Takeda ───── That’s the end of the comments on the jurors’ prizes. We would like to receive questions from the audience.

Audience 1 ───── I would like to know more about the trends of contemporary glass works, and common features or differences between Japanese glass works and international glass works seen from Japan and the world.

Laursen ───── Thank you for your question, which I find very important because that’s what we are asking ourselves within the juror all the time. But as you know, it is very hard to get down some very basic trends. So what I just could say briefly is that what we see in Denmark willing new trends is a very very strong sense of experiments. All glass artists are experimenting in materials, in techniques and through this they achieve also interesting new forms, interesting new works. So it is an ongoing process of experiments at this very much felt during the Denish stage.
Another trend is that we see more and more conceptual works, narrative works and sometimes in an installatory way. So more works to build the form narrative.
Finally I should like to point on the fact that there is a shift in the way students are educated. The education is now focused not so much on the hand-made, the craft skill, but more on theory and theoretical and written works. And the course that effects what comes out of the work of the students. This very strong theoretical trends, I’m very interested in seeing how it will lead the way in the years to come.

Carlson ───── Well, I guess in America many of the same issues are explored that you have in the Japanese educational system. And we hopefully see the exception and not necessarily the conformity that will go along with the certain aesthetic. I have to use the exhibition as my model. The two pieces that got the most attention are really atypical, atypical in process but using aesthetic for something that is truly creative and truly inventive. Glass has a long tradition of being an object and long, strong tradition of a certain aesthetic of beauty.
That historic sense of beauty is what we, a kind of, are developing from, but hopefully not abandoning so that the idea of being an inventor and a user of glass with a new vision is quite wonderful and quite a challenge and quite an opportunity.
So as an educator, or as an artist talking to my fellow artists, I try to make sure, as an educator, that you have a good reference to history. Art history as well as glass history and to build upon that opportunity as you could find what you are going to do. And what one does is not always is a product but what one does is explore a relationship with a material.

Takeda ───── Thank you. The question is whether or not you feel a difference among nations and regions as well as nationality.

Zoritchak ───── I don’t feel any differences.

Carlson ───── I hope not. I hope that there is nothing regional. And we all have culture to draw from and we have a shared experience. So I’d like to think that more in common between the nationalities. There are maybe some educational programs that the strong and may influence the trends but as soon as something becomes trends it’s time to move on to the next level of unexpected. And I think that’s universal necessity.

Fujita ───── As I do not know much about the global glass scene, I am afraid I cannot give a clear answer to your question. But for many years at this International Exhibition of Glass, I have seen artists’ originality from all over the world. This time the Executive Committee received more entries from abroad than from Japan. Yet, many works by Japanese artists were selected as prize winners, which indicates that they share many common features. These prize-winning artists work at a high level that is recognised world-wide. Therefore, their works were assessed in the same way by the jurors from Japan as well as jurors from overseas. I do not think that there is anything obviously Japanese or American about the glass works. However, in looking at the two works in front of me, I feel that there is something Japanese about Fujikake’s work. Yet, I cannot express my feeling by means of concepts or words.

Takeda ───── We cannot help looking at other nations and comparing them to Japan. In Europe many countries have land borders. China is the same. Therefore their consciousness of border is quite different from that of Japan. Sometimes one country last year has become two countries this year. In fact, Yan Zoritchak was born in Czechoslovakia, but after he moved to France, his country was separated into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Although each artist naturally has their own culture, history, and artistic sensitivity as their background, that is not the whole world to them. Whether or not they create their works based on their background depends on each artist’s individual point of view. It is not a question of being good or bad. It happens that Japan is located in the Far East and Japanese people tend to be, and have been historically, very much aware of foreign countries. In listening to the jurors’ opinions, I interpreted that you cannot deny the influence of national background but it is not the only influence. Even a small country has its own distinct culture and tradition, and we take it for granted.
Incidentally, we received 374 entries, 233 from other countries and 141 from Japan. The number of entries is always different depending on the size of the country, for example, we received many entries from China.

Audience 2 ───── Thank you for your stimulating and interesting talk today. This year you received a wide variety of works. Some jurors said that glass artists in their countries have sought for new expressions. When the jurors personally select glass works, I think it must be difficult to set your own criteria to assess the work’s novelty and tradition. How do you assess the work when you come across something you have never seen before? For example, the interesting pieces which do not look like glass works. Some have made us question the material of which they are made. As more and more novel works are created, do you assess the works intuitively, or do you always have your standard rules for assessment?

