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Corporation Name:

General Non-Profit Incorporated Artistic Organization Command N

Origin of the name Command N:

The name Command N was taken from the Macintosh shortcut “command + N.” This shortcut opens a new window or creates a new document, so we have taken that feeling of “new” and use it to express our organization’s goal to be “always looking toward new opportunities.”

Development and Goals:

Command N began its work in 1997, when it was created by members involved in artistic activities. After continuing in this way for 13 years, we incorporated as the general non-profit artistic organization, Command N, and continued our work in this new form.
By creating a cultural environment in which artist’s activities and very existence can affect society, we are stimulating activity in local areas and also encouraging cultural exchange inside and outside of Japan.
Through the implementation of our activities, we aim to support and nurture artists, and contribute to both the advancement and the diffusion of Japanese art culture. At the same time, our goal is to show the essence and depth of this art culture to society as a whole.
We also proactively expand the network that we have developed as a result of these activities, and by building an international artist network in this way, are also aiming to aid in the promotion and development of the arts in Japan.

Business Projects:

・Management of our Art Project Room
・Implementation of our local revitalization model Sustainable Art Project
・Planning exhibitions and works for fresh young artists inside and outside of Japan
・Constructing a cross-cultural art network
・Supporting disaster area revival activities through cultural art projects
・Promoting local area and international exchange through artistic activities

Executives:

Representative Director: Masato Nakamura
Member of Board of Directors: Peter Bellars
Member of Board of Directors: Yuumi Shishido

Activities Until Now:

Renovating unused empty properties by ourselves, we have created spaces for offices, studios, and gallery use, as well as artist workspaces. With efforts coordinated by the main members of the organization, who are artists themselves, we are developing various plans and experimental projects. Relationships established with administrative bodies and large corporations have enabled more opportunities, and in 2010 we acquired incorporated status. Our artistic activities themselves have a high level of universal appreciation, and from now on we hope to expand our approach to a new level.
Following the Great East Japan Earthquake disaster of March 2011, we have been working with artists who focus on simple ideas of a cultural nature, and devoted ourselves to relief efforts focusing on helping those in the disaster area maintain a positive attitude.
The art network that we have developed up until now in all areas of Japan allows cooperation from a variety of angles, which in turn enables us to undertake effective measures related to the needs of local areas.
In addition, in October 2012 in the Kanda-Nishiki town area of Tokyo, we held the “TRANS ARTS TOKYO” art event at the old campus of Tokyo Denki University, which featured more than 20 genres of art, and participation from more than 300 artists and creative professionals. In the future we plan to continue producing this kind of event.

Record of Activities:

“Making as Living”

The Exhibition of The Great East Japan Earthquake Regeneration Support Action Project in Tokyo
2013/3.9-31
At the time when two years had passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake, this exhibition examined the way reconstruction should be performed. The “Reconstruction is Now” exhibit consisted not only of the sharing of experiences of people who are currently helping in the reconstruction efforts in the Tohoku area and the continuing efforts of artists, but also featured paintings depicting the state of affairs following the Sanriku Tsunami of 1896, a timetable of the reconstruction efforts following the Han-Shin Awaji Earthquake disaster, and other historical documents. Also, the topics of what we can do to prepare for this kind of disaster, and how we can act as a community and in our own daily lives, were touched on in an exhibition called “Disaster Prevention / Disaster Reduction.”

“Making as Living”

The Exhibition of The Great East Japan Earthquake Regeneration Support Action Project in Kobe
2013/1. 17-27
This exhibition was held in Kobe, starting on January 17, 2013, to mark the 18-year anniversary of the city’s experience of the Han-Shin Awaji Earthquake disaster. Features included exhibitions of the works of the photographers Naoya Hatakeyama, who achieved popularity for his work photographing the Tohoku area before and after the Great East Japan Earthquake disaster, “The Kesen River,” and Ryuji Miyamoto, who photographed the city of Kobe immediately after the Han-Shin Awaji Earthquake disaster in 1995. We also held a talk session with the two men.

Kanda Community Art Centre Project ”TRANS ARTS TOKYO”

2012/10.21-11.25
Using all floors from B2 all the way up to the 17th of the Tokyo Denki University campus, this exhibition featured works of all genres, and in total there were more than 400 artists and creative professionals who gathered to take part. With exhibitions, installations, performances, symposia, and shows, this was a multifaceted art project that crossed genre boundaries and was well suited to the Kanda area in Tokyo. In spite of being a private exhibition, this event recorded more than 11,000 visitors.

“Making as Living”

The Exhibition of Great East Japan Earthquake Regeneration Support Action Project Niigata work bazaar
2012/11.3-18
This exhibition is co-hosted with Kamifurumachi mall in the Niigata city. Management director was Kazunari Sako who is the young leader of Kamifurumachi mall. Through the programs of various citizen participation, We introduced the activity that was generated from a creativity after the earthquake.

“Ohzone tomomi Solo exhibition”

2012/12.22-2013/2.2
Tomomi Ohzone creates artistic works in unique shapes that are similar to stuffed animals.
These works can be wrapped around your body, or displayed casually like items in a lost and found, and in this way they capture a sense of the unexpected and coincidental in the process of a meeting between two people or between a person and a work of art. This in turn develops a curious sense of solidarity among the people viewing the pieces.

“Secret auction”

2012/7.28-9.9
A secret auction starts from a minimum price set personally by the artist, and the winner is the person who placed the highest bid into the bidding box, which is not opened until the final day of the auction.
This kind of event goes beyond simple appreciation of art, and brings a new connection and form of enjoyment to the viewer, by enabling them to build their own collection of pieces.

“The Path to Understanding -Peter Bellars”

2012/6.4- 7.16
All of us are born to communicate. We learn our mother tongues with ease and are schooled to understand other languages in order to better appreciate the world we live in. Yet we regularly fail miserably to understand each other and catch ourselves willfully ignoring the communicative attempts of some while embracing with alacrity those of others. How could we improve this?

In “The Path to Understanding” artist Peter Bellars presents works, observations and experiments made in an attempt to understand a language together with some potential solutions to the problem faced by those willing to try to learn.

“Move arts Japan”

2012/2.4-2.19
Through the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ next generation of culture creation up-and-coming artist training and support program, we have established an artist in residence. As one part of these activities, we started up a website called “Move Arts Japan,” and use this space to view registration information, in order to more easily make plans for visits and build a relationship of familiarity and closeness.

“Insideout/Tokyo Project”

2010/10-2011/3
Organizer:Tokyo Metropolitan Government、Tokyo Culture Creation Project(Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture)、General Non-Profit Incorporated Artistic Organization Command N
This project implemented development and training programs for sustainable art communities and art projects in regional communities in Asia. We researched the art-related organizations and individuals active in the 47 prefectures in Japan, contacted them, and deepened our connections.