Koichi Kasahara

Re/collecting Memory for Collective Memory: An Arts-Based Epistolary on Co-creation of Cross-Cultural Understanding

Koichi Kasahara – Tokyo Gakugei University, Japan

With Sunah Kim – Hanyang University, School of Education, Seoul, South Korea

Abstract:

This study investigates the fluid and place-specific nature of memory, focusing on how collective memory can be co-constructed across cultural differences. Using arts-based research, two researchers – one from Korea and the other from Japan – engage in an aesthetic process that disrupts the linear approach to memory. Guided by imaginative and artistic exploration, this research delves into the experience of ‘living otherness’, where individual memories and interpersonal reflections intertwine to generate new understandings. Korea and Japan, as neighbouring countries, share cultural commonalities but are also marked by a turbulent history of conflict and colonisation. Memory and history are often at odds: memory is tied to subjective meaning-making, while history is bound to objective and factual accounts. Certain traumatic events can only be remembered, defying reduction to coherent historical records. The multi-layered historical narratives and mixed sentiments of the people remain in flux, shifting with intra- and international political situations. This study of individual experiences and memories offers an alternative perspective to the grand histories of the two countries. In this study each researcher visited the coastal city of Gangneung, South Korea, at different times, observing and documenting their unique experiences of the same landscape. The Japanese researcher was unexpectedly reminded of his childhood, finding resonance in an uncharted space. Meanwhile, the Korean researcher revisited and reinterpreted personal memories from disconnected times, transforming the familiar into the unfamiliar. Through subsequent recollections, conversations, and collaborative art-making, they deconstruct and reassemble their memories to form an intersubjective narrative that transcends physical and temporal boundaries. It could be a process that weaves an epistolary travelogue of memories. As a result, this study seeks to illuminate the creative potential for reimagining collective memory in rediscovered territories, suggesting how aesthetic and dialogic processes can foster cross-cultural understanding and reveal new ways to engage with contested history.

Sensorial A-r-tography: Walking with Public Art through Unexpected Territories (Panel; 90 mins.)

Chair: Elly Yazdanpanah – The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

Xi Chen – The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

Saman Farkhak – not registered, please, register at: https://www.inseaconference.com/registration

Rita Irwin – The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada – attending the congress and presenting virtually

Ashleigh Janis – The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada – attending virtually 

Koichi Kasahara – Tokyo Gakugei University, Japan

Anita Sinner – The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

Manisha Tripathy – The University of British Columbia, Canada

Mengkai Zhang – The University of British Columbia, Canada

Abstract:

In this panel, we will present seven provocative visual essays that explore the convergence of art, pedagogy, and public art in relation to space through the lens of a-r-tographic practices. The collection of visual essays examines how public art engages with diverse geographies, socio-cultural contexts, and pedagogical practices, creating “unexpected territories” that challenge conventional approaches to art education. Central to this issue is the notion of “geographies-in-relation,” where artists, educators, and researchers embrace experimental and speculative inquiries that push boundaries of public art, expanding it from static articulation to dynamic, relational experiences. By employing a-r-tography, the contributors delve into critical themes such as anti-racist and decolonial education, cultural memory, queer identity, and the politics of public spaces. Adopting walking as a mode of inquiry, these engagements uncover hidden curricula within public art and reveal how art operates as a vibrant force for addressing social inequities, fostering collective memory, and challenging dominant narratives. Through engagements with spaces – from urban intersections to natural landscapes – the essays illuminate the potential of public art to act as a transformative pedagogical implement, bridging private and public spheres while fostering inclusivity, equity, and decolonial approaches in art education. By embracing the fluidity and overlapping nature of a-r-tographic practices, this issue reimagines public art as an essential component of a socially engaged, responsive, and resilient educational framework. The initiatives challenge educators to reconceptualize their pedagogical approaches, inviting them to engage with public art as a means of fostering embodied, meaningful learning experiences that acknowledge the diverse, more-than-human world we inhabit.