“The International Exhibition of Glass Kanazawa 2010”, the 11th Exhibition, drew 470 works from 39 nations and regions. At the Preliminary Slide Assessment on April 28, 2010, 74 works from 21 countries were selected. Then 72 works from 21 countries were submitted. At the Final Assessment on July 8, 2010, 17 prize winning pieces were selected. This Special Roundtable Discussion held on July 9, 2010 provided an opportunity to report the results of the Final Assessment. Each juror gave his comments on the prize winning pieces. They also reviewed the exhibition as a whole and made suggestions and advices. The Grand Prize and Gold Prize winning pieces were displayed in the middle of the venue. Other prize winning pieces were introduced on the screen.

Opening and Introduction

［Boda (MC)］ Good morning ladies and gentlemen. We would like to begin the Roundtable Discussion for “The International Exhibition of Glass Kanazawa 2010”. I’m Kazuo Boda, the Managing Director of the Design Center Ishikawa and the Deputy Chairperson of the Executive Committee of the Exhibition. I hope this Roundtable Discussion will be stimulating for all the participants.
I’d like to introduce all the jurors.
This is Professor Atsushi Takeda, an art critic. This is Professor Naoto Yokoyama, a glass artist. Next this is Professor Jiri Harcuba from Czech Republic. Next this is Professor Jor gen Schou-Christensen from Denmark. And this is Professor William Douglas Carlson from the US. All the jurors, thank you very much for coming to Kanazawa all the way from your countries. I’d like to thank you again for judging the works at the Final Assessment. Ms Yoshiko Hayakawa will be our interpreter.

Report on the Procedure

［Boda (MC)］ We’d like to explain the outline and procedure of the exhibition.
This time we received 470 entries from 39 nations and regions. On April 28, 2010 the Preliminary Slide Assessment was performed by four jurors, Professor Atsushi Takeda, an art critic and the Visiting Professor of Tama Art University, Mr Jun Fujita, a glass artist, the Chairperson of the Japan Glass Artcrafts Association, Ms Yoriko Mizuta, the Executive in charge of Arts and Cultures, the Cultural Affairs and Sports Division, the Office of Education, Hokkaido Government, and Professor Ryoichi Komatsu, the Director of the Kanazawa Utatsuyama Craft Workshop and the Deputy Chairperson of the Design Center Ishikawa.
The assessment was very strict and severe in selecting. Finally, 74 works from 21 countries were selected. Then 72 works were submitted from 21 countries to the Exhibition Secretariat.
At the Final Assessment held yesterday all the prize winning pieces were selected. It was a difficult task for the jurors to select limited number of winning pieces out of many excellent works. The Grand Prize and Gold Prize winning pieces are displayed just in front of you. Other prize winning pieces are in the list on the table and later on the screen. We’d like Professor Atsushi Takeda to be a modulator for the discussion. He played a role as chairperson for both assessment panels. We’d like him to briefly report the Preliminary Slide Assessment. Then comments on the works will be from each juror. At the end of the discussion each juror will make comments on the Final Assessment and advices and opinions for young artists.

Results of the Assessments

［Takeda］I would like to begin the Roundtable Discussion as a modulator. I would like to explain briefly about the Preliminary Slide Assessment. As usual all the jurors started looking at the images of the applicants’ works. Evaluating artistic works only by looking at their images is very difficult in many ways, which is universal, though. We had to understand various conditions including structures and lighting of each glass work in advance. While we were looking at the images, the secretariat staff reported each artist’s comments and data. We carefully evaluated the images one by one. It took us almost the whole day to get to the conclusion. Finally, 74 works were selected.
Yesterday we conducted the Final Assessment. As a juror for the Preliminary Slide Assessment, I felt responsible for our evaluation. I was worried whether or not there could be a gap between the images and real works. I was relieved that there was no significant gap. Moreover, most of the submitted woks have impact, a dominating presence, vitality, and attractive form and design. Some are even refined and sophisticated.
At the Final Assessment we evaluated all the submitted works with the same conditions. Each juror has his own cultural background: from Czech Republic, Denmark, Japan, and the US. We decided to express ourselves as honestly as possible. Each prize winning piece was selected after our active discussion. The first step was that each juror had eight cards, three 10-point cards for extraordinarily excellent works and five 5-point cards for excellent works. This scoring procedure was for our discussion later. We carefully and honestly discussed each work with a card or cards one by one. Thus we decided all the prize winning pieces finally.

I would like each juror to make comments on each prize winning piece. The Grand Prize and Gold Prize winning works are just in front of you. Other prize winning pieces will be on the screen.
First, we would like to start with the Grand Prize. Its artist is Takeshi Ishizeki from Kanagawa prefecture. Professor Harcuba and I will make comments.
I happened to come across Ishizeki’s works at the beginning of this year. I felt something unconventional about his works. He makes a frame with wires and applies thin meshed glass onto it. Other than this work, he has made unusual, abstract form for his works. I had never seen a work like this. This work looks fragile and has mysterious texture as if a human skin. It also looks flexible. It is hollowed. I feel that the artist’s humble personality has created this unconventional, mysterious piece. I appreciate his novelty and originality.
Next, Professor Harcuba, please.