TERRADA ART AWARD 2023 Entries Open on November 21st

Yukie Kamiya (Art Critic, Independent Curator)

Experiencing the unexpected, being cut off from the vastly interconnected wider world we had always known, has allowed us to reconsider our previous values. It is also time to reconsider and question realities that have gone overlooked in the past, such as racial and gender inequalities. This award presents a great opportunity to support new talent, and I look forward both to viewing the burgeoning potential in each work and to seeing how each of you endeavor to break new ground socially through your artistic expression.

Takahiro Kaneshima (Art Producer & Visiting Professor of Kyoto University of the Arts)

Continuing from TERRADA ART AWARD 2021, I have agreed to serve on the final jury for TERRADA ART AWARD 2023 once again. I look forward to seeing a line-up of even more fantastic works than last time. The works submitted are assessed from various perspectives by a panel of highly individual jury members, and the particular nature of TERRADA ART AWARD makes this system so unique. This is a great opportunity to view your work objectively, and I would urge everyone to give it a go and take the plunge.

Daito Manabe (Founder of Rhizomatiks, artist, interaction designer, programmer, and DJ)

I have accepted the jury this time, and I look forward to receiving submissions of works that do not fit the conventional framework, are challenging to categorize, and think outside the box. I hope to see a wide variety of entries, so I encourage everyone to apply. Thank you.

Yuki Terase (Art Intelligence Global Founding Partner)

When TERRADA ART AWARD started again last year, the award received entries from many artists despite the unprecedented circumstances at the time. TERRADA ART AWARD, including both the content of the Finalist Exhibition and the finalists abilities, has rapidly evolved to become one of the leading art awards in Japan. How this award will continue to evolve going forward depends on you and us. I am looking forward to working on this to help to push the award to become a platform to spread your wings onto a global stage. We are waiting for artworks, expressions and concepts that you can only create. 

Meruro Washida (Director of the Towada Art Center)

Before being an artist, what I want to see as a person is artworks that are affected by the gravity of life-works that I may not be able to understand, but that can convince me that they simply couldn’t be anything other than that.

Ryo Ikeshiro (Artist, musician, researcher, Assistant Professor, School of Creative Media, City University of Hong Kong) 

I feel as though we are living in unprecedented times. There seems to be no end to the crises we face, among which are climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, the threat of war or further military conflicts. However, it is precisely times such as these that make us question the purpose of art and what it can achieve. As an artist, it’s important to make the most of your own voice, regardless of whether or not you are responding directly to the times.
I look forward to seeing everyone’s portfolios bursting with individuality.

Eriko Kimura (Senior Curator of Yokohama Museum of Art)
What I find exciting about my work as a curator is when I hear from artists about their concept for an as-yet-unseen piece of work and the thoughts behind it, and then imagine how the work will take form and substance in space; and I think the same is also true for those who create the works. TERRADA ART AWARD is an invaluable event that provides plenty of space and provisions for production costs. I hope many artists will be working out their plans for challenging pieces of work to enter competition for the award.

Shinji Ohmaki (Artist) 

I look forward to meeting artists who use their own awareness of issues that stem from things they face in their own lives, rather than simply creating superficial forms of expression, and continue to create works of art for ten or twenty years to come.

Ryutaro Takahashi (Psychiatrist, Art Collector)

During the previous TERRADA ART AWARD, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the powerful works of the younger generation. Nevertheless, people’s appetite is inexhaustible for the new, urging you to present works that are ever-more fresh and never-seen-before. In the wake of this era’s whims and appetites, I look forward to seeing works that strongly assert their claim to merit winning.

Yuu Takehisa (Curator, Artistic Director of Contemporary Art Center, Art Tower Mito)

The display of works in the exhibition space is the final unveiling of this award, but the creators are concerned with and addressing not only the visitors who come to the gallery, but also those who may not necessarily visit. I look forward to encountering such unique forms of expression.

Reiko Tsubaki (Curator, the Mori Art Museum)

Art is an expression method that has existed since ancient times, allowing for an extensive range of expressive forms. It is also a medium that has recorded numerous natural disasters, pandemics, and wars. At the same time, in contemporary art, artists are asked why they want to make a certain thing or express something at this moment. I think there are numerous contexts to this, but personal reasons and motivations are important. I look forward to the exciting works and forms of expression that can only be made by “you,” as someone who is living in these times.