The POCORART National Open Call Exhibition vol.4

The POCORART National Open Call Exhibition is an exhibition initiated in 2011, aiming to create a place for free expression for people with disabilities, those without disabilities and artists. In this 4th volume, POCORART received a total of 1,193 submissions throughout Japan for Artwork Division. Works were reviewed in person by juries and exhibited in a gallery so that visitors could also vote. From this, 252 powerful works have been elected and presented throughout the 3331 the main gallery.

For the Workshop Division, a series of 5 communicative workshops, chosen by Workshop Division juries from a pool of proposals, will also be carried out during the exhibition period. These participatory workshops focus not only on drawing and creating, but also utilize various emotions and movements, in addition to auditory and tactile senses.

Jury Award, Chiyoda Mayor Award, and Audience Award will also be presented to selected winners who will have the opportunity to present their work in next year's "POCORART National Open Call vol. 4 Award Exhibition" at 3331 Arts Chiyoda. We invite you to experience the many expressive works and activities that you can only find in POCORART.




[About the Artwork Division]
This year's juries include O JUN (artist), Kenjiro Hosaka (Senior Research Fellow at The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo), and Kenichiro Mogi (brain scientist). Alongside with Masato Nakamura, the director of 3331 Arts Chiyoda, they had conducted initial screenings in September, and for the first time in the past POCORART, artworks were reviewed in person in addition to a conventional review of photo submissions. All 1,193 submitted works were also lined up in an exhibition space where visitors could cast their vote. Among those submissions, 252 works were selected to exhibit in the main gallery. From the work made by 2 years old to the one by 84 year old, or 5cm small work to 10m big piece, wide variety of works come together in 3331 Arts Chiyoda.

The main gallery is heavily adorned with free, innovative, energy-filled artwork. A sketchbook filled to the brim with vivid colours, an acrylic box containing an accumulation of everyday tissue that had been made into small twists of rope, a dramatic painting spanning several meters of rolled paper, just to name a few.

□ Artwork Division Juries
O JUN / Artist, Associate Professor at Tokyo University of the Arts
Kenjiro Hosaka / Senior Research Fellow at The National Museum of Modern Art Tokyo
Ken Mogi / Brain Scientist
Masato Nakamura / Artist, Associate Professor at Tokyo University of the Arts, the Director of 3331 Arts Chiyoda




[About the Workshop Division]
The Backbone of a Workshop
At this moment there seems to be a great popularity of workshops. These workshops encompass all genres and ages of participants and their purpose has become increasingly specialized. In these conditions the number of people organizing workshops has greatly increased. It is within this context that POCORART made an open call for workshops. Here the theme, format, venue and participant number was open to proposal. The conditions of the workshop were that it must be something that could be achieved within 3 hours. However the most important thing was decided. That was to align with the principle of POCORART. To create a space where people with disabilities, those without disabilities and artists may come together and affect each other to the core. This is the backbone of the workshop. If the backbone is not concrete then a proposal can not be formed. Therefore while fitting carefully to each piece of this backbone we three jurors while debating together carefully selected the workshops. We look forward in anticipation to the realization of these proposals and hope for the revelation of a deep new mutual interaction.
-- Hiroko Otsuki, Representative Director IDEA,INC., Workshop Division Jury

POCORART's Workshop Division aims to create a space for creation and communication through workshops that uphold POCORART's philosophy, "a place of Core + Relation ART". Last year came as a first year for this division, and selected workshops were implemented during the exhibition.

This year 23 submissions were received from both individuals and organizations, regardless of experience or backgrounds such as art specialists or educators. Proposals focused not only on drawing and creation, but also communicative methods that stimulate various emotions and movements, as well as auditory and tactile senses. Among these submissions, 5 are chosen and brought to fruition as workshops unique to POCORART, including workshops geared to those with disabilities and the ones that can be enjoyed regardless of disability. We welcome you to try one of these workshops where you will have an opportunity for expression without the confines of social welfare or art.

□ Workshop Division Judges
Hiroko Otsuki / Representative Director, IDEA, INC.
Hiroshi Fuji / Artist, Assistant Director of Towada Art Center
Masato Nakamura / Artist, Associate Professor at the Tokyo University of the Arts, the Director of 3331 Arts Chiyoda