We were invited to introduce the Match Box Projects at Pecha Kucha - Sydney Design 07.  20 images of  Match Box Galleries out and about in Australia and Japan were projected onto the train station in front of Customs House Forecourt, Circular Quay.  For more info on Sydney Design 07 and Pecha Kucha visit HERE

L-R Zoe MacDonell, Simon Cooper, Naomi Shedlezki and Leanne Shedlezki with Match Box Solo Galleries, Tusculum, Royal Australian Institute of Architects. Photograph ©  Kimmy Sekel

In June at Tusculum Gallery, Royal Australian Institute of Architects, Potts Point, we presented Match Box Galleries exhibiting a snapshot journey of the Galleries travels through Australia and Japan over the past year.   Our photographs featured the works of the projects inaugural participating artists/curators including; 

back in 5, Mark Brown, Simon Cooper, Hamilton Darroch, Linda Dennis, Kazuhiro Imura, Keiko Inoue, Koujirou Inoue, Yutaka Katoh, Mary-Anne Kyriakou, Janet Laurence, Helena Leslie, Zoe MacDonell, Luis Martinez, Match Box, (late)[ant mrav], Chizuko Saito, Hirotoshi Sakaguchi, Martin Sharp, Leanne Shedlezki, Naomi Shedlezki, Jennie Tate, Imants Tillers and Mimi Tong.  

RAIA members and friends, and the local community of Potts Point joined us for drinks and an insight into the Match Box Projects. For these events we traveled to Tusculum Gallery with additional Match Box Galleries exhibiting the works of the artists mentioned above. Simon Cooper, Mary-Anne Kyriakou and Zoe MacDonell joined us to introduce their practice and the works they have created for Match Box Solo Galleries. 

We gratefully thank our participating artists, volunteers and the following supporters of the above event; Arts NSW & The Visual Arts and Craft Strategy, Cumulus Wines, COFA, Gari Sushi Bar, Graphic Art Mount, and The Royal Australian Institute of Architects. �

CELEBRATION OF CONTEMPORARY ART AND AUSTRALIA-JAPAN CONNECTIONS

On the last day of our People to People, Place to Place exhibition at Gosford Regional Gallery, we hosted a special event celebrating Contemporary Art, Australia-Japan Connections and the progress of The Australia-Japan Match Box Project over the past year.

DAYS EVENTS

INFLUENCE JAPAN - ONE DAY ART EXHIBITION

We invited Sydney Match Box Participants who have a strong relationship with Japan through their art practice to create works outside the box for Influence Japan - a one day exhibition in the Gallery’s Gosford Edogawa Commemorative Garden. Everyone enjoyed strolling around the stunning Japanese Gardens viewing the works.

Janet Laurence “Verdant Residues”, 2007

Zoe MacDonell “Distillation”, 2007

Leanne Shedlezki, Journey, 2007

Jennie Tate “For Inari Sama”, 2007

PEOPLE TO PEOPLE - ARTISTS TALKS

In the Gallery, we gave an introduction to People to People, Place to Place and how the Australia-Japan Match Box Project evolved.

Leanne discussing her art practice and the evolvement of the Match Box Projects.

The below exhibition and events are free of charge and are taking place at Gosford Regional Gallery and their adjoining Japanese Gardens - Gosford/Edogawa Commemorative Gardens (pictured above)

Gosford is located North of Sydney on the Central Coast - a stunning one to one and a half hour car or train ride from Sydney.

Information on the events in Japanese/日本語 can be found here.

EXHIBITION

3 February - 25 March, 2007. Everyday 10am-4pm (FREE ENTRY)

Match Box’s ongoing Project, People to People, Place to Place is currently being exhibited at Gosford Regional Gallery to 25 March. The works of the first 60 Australian and Japanese participants in the Australia-Japan Match Box Project are being shown along with a history of how Sydney twin sisters, Leanne and Naomi Shedlezki created the project. 10 Sydney artists, 5 who have been influenced by Japan in their practice, (Simon Cooper, Mary-Anne Kyriakou, Zoe MacDonell, Leanne Shedlezki, and Jennie Tate) and 5 curated by inaugural guest curators, back in 5 who respond to Sydney within their art practice are being featured.(Mark Brown, Hamilton Darroch, Helena Leslie, Luis Martinez, and (late)[ant mrav]). For a full list of art practitioners exhibiting please see Participants in the right hand column.

