ACC Japan held a fellowship report session with Souya Handa and Hideki Umezawa, who completed six-month fellowships in New York last year. While based in New York, they pursued research and developed connections with artists and arts professionals. They also traveled extensively across the United States, conducting field research related to their respective artistic practices and research pursuits.

In New York City, Handa conducted research on Asian artists and art professionals, building relationships across multiple local art communities. He attended numerous exhibitions, opening receptions, and studio visits, engaging with artists and curators throughout his fellowship. A particularly meaningful experience was traveling to Los Alamos, New Mexico, where he was deeply struck by the contrast between its natural beauty and its history as a key site of the Manhattan Project.

 

 

In New York, Umezawa conducted archival research at Columbia University, advancing his research on sound art. Highlights of his fellowship included experiencing works by Max Newhouse and conducting related archival research. He traveled to eight U.S. cities, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, and Boston, gaining a deeper understanding of the country’s geographic and cultural diversity. Encounters with sound artists across the U.S. informed his practice, particularly in sound and site-specific work, while field recordings in Alaska provided further insights for his creative development.