Director's Note 006
What Will Begin? October 16, 2002

I walked onto the horserace field again. Dismantling the installations went smoothly. Everything was gone: the Interzone, Demeter Caf_, Winter and Horbelt's green tunnel, Kawamata's wooden track, Cai's UFO, nIALL Caf_, Cine Nomad's tents... The place returned to a quiet stable area in the horserace field, with birds singing, autumn grass spreading, and the wind blowing to welcome winter. Yes, Demeter was over.

I try to think what Demeter was about, but I can't really articulate my thoughts. Demeter at the Obihiro Horserace track ended, however, I have a strange imagination that Demeter moved on to some other racehorse track, just like the Ban-ei Horserace. This place makes me imagine such things...

On October 10, I went to a "challenge shop," GATE just opened on Hironokoji Street in Obihiro, initiated by the Chamber of Commerce. In this space, Mitsuhiro Kousaka opened an art shop called FLOW MOTION, which sells Kousaka's art products, various books, and art goods. As far as I know, there has not been a shop like this in Obihiro before. I was impressed with its cool atmosphere. I saw many support staff members who helped with Demeter here in the shop, and it really makes me happy to realize relationships created through Demeter will continue to grow. And that is not all. Many young people, including high school students, have begun to gather at GATE. I feel something new and different is going to happen here.

That night, I left Obihiro. On the way to the airport, a City Project artist, Keiko Takada, took me to Aya Tanaka, another City Project artist's studio. Tanaka is helping to make a new ethnic restaurant while planning a new art project in the space. Takada is also planning a new project. There is a movement to continue the Demeter School as well.

Other than Shigeaki Iwai's Between the Ears, which will stay at the Tokachi Pond in Midorigaoka Park after the exhibition period, Demeter is not, in the physical sense, leaving anything behind to the community. Demeter exists only in the memories of people. In reality, it stays "absent." At this point, I cannot judge whether that is a good thing or not. However, the strong sense of absence of Demeter in others and me are moving the people who were once involved in Demeter. I sense that something new is about to happen in Obihiro in Tokachi.

I want to quietly support whatever it is.

(Written by Serizawa Takashi)