Finding a pulse

KS takes a look at clicking your way around the art-world of Kansai.

Is there a pulse in Kansai's art world? A few years ago, this writer struggled for months in search of such a thing. Trekking from gallery to gallery, consulting maps on the backs of postcards, and looking for places that didn't appear to exist was no easy task. There was of course a gallery guide and various websites that could have helped but unless you were fluent in the language, a good comfy pair of shoes was always going to be the most valuable investment. Since then however, times have changed and finally a solution has appeared that helps take the pressure off the feet and even allows you time to budget a quick gallery visit on a lunch break.

Internet community technologies in the last four years or so need little introduction or praise but at last we are beginning to see it spread to areas of usefulness and purposefulness, other than for keeping in touch with former friends or colleagues. Kansai Art Beat (KAB) makes use of these technologies to aid visitors in the search for exhibitions across the region. By providing detailed information and maps on over 300 venues, it updates daily with exhibitions, events and even artist talks and receptions. It is essentially a complete hub, and one that is also fully searchable through a computer or mobile phone. One can search for a venue or exhibition simply by name or by area; or, if you have a day off and nothing to do, you can check out the ‘closing soon' list which tells of all the shows that are due to finish that day. Like- wise, one can also browse the ‘opening soon' or ‘just opened' lists if you really feel like getting amongst the ‘right' people. Then, couple these lists with the ‘most popular' and ‘open late' categories and you have a resource that even London hasn't gotten around to creating, and yes, it is even bilingual!

As simple as it sounds though, creating such a resource is no easy feat. Having been launched in April 2007 through the efforts of the Flanders Center in Osaka, it has taken a while to create a presence in the community. After all, the process of obtaining data for the site is lengthy, involving the research of venues and ‘pulling' their current information on a regular basis. As more and more venues voluntarily submit their information directly, the sheer amount of translation work however, is a persistent mountain to stay on top of. The time that we are saving is the time that they are putting in.

Yet, as all horticulturalists know, time is but one element of the growing process. The rest is contributions and attention, and this is where the internet community technology makes a fitting friend for artists, gallerists, and enthusiasts alike. By logging in, users can post their thoughts and comments about the shows, which in turn help future visitors to decide which shows interest them most. In addition to this feature, there is also the ‘KABlog'; a blog facility for extended reviews and discussion, which - although currently in its early days - will grow with more and more voluntary contributions (in Japanese and English) from viewers and users.

For an idea of how KAB can become an essential resource, we can look to Tokyo Art Beat (TAB), which has being going strong for three years and is now enjoying considerable attention and use. Yet whilst Tokyo is often noted as the center of the Japanese art world, there is also a pulse beating in the art world of Kansai. KAB not only helps us to find that pulse but it also helps us to engage with it.

www.kansaiartbeat.com

Text & photos: Gary McLeod