Takeda ───── Your question is what are the jurors’ aesthetic standards and assessment criteria, or do they judge case by case?

Laursen ───── I think we all respond immediately out of our aesthetics or interest. So I think the immediate impression comes first. Afterwards, you can, a sort of , put up ways of qualifications and what you look for. Anyway, while we pass the works and immediately we know what works interest us and afterward why.
I just like your point. In a way, many glass works don’t look like glass. I think that it is interesting. I think this mixing of materials we will see that is interesting to come.

Audience 2 ───── Lastly, what do you expect from young glass artists for the future?

Takeda ───── What do we expect from young people who would like to be glass artists from the point of view of educators and glass artists? Right?

Carlson ───── I think that it requires all of that.
there are many different pathes to follow with any kind of career. And with glass, there is the exhibition and things we have here. But there are many people who are dealing with more traditional aesthetics. So traditions should be respected. But the idea bringing new information to the tradition is what we keep things evolving. It’s too late to do our evolve although many people still deal with art nouveau aesthetics. Modernism, they may say, is dead although many people still are modernists in their aesthetics. And all of those still have a place. The difficulty we have is we are balancing between the aesthetic that is familiar and the kind of surprise that is offered to us. Maybe this isn’t reality but I think that there is a broad opportunity for the best of what we can be done.

Takeda ───── At the end of this special symposium, I would like each juror to give some advice to the contemporary studio glass scene in Japan, Europe, the United States and elsewhere.

Carlson ───── I go back to the word we have “Wabi Sabi” which I think is a real honesty of aesthetics and it’s cultural, historic and it’s something that you can use very well in your career. Now it’s everything, in a way, at least as my interpretation.
So it’s a word that I’m borrowing from Jiri Harcuba.
This sounds too familiar but try to be ambitious and do compromise. But understand what you are and what your invitations might be, and it’s break that sense of talent.

Laursen ───── I would like to stress again the importance of this International Exhibition of Glass Kanazawa because it is hard to be a young craft artist, I know. The most important thing is visibility to have opportunities to show your works to mingle ideas. But the opportunities to show your works and discuss with people outside of the very small glass field. I think this is utmost important. That is the opportunity that Kanazawa offers not only Japanese students but an artist but also internationally. It’s really worth thanking the organizer and the committee and Kanazawa City and Ishikawa Prefecture and everybody who takes part and promotes this to thank really for this wonderful opportunity. So I hope that this competition, this exhibition will go on for ever and that it will attract more and more applicants. Thank you, everyone, for your great work.

Takeda ───── Mr Zoritchak, please.

Zoritchak ───── I’ll leave it to Mr Fujita. I guess he has the same idea as mine.

Fujita ───── I agree with Laursen. I participated in the Final Assessment Panel as a glass artist. I have only one thing to tell glass artists and those who would like to be glass artists. Listen to your inner voice. Only after you feel the impulse, inspiration and emotion, you can express yourself and create your works. How do you grasp such feelings and express yourself in your own way? You have only one goal, and that is to proceed down your own path by your own will.

Takeda ───── Finally, I would also like to say a few words. The world of art acts not only by means of art, but also in relation to politics and economics in our society. Therefore, art is sometimes considered as a business and other times as an art movement only. However, in any case, in any era, people are involved in the activities of art. In looking at the present art fairs in Japan, the United States, and Europe, you come across various glass art projects and events. There are also many exhibitions of glass art at galleries. Their trends are quite different from the trends in the 1980s and 1990s. The era has been passing invisibly very quickly around the world of glass art, pictorial arts, sculpture, and contemporary art. I strongly feel that all artists must proceed on their path wholeheartedly. By doing so, you can leave a superb vestige in history not necessarily quantitatively, but qualitatively.
I have been involved in this exhibition for a long time. There used to be hundreds of entries and it took more than two days to assess the images. Now the number of entries has decreased, so I naturally hope for more entries. However, from the viewpoint of quality, I am sure that more and more works have been refined and many of them are excellent works which I view as art that will stand the test of time. I do not feel pessimistic; I truly hope that the world of glass art will continue in the direction it is moving now.