活化廳 社區駐場計劃（三）市村美佐子 Wooferten Artivist in Residency Program (III) Homeless Artist: Misako Ichimura

活化廳 社區駐場計劃（三）
無家藝術家：市村美佐子
活化廳邀請到來自東京的市村美佐子，一位八年來一直以露宿者方式生活的藝術家，並策動不同關注東京露宿者生活處境的藝術行動。藝術家將於駐場期間舉行分享會，介紹她的露宿生活/創作，並創作一系列回廳油麻地的公共空間及露宿者生活的藝術行動。
在香港，不少人把露宿者標籤為精神有問題，又或是癮君子等「危險」人物。（甚被傳媒稱他們為喪屍！）事實上露宿者選擇露宿街頭原因眾多。他們或因長期失業、家庭糾紛等而露宿，部份人也是地產霸權的受害者。東京自九十年代起出現大量露宿者，估計至今約有一萬多人，數字更隨大地震日益上升。其實部份露宿者擁有正當職業，甚至有能力負擔公寓的租金。但他們選擇在公園紮營居住，全因他們拒絕只為交租而活。而在露宿者社群裡，我們可找到由露宿者經營的酒吧、理髮店、咖啡館等。部份露宿者更以以物易物形式解決生活需要，實踐了一種脫離資本控制的生活方式。露宿者們互相照應，更建立一種homeless but homey的社群歸屬感。

八年前，藝術家市村美佐子選擇以露宿者方式生活。市村在「無一屋簷下」，藉露宿生活策動不同藝術行動，關注東京露宿者的處境。她從不間斷，每周在公園的無家者社群中開辦免費咖啡廳及自助繪畫班。此外，她更開展一個專為連結女性無家者而設的組織，一同創作針織手作品，於跳蚤市場中出售。她也曾隻身到一間被人放火燒毀的紙皮屋現場住上半年，期間在紙皮屋貼上美麗的裝飾物。後來，市村更無意中發現路人見這紙皮屋太過奇怪，不敢破壞它。因此這怪宅出奇地吸引了附近的無家者移近，尋求保護。

作為一位女性的無家者，美佐子縱合她多年來的觀察，出版了一本描寫東京女性無家者生活的書信插圖繪本《Chocolate in a Blue-Tent Village: Letters to Kikuchi from the Park》。她亦是近年東京 “no-nike”運動的策劃者之一。三年前，東京政府擬將涉谷一個開放予公眾的宮下公園的管理權售予nike發展成體育公園，使得發展後大部份空間及設施都要收費。此舉不單讓市中心損失多一片非商業的公共空間，更令原本居於公園的露宿者變得「無家可歸」。美佐子與一眾藝術家及行動者朋友聯合起來，發動了“no-nike” 運動，並於公園內舉辦各式藝文活動及討論會。當中美留子策動了「宮下公園藝術家駐場計劃」，邀請了來海外藝術家前來留守聲援，霎時模糊了警察視線，泯去藝術家與露宿者的界限。

市村美佐子將於本月十三日假活化廳舉行分享會，詳細闡析她如何透過露宿者生活來創作。駐場期間，她會以油麻地的公共空間及露宿者生活為題，創作一系列藝術行動，並於本月廿一日開幕的成果發表展覽中發表。展覽開幕當日將設大食會，歡迎自攜食物參與。

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活化廳 藝術家社區駐場計劃（三）：市村美佐子

駐場期間：1/8-28/8

策劃:李俊峰

藝術家講座：（講座以日文進行，付以廣東話翻譯）

時間：13/8 (六) 3:00-6:00 p.m

地點: 油麻地上海街404號地下 活化廳 

成果發表展覽 暨 大食會：

展覽開幕大食會：21/8 (日) 6:00 p.m

地點: 油麻地上海街404號地下 活化廳
展覽日期: 21/8-11/9 (closed on Mon)
展覽時間: 1:00 p.m - 8:00 p.m

（歡迎自攜食物及樂器）

查詢：info@wooferten.org / 9558 9394（峰）

網頁：http://air-wooferten.blogspot.com/

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Wooferten Artivist in Residency Program (III) Homeless Artist: Misako Ichimura

Wooferten has invited Misako Ichimura from Tokyo, an artist who curates and leads art actions that concern the living condition of the homeless people in Tokyo, as she herself has been living with them in the state of homeless-ness for the previous eight years. 

During her residency, she will talk about her homeless life and introduce her different creative acts under such a living condition. She will also create a series of art action that response to different public space in our Yaumatei neighborhood and the livelihood of the homeless.

In Hong Kong, people often related the homeless people with mental illness patients, drug addicts, all sorts of potentially dangerous threatening people. One media recently just even blackened them as “Zombie”! But, instead, there are all sorts of reasons that they have to stay homeless, such as having long period of unemployment, family quarrels, etc.. They are also, in fact, victims of the Hong Kong extreme land and housing policy.

Since the 90s, there were huge numbers of homeless people appearing in Tokyo, estimate figure could be over ten thousand, and even more joining in after the quake. Part of the homeless people have a proper day-time job, some could even afford the rent of some apartments, but they all choose to camp and live in the park, for they refuse to live and work just for the rent. In their community, we could actually find bars, barber shops and cafés run by themselves. Some of them satisfied their everyday needs through bartering, which allows them to retreat from a way of capitalistic life dictated by monetary exchange. They could always take care of one another, forming a maybe homeless but homely sense of community belongings.

Around eight years ago, Misako Ichimura decided to live the homeless way. By being one amongst them, she leads different kind of art activities, focusing on the situation of the homeless. Every week, she holds a free coffee corner and painting course. She also helps the female homeless to form a network, in which they knit and weave, and bring the products to be sold in the flea market. 

For once, Misako as moved to a carton hut that has been deliberately set fire by someone, and redecorated this carton hut with beautiful graphics. People there gradually accept the carton hut and the hut even draws more homeless to settle around it in hope of seeking safety and protection.

Misako has published an illustrated book describing the life of a female homeless person, titled Chocolate in a Blue-Tent Village: Letters to Kikuchi from the Park.

She is also one of the co-founder of the Tokyo “no-nike” movement. For three years ago, the Tokyo government intended to offer the rights of running a park within the Shibuya district to the giant sport wear company Nike, for them to develop a sport-themed park. But the plan will resulted in the lost of a certain area of non-commercial public space, many of the future facilities actually needs entry fees or charges. Many of the homeless people settling there too, will have to move out. So Misako and some activist friends started this “no-nike” campaign, organizing all sorts of art activities and forums there. Misako also invited foreign artists to stay there as part of her Miyashita Park artist residency project, blurring the identities of artists and the homeless, confusing the authority.

Misako will have her sharing on the 13^th of August here in Wooferten, talking about how she combines her homeless life and her artistic life. Her work will also be presented in the exhibition that is going to open on the 21^st August. On the opening day, we will have a gathering, with food and snacks served, while you are welcome to bring your prepared food over too.

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Period: 1/8-28/8

Curator: Lee Chun Fung

Artist Talk:

Date: 13/8 (sat) 3:00-6:00pm

Venue: Wooferten, G/f, 404, Shanghai street, Yaumatei

The talk will be conducted in Japanese, with Cantonese Translation

Exhibition:

21/8 - 11/9 (closed on Mon), daily 1pm - 8pm

Residency Exhibition Opening Party:

Date: 21/8 (sun) 6:00pm

Venue: Wooferten, G/f, 404, Shanghai street, Yaumatei 

(Bring Your Food & Musical Instrument)

Enquiry：info@wooferten.org / 9558 9394（fung）

Website：air-wooferten.blogspot.com