Tracing Snow Tracks

Aomori’s status as one of Japan’s snowiest cities has naturally led its residents to come up with various methods of coping with the harsh winters which come every year. One example of this is skiing. When skiing was first introduced to Japan, it was not seen as just a sport, but rather a tool which could aid people’s lives and work; an attitude that has given birth to many Japanese professional skiers over the years. Under the direction of artist NAKAZAKI Tohru, we have been holding workshops at the Aomori Contemporary Art Centre, Aomori Public University (ACAC) over the past year with the goal of creating an “Aomori City Archives Exhibition”. However, the exhibition shall not be restricted exclusively to items from within AomoriCity itself. We plan on displaying a whole host of objects ranging from ski gear used by Aomori native