The japanese
artists project
Short Documentary Film
EKIDEN
We are aiming to hold a little self-reflectional event that involves running.
More specifically, we would like to introduce a Japanese traditional long-distance relay race, called Ekiden, and we are calling out for New Yorkers who would be interested in participating.
Running could be a literal and figurative representation of the year 2020. We all ran through something whether individually or as a team.
Sometimes fast, sometimes slow.
It seems as though we are running through a long tunnel without knowing when the sky opens back up again.
Though an Ekiden race is usually a race, our event will not involve any competition. We will focus on another unique aspect of Ekiden which makes it unique. In Ekiden, runners must wear a Tasuki sash and it is handed off to the following runner. Originally, before this became a sporting event, or before we had telecommunications, this was a method of carrying messages between cities in the fastest way.
With that in mind, we would like a number of New Yorkers to experience this communal effort in support of a larger goal. Our runners will be completing a message to the world by running through New York City.
We are also aiming to create a short video content documenting the process of realizing this event and the unique stories of each participant.
When the Pandemic broke, everything we thought we knew about living our lives proved written upon flowing water. The turbulence which rushed over long ignored inequities is causing us to reevaluate and recast our perceptions of what divides us. In the face of this global calamity, it’s become time to expand our imaginations and unite in our dreams of a world that inspires.
Our goal in the Ekiden marathon and the short documentary film is to display how this city’s diversity and those various people are working towards their common goal together. We will utilize this communal effort to build bonds and future between the diverse team members, each member supporting the entire team, lifting up the least capable with their individual gifts. We believe that we can unite with impression no matter their belief systems, ethnicities, home countries or individual histories.