「美しい校門プロジェクト」記録集への文

  ５月に参加したインチョンの「美しい校門プロジェクト」の施工が終わりに近づいたらしい。それで、プロジェクトの記録集を作るということで、エッセイを書くように言われた。エッセイというか、何か文を、ということだと思う。

  ５月に参加した時は、地域にオープンであろうとする気運がとても高かった。校門の脇の座れるところに、父兄や近所の人たちが、座っておしゃべりをする、という場所ができ始めていた。私はそれが面白くて、そのアイデアを元にして、想像力を膨らませたプランを考えた。ローカルコミュニティの拠点の一つになりえると思ったからだ。官の作った場所と地域社会が協力し合える場所だと思ったから。

　ところが、そのあと、６〜７月の間に、韓国では、小学生の女子が何者かの連れ去られ、性的いたずらをされるという事件が相次いだ。そのことがあり、校門のプロジェクトは、やや、守りに入ってしまった。最近、最終プランがどうなったか知らせてきた。入り口が小さくなったようだ。プランに参加したアーティストたちの案がどれほど、通ったのか、今の時点ではわかりにくい。確かに、私のプランは大きすぎてはいたので、何か一部でも採用されているといいな。
  ローカルコミュニティが、犯罪者や孤立している人と、どういう関係が持てるか。投げかけられた問題は、かえって深くなる。 文章では、やはり、私が感じた「可能性」の話だけにした。「問題」に対して、彼らがどういうディスカッションを行ったのか、わからないので、そこには、ここでは踏み込めない。

以下がその文。時間に限度があるので、ネイティブにチェックしてもらう暇がなかった。英文として、だめだめな文かもしれないけど、それを送った。

------------------------------------------

Urbanization and Restoration of Local Community

  I want to express a lot of thanks to The Gate Project and Inchoen Foundation for Art and Culture for inviting me to the residency project.

 I believe that it was excellent idea for foreign 4 artists who came from various countries to participate to plan a new school gate in Incheon. It was really appropriate idea for the oldest elementary school in the city where has international port, not only “air” port but also important port for “ships” in age of opening to Western, it must be symbolic gates to the world. I liked to compare the renewal school gate with Inchoen International port where young people take off to the world. We, the foreign artists got various information about the school and visit the school to communicate with the school students, which are for the research to find the special aspects of character of the school that should be emphasized for the new design.

  The director showed us the past 3 examples by the gate project in this city. I was impressed very much to see those designed gates were not just “points” for students to come in and go out, but also the gates were “spaces” to open for the local community to meet neighbors. I felt that it might has changed the “modern” image of where schools were places to train children under controlled in hard enclosure into more “positive” image of place where were faded border lines to be as public places not only for students but also for / by local community, I was very interesting for me.

  Parents wait for students there.→ They sit there. → They chat each other. →　The other passenger (neighbors) can join. → The space become natural and “initiative” public place. →　It may be information place to gather local subjects. → They can watch at people who pass by and children who go back to home. → Children can glow up in and saved by local community. →　Not only for children, but also for old people who live alone can come to work and find friends and to get helps each other. →　Some various generation can meet there → They may have project to use the space →　It may be peculiar culture. It is very interesting!

 Public schools were founded by Government. But it would be wonderful that local community can work together. Especially under recent urbanized society, most of local communities are losing the role for people’s daily life. Obviously it is global question. I believe the way of Gate Project is the expectable one for hope of “restoration of local community”. It would be   one of important potential energy for welfare public service, too. The system must rescue isolated people who lost job or health or family so on and then prevent various crimes before.

 Additionally I believe that artist’s idea could be pleased well to people who use the place. Not just only effective but also more kind of “fun”. We are not architect; I thought that we should plan much different way from designers or carpenters. The space should be creative, not just only for the security. It is the reason that we stayed for 3 weeks and did much discussion in May. I hope that our ideas have been reflected well to the final design. And students and local community would feel it familiar and suitable for their life.