Seven Samurai developed from an invitation to contribute to the 2006 Echigo-Tsumari Triennale, and an invitation from the remote mountain village of Toge to help them with the influx of Triennale tourists visiting their rice farming community.
The title and curatorial premise of the project derived from the seminal film by Japanese director Kurosawa. The project attempted to assist the village and to help generate a sense of self-determination now scarce in the aging community of Toge. The artists lived and worked in the village for a month before taking part in an art festival in Tokyo. The villagers joined the artists there as performers and in the presentation of a village market dedicated to their artist -rebranded rice.
Project Website
www.sevensamurai.jp
Blog
Were building a bridge
Japanese cafe open!
お料理教室
雨の中での作業 ２日目
雨の中での作業
雨の中での作業
Dressed up
峠ハウスの打ち合わせ
峠村 イギリス生活２日目
The return of the 7 Samurai
峠村の皆さんイギリスに到着！？
A Letter From Toge
Soba Sadness
presents from japan
Tokyo for me - Lucienne Cole
Contributors
Artists
- Barnaby Hosking
- Jamie & Aiko Goodenough
- Nina Pope
- Pope & Guthrie
- Juneau Projects
- Bedwyr Williams
- Nathaniel Mellors
- Lucienne Cole
- Kerry Stewart
Curator
Funders
Partners
- Echigo-Tsumari Triennale
- Ikebukuro Arts Festival
Samurai-in-residences
website design & build by dorian moore @ theusefularts.org.