An exhibition in a place I haven’t been to before is always stimulating. The two weeks I spent in Chile taking part in the Bienal de Artes Mediales (Chile Media Art Biennial) and the artist-in-residence program at the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) were particularly noteworthy. The local artists who provided technical support and who helped coordinate the exhibition, being creators themselves, were quick to grasp the issues in any problems that arose in arranging the displays, and I felt that they were outstanding in terms of the respect they showed for the works and in understanding the concepts. I was also rather impressed that a sustainable system exists for supporting the livelihoods of the local artists.

Anywhere you go, it follows that you will be astonished by the natural surroundings, the towns, people’s livelihoods, the culture, and the social problems. So what does it mean to be cast into all of that to display works of art? Perhaps it puts the artist’s milieu into perspective. When the link between a work of art and the background from which it arose is removed, how much meaning can the work project? I don’t yet understand what effect the technology contrasting with the natural surroundings at the ends of the earth I got to see at elevations of 5,000m, and the discussions I had with people from the national observatory will have on my art. On the other hand, I hope that many other artists will get this kind of opportunity through this framework that allows participation in overseas media art festivals.