SPECIAL EVENT: Celebrating Contemporary Art and Japanese Culture

Sunday 25th March, 10.30am - 4pm (FREE EVENT)

You are invited to a special Match Box Project Free Event on the final day of the exhibition in Gosford Regional Gallery’s adjoining Japanese Garden and Arts Centre.

Match Box Sydney participants including Mary-Anne Kyriakou, Janet Laurence, Zoe MacDonell, Leanne Shedlezki, and Jennie Tate have a strong connection to Japan through their creative practice and will be creating works relating to such for this one day event.

In the Arts Centre the art works created by Australian and Japanese Children through their participation in Match Box Projects’ cultural activities will be exhibited.

The exhibitions will be complemented by artists talks by Australia-Japan Match Box Project participants and a variety of Japanese Cultural activities including:

• Japanese Tea Ceremonies with audience participation by the Urasenke Sydney Association
• A Bonsai exhibition and demonstrations by the Central Coast Bonsai Society
• Koto Performances by the Sawai International Koto School
• Garden Tours
• Interactive creative activities for all.

Note: the event will occur rain or shine. (If bad weather, the special exhibition, performances and activities will be held in the Arts Centre and Gallery Foyer overlooking the Japanese Garden).

WHERE:

Gosford Regional Gallery & Gosford/Edogawa Commemorative Gardens

36 Webb St, East Gosford

Phone: 02 4325 0056

For a map go to

http://www.gosfordregionalgallery.com/hours.htm

On the weekends a train leaves from Central to Gosford every quarter past and quarter to the hour eg 8.15,8.45,9.15,9.45 etc.  For public transport information go to www.131500.com.au.�

Gosford Regional Gallery incorporates Caroline Bay Brasserie, an award winning restaurant/cafe overlooking the Garden
(for the 25th - we recommend you make a reservation in advance  PH: 02 4324 8099 or alternatively, bring a picnic - there are a number of great picnic spots in the parks and waterways surrounding the Arts Centre.)

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Our Bondi friends were learning about Japan at Kindy. We took our Match Box Portable Culture Centre to their classroom and invited them to join our Match Box Community Friendship Project.  They all created works about what they like doing with their Family and Friends.�

Holding up the works created by our Furudono Kindy Friends in Japan

Creating their own Friendship Artworks.

Thanks to Junko Hiramatsu for joining us.

This project was supported by Bentine.

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Thanks to Tony Egan, great shots of opening night were taken. See Tony’s photos.

A Japanese article re the exhibition can be read on Nichigo Press’ website.

Naomi spent over a month in Japan exhibiting the project at the International Design Museum, Nagoya�and spending time in Tokyo.

www.tokyoartbeat.com is a wonderful bi-lingual website on what is happening in Tokyo in the Art and Design scenes, including great instructions in english on how to get to the many galleries and museums in Tokyo. A definate read before and during a trip to Tokyo .

At their 2nd anniversary party, local artist/illustrator, Nobumasa Takahashi drew a wonderful tribute to Match Box’s Tokyo Art Beat.

Nobumasa’s tribute: It was wonderful to see it evolve on the big screen.

Match Box back in 5 Gallery with the Directors of Tokyo Art Beat

SAKAGUCHIS SOLO OPENING PARTY

Jennie Tate, who was in Japan filming her experimental film on the Sumida River popped in to the opening of Hirotoshi Sakaguchi’s solo exhibition at Omotesando Gallery. It was a wonderful surprise for him and a great opportunity to catch up with Hirotoshi and his students who had visited Jennie’s home/studio on the Match Box Project Sydney Tour in August.

A DAY WITH DESIGNER AND MATCH BOX LABEL ENTHUSIAST, YUTAKA KATOH

Yutaka Katoh is a Designer and Match Box Label Collector. Through his generous support, Match Box gained a wonderful insight into the history of Japanese art and design on matchboxes on a research trip to Japan in May. Yutaka become the first Match Box Project Participant from Japan. Naomi joined him in Shibuya where he was judging a Match Box design competition.

