The Artists Summit, Kyoto was held from Nov. 19-20, 2005 (Sat. and Sun.) at the Kyoto University of Art and Design (KUAD). This program was conceptualized and implemented by artist MIYAJIMA Tatsuo over a 13 year period. The first half of the program featured a core meeting of seven artists from around the world gathering to discuss solutions to the problems directly facing the modern world, such as the endless wars and terrorist attacks, and the more difficult to solve environmental and population problems.
In front of 50 university students, the seven artists began their talks, with Mr. MIYAJIMA acting as moderator. First, following a greeting by KUAD President HAGA Toru inquiring into the relationship between artists and society, Mr. MIYAJIMA threw out a question that has haunted Sartre, Malraux, and other artists of old: Can artists save the world? How should artists exist in society?
The debate proceeded in earnest, despite growing woolly at times. The artists directly talked about war, environmental, and educational issues, and also explained their artistic viewpoint and artwork in addition to giving concrete examples of conditions in their home countries. CAI Guo Qiang, who uses gunpowder to directly involve society in his work, mentioned the creativity of suicide bombing and war in his humorous talk on his creative process. He proposed a “War Biennale” to transfer that negative creativity into positive creativity. Cuban-born KCHO talked about art conditions in Cuba, where there is no “art market”. To him, art is the “chicken soup of the soul” and connects people. Jane ALEXANDER, who came from South Africa to visit Japan for these two days, discussed conditions in her own country, where there is no art education, and discussed the activities of her artist friends and being an artist in a society where you have no special place.
LEE Ufan talked about rethinking what the fundamentals of being an artist like him are, and the need to create without doing - shapeless, effortless art.
Thomas STRUTH pointed out the dangers of casually connecting what artists do to social phenomena. He then carefully talked about his concrete plans, such as “5 Minutes Listen” (a project where everyone around the world is quiet for five minutes and listens to the sound of the world) and creating a declaration.
On the second day, Ann HAMILTON brought up the power of knowledge as a solution, and talked about construction of a “Global Human Archive” so that people could have a chance to meet. TSUBAKI Noboru, who has exhibited in Bangladesh and Palestine and is rather directly involved with social problems, deftly mentioned the problems facing Japanese society while talking about the role of artists as people who can challenge the enormous system alone. The blackboard in the room was filled not only with the details, but also drawings of what was talked about during the meeting and various keywords.
MIYAJIMA, the moderator, didn’t set one direction for the meeting, or even allow the meeting to settle for easy consensus or conclusions. Rather, he created an atmosphere in which each person could speak in his or her own way, and was free to express any idea. In this kind of atmosphere, the artists transcended the title of “artist” and began to move towards talking about how to realize and work towards these solutions as a common person.
As LEE pointed out, the questions of “Can artists save the world” and “How should artists exist in society” to no small extent include the premise of dualism regarding to what extent art is understood at an innermost level and whether it is seen as a social behavior. All artists are locked in a fierce battle with themselves. Every happening in the world is reflected back upon them, and through their own filter they scrutinize and ponder them. It is by nature very sincere, without an ounce of pretense. At this summit the artists asked how they can overcome this dualism of interior and society.
This summit, with its catchphrase “Two days of finding solutions to the dangers facing mankind”, left everyone surprised. However, this was arranged as a litmus test to surpass this dualism. At the closing of the summit, MIYAJIMA said, “I don’t know if we were able to present any solutions through this meeting. Yet, here with us are artists speaking sincerely to the world as people. I think that alone can become a solution in itself.”
The artists discussed the world’s problems at this Artists Summit and presented a declaration. I’m sure this won’t be their last time to do this.
By OKI Michiko, Researcher, Center for Editorial Studies, KUAD

University Students Report

The most impressive thing for me was learning the importance of education and the difficulty of its concept. If it weren’t for education, we wouldn’t be able to talk about all the social problems in the world today. Certainly, we wouldn’t know if art can work towards solving those problems. We must have the strength to see society objectively and a base that can accept diversity to debate at last about social problems and art. In order to build this kind of strength and base, it is necessary to educate children from the family and community level. I thus learned more than ever about the importance of education.
However, it is because we have the ability to question social problems in this way (by listening to a summit such as this and wanting to participate) and there is a base such as this that I can say this. But most people in this world surely still don’t understand why we hold a summit such as this. Under the existing educational system there is no benefit to discussing the future through education and art, and placing any importance on these becomes trivial. The problem is how to get people to see there is limitless possibility hidden underneath in changing from counterproductive to creative. Involving families, nations, and the world in getting over this point is extremely difficult. No matter how much we talk of the importance of education, they can only see the facade. Why do we have to rethink how we perform education? I finally understand the meaning of this question, and can see the direction that I/we must take in society in the future. I think participating in this summit will encourage me.
This summit helped me realize that, whatever the problem, without this process there is no seeing the thread connecting the solution. I wish to thank the artists present who gave me a chance to “think”, as well as to everyone involved with this summit.
This summit enabled artists and so-called “normal people” (a term that will hopefully disappear one day) to whittle away the chasm separating them. I hope that it will continue to be a chance for people to question both society and the world.
By SHIGETOMI Akemi, Ochanomizu University

Top artists from around the world gathered to discuss how the world can shift to peace. Fifty people, including myself, came to witness this meeting, which even the participating artists called crazy. While choosing their words carefully, the artists gave examples of their current work and their thoughts and positions as artists on the difficult problems facing society and the world. Deep reflections, worries, and hesitations came bursting forth, and we faced that moment head on. Although the theme they were challenging was big, the participants created a relaxed atmosphere as they chatted back and forth. On the giant blackboard in the room there were dynamic illustrations alongside the words “Miracle”, “Cooperation”, and “Humildad” (humility), the findings of the meeting. Something as audacious as solving the world’s problems is no easy task. But I think if everyone has humility and cooperates, miracles can happen. That’s where it all begins. The artists here exemplified this - even though they came from different backgrounds, they were able to deepen their mutual understanding together. If anything, this is a fact that will give me courage in life.
By NAKAZONO Ryoko, KUAD