concept
Traversing the Boundary Between Art and Architecture
Despite the strong connection that has existed between art and architecture since ancient times, today, the two are typically thought of as separate disciplines. Nonetheless, art museums, the modern venues devised to exhibit art, have adopted architecture as part of their jurisdiction; since concept is more important than technical skill in the contemporary art scene, it is natural for museums traverse the boundary between the two disciplines. However, there exists a lack of communication between art and architecture as a result of the Japanese educational system. CAAK's mission is to address this state of affairs by reconsidering the disciplines of art and architecture and by encouraging interdisciplinary activities that help reunite the two fields.
Communication / Self-education
CAAK promotes art created in relation to people and site, and architecture designed in relation to the needs of users and the context of its site. It regards process and sustainability as the most important means to achieving these aims. CAAK enables creators and audiences, architects and clients to create a platform where they can study together and learn from each other. Communication generated by CAAK's creator-in-residence program, and the parties and lectures that stem from it, will serve as its creative wellspring.
Alternative Networks Generally speaking, the increase in a city's population density corresponds to an increase in the activity of its art and architecture scenes. The evil of standardization, however, often accompanies the excessive concentration seen in megalopolises like New York, London, Paris, and Tokyo. In scenes that are closed and standardized, artists and architects exhaust themselves creating works that have only trivial distinctions. In response to this condition, CAAK is searching for new possibilities through a network of cities that were once regarded as peripheral. By establishing a network of cities such as Naha, Seoul, Shanghai, Taipei, as well as those of Southeast Asia, Benelux, and Northern Europe―all of which have maintained unique auras in the face of the homogenizing influence of capitalism―CAAK seeks to create unprecedented relationships that will no doubt give rise to new artistic and spatial possibilities. Kanazawa is located on the Japan Sea and faces continental Asia. Its geopolitical orientation is thus very different from that of Tokyo. Moreover, the city is exceptional in that its people attach a high value to their quality of life and maintain social networks outside of work. With its base in Kanazawa, CAAK aims to create an "alternative network" to explore new possibilities in art and architecture.
