situation.