A fellowship report meeting was held with three groups of grantees from the 2023 grant year who conducted fellowships in the United States. Among the 2024 grantees who will conduct their fellowship this year, Souya Handa, Hideki Umezawa, and Aki Yahata attended the meeting. We were also pleased to welcome jury members Shinji Ono, Hiroyuki Takahashi (ACC 2012), and Takako Shibata, as well as alumnus Aki Onda (ACC 2017). The meeting featured a lively discussion and active exchange of ideas.

Yang02, who spent six months in New York, conducted research on the history of media art. He interviewed Julie Martin, a founding member and current director of E.A.T. (Experiments in Art and Technology). In the latter half of his stay, he explored the role of advanced technologies in energy use and their implications for capitalism. He visited wind power facilities and technology-related sites in California, and also took part in a prayer walk through sacred Indigenous lands in Arizona that have been affected by uranium mining. Through dialogue with Native American communities, he gained new perspectives.

SHIMURAbros conducted research on Beate Sirota Gordon, who played a key role in drafting the human rights clauses of Japan’s constitution. They visited Mills College in California, where Beate studied, to conduct archival research. In New York, they interviewed people who knew her personally, including her daughter and individuals at the Asia Society and Japan Society, where Beate served as director.

Kan Fukuhara and Shumpei Mitsuhashi, who organize rehearsal sessions for actors and dancers in Japan, each participated in over 70 lessons and workshops during their two-month fellowship in New York. They reflected deeply on the nature of inclusive rehearsal spaces and the potential for community building through their fellowship experiences.