LINDA DENNIS SOLO EXHIBITION AT YOUKOBO

Linda Dennis, is currently a PHD candidate at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts, and a wonderful ambassador for Australia. Last year she instigated the Interimage exchange between Tokyo Geidai and QCA, Griffith University, which led to 10 Japanese artists travelling to Sydney (for a Match Box Project Sydney Art Exchange Tour of the Biennale of Sydney, and the art scene ) and Brisbane to conduct activities with QCA staff, alumni and postgraduate students. Naomi visited�Linda at Youkobo Art Space, Tokyo where she was installing work for her solo exhibition. �

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Linda and helpers at Youkobo Art Space.

The response to the Match Box Galleries by the general public was amazing. Naomi took numerous photos of the locals. This photo was taken at�Asakusa with one of the�locals after he was�introduced to Match Box Galleries.� Co-incidently he�knows Match Box’s Yukata Katoh quite well!

Special thanks to Qantas for their invaluable support

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Our�first International Exhibition was held at the Design Museum, International Design Centre, Nagoya from the 14th - 31st October. Naomi travelled to Japan to exhibit the�works of 30 Match Box Project’s participants in 5 Match Box Galleries.

Whilst in Nagoya Naomi travelled out and about with our Match Box Gallery curated by back in 5.

Naomi attended the yearly Nagoya Art and Design Fair at Nadya Park.

Festival visitors with Match Box back in 5 Gallery

Performing artists with Match Box Projects back in 5 Gallery. 

Naomi was introduced to Nagoya by night by members of Futoumei.

In Nagoya, Naomi visited the yearly Nagoya festival.

VISIT TO AICHI PREFECTURAL UNIVERSITY OF FINE ARTS AND MUSIC

Naomi gained a great insight into the university life�of art students through visiting current students and alumni of Aichi Prefectural University of Fine Arts and Music who have created work for Match Box Galleres. Naomi visited their studios and the university’s yearly art festival.� The quality of work being exhibited was outstanding.�

Associate Dean of Aichi Geidai introducing Match Box Gallery to his students at the festival.

KAZUHIRO IMURA’S FIRST SOLO OPENING

Naomi attended Match Box’s inaugural participant from Nagoya, Kazuhiro Imura’s first solo exhibition in Nagoya - his work for Match Box is easily recognisable

Travelling back and forth between Tokyo and Nagoya on the amazing JR Bullet trains (Shinkansen), numerous times, Naomi introduced the projects to many curious onlookers;

Fellow Australians travelling through Japan.

Osaka Women’s Volleyball group who were on their way to a tournament. Thanks to an apple iPod, many Match Box Gallery guests were able to explore Sydney through Match Box images.

Special thanks to Qantas and the International Design Centre Nagoya for making our trip and exhibition happen

Whilst Naomi was in Japan, Leanne prepared for the Kudos Sydney exhibition and attended various art and�Australia-Japan Year of Exchange events:

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF AUSTRALIA-JAPAN SOCIETIES CONFERENCE

We were�invited to exhibit�a Match Box Gallery and conduct talks�at the Federation of Australia-Japan Society’s conference at Darling Harbour, where many visiting guests�from throughout Australia & Japan were introduced to the Australia-Japan Match Box Project

Tokyo visitors, Ito-san and Ishikawa-san�with Match Box Gallery at the Conference. Darling Harbour

AUSTRALIA-JAPAN SOCIETY OF NSW�DINNER�

We were invited to conduct an artist talk and mini exhibit�at a dinner party in honour of Japanese artist, Kyoko Kikuchi who was in Sydney exhibiting at Box, Sherman Galleries. Leanne had a great evening personally introducing the project.

JAPAN FESTIVAL, DARLING HARBOUR

MATCHMAKER, FIRSTDRAFT�

Leanne attended the launch of the publication Matchmaker at First Draft, where ARI (Artist Run Initiatives) representatives from Sydney, interstate and New Zealand introduced our broader arts community. Both our guest curatorial teams back in 5 and 1/2 dozen were guest speakers:

1/2 Dozen�Directors, Dougal Phillips,�Jasper Knight and Olliver Watts.