Takeda ─────That is all for jurors’ comments on prize winners.

We have a little more time, so I would like each juror to talk about the International Glass Exhibition as a whole. After that, I would like to receive questions from the audience.

 

Carlson ───── As I said before, the opportunity to be a part of this is quite important for the people who are artists,participants, glassmen because we all have aspirations that most of us knew. And it is important for somebody like me who have a chance to be a juror and share what experience I have. As I was developing my career, I tried always to be a part of the exhibitions, put myself on a line, and have my work evaluated in comparison to my peers.

As we see these opportunities, we are then judged by a set of jurors and our peers. We have a chance to learn. I think you cannot shy away from this kind of exposure. You may be a shy person, but your art will speak for you. Try to tell your friends, your fellow artists to understand the value of this. Our business is about visuals and about being seen.

Opportunities like this are aware and so important as you develop your career and style of work, change, and mature.

Also I understand that the Design Center Ishikawa and the people have put a lot into this. So do people who have handled the glass, you have set the glass, jurors who are here. It is quite an international event. It is really the only event of this kind at this point. So cherish that experience.

One more thing, make sure you pack your pieces carefully so we do not have broken pieces during the next exhibition because it is very sad to see someone’s wonderful efforts and energy compromise because of the breakage. Call me if you want to learn how to pack your pieces.

 

Laursen ───── Appreciating craft is really about opening your mind, opening your senses, and opening, first of all, your eyes. Its visuality of craft and, of course, glass is what we have talked about today.

The International Exhibition of Glass here in Kanazawa is a fantastic possibility for the public for the makers for the artists for museum people for everyone to get acquainted with what is going on on the glass scene and to see how many folds and bloat it has developed the last years.

I can speak for myself that coming to Kanazawa, coming to Japan, and seeing so many works by very good Japanese glass artists really have opened my eyes to best understanding what glass can be.

I come from Denmark as you have been told and in Denmark we know and have known for years Mr Fujita and his fantastic work. In some of the museums I have been working in and I have looked well at all these pieces for many years. Now, to see how many diverse Japanese glass scene has become is really something.

I shall bring back information of what I have seen here and I hope very much to see many Japanese glass artists and students coming to Denmark. There are possibilities for meeting Danish glass people. I think that this coming together is important for the works of art, but it is very important to bring people together. That is how things become more vivid. That is great inspiration. So this international exhibition here in Kanazawa is very important step for future communication, and I hope that this will really grow in the years to come. Thank you very much for this opportunity. I am sure that the exhibition which will take place very soon in autumn here will have this inspirational power in it to appeal interest to everyone who is working for the glass.

Just one thing more as Mr Carlson would say, I have a practical remark. Today, communication is, of course, much easier. We had the net that combines everyone and I know for sure that most Danish institutions and glass people have their web sites and have their information about a lot of things. So try the net.

 

Yokoyama ───── I am happy to have met excellent works this time, too. At first glance, I decided top prize winners. When I assess art works, I usually look for good points of each work. When it is difficult to do so, I assess each work from the perspective of creativity and originality in glass art. I truly enjoyed the Final Assessment by having active discussion.

Lastly, I would like to report something important to you. I am sorry that some excellent works are difficult to display upright, some unstable, and some very fragile. Those who handle each work had difficulty in displaying them. As artists they should be aware of those who handle their works and those who come and enjoy the works. Thank you.

 

Takeda ─────Thank you for your comments and advices. I would also like to tell you something. These few years we have seen the results of what art colleges and research centers have conducted for a few decades in Japan. It is obvious that Japanese glass artists’ works have been well accepted because the works have reached a high degree of perfection and diversity. The Preliminary and Final Assessments have proved the fact. I am afraid that in Japanese glass scene museums and organizers of glass exhibitions have not been so active as before due to the trend of the times. I hope that Japanese glass scene will be more active again. It is important for glass artists to focus on their course of originality.That is what I truly expect.

As Professor Carlson and Professor Laursen mentioned,glass art have been the unique borderless world of fine art.International exchanges have been quite difficult in the field of paintings, sculptures, and arts and crafts due to geographical difficulty in Japan. However, in the field of glass art they can communicate through works and peers. I hope Japanese glass artists take it for granted that they will compete with peer artists from any other countries. I think that the organizers have the same expectation. Glass art as well as glass artists will be more globalized and they will feel as if they were members of the earth. Glass has the potential to have the artists play a role on the world stage. I recommend you are aware of this particular point and develop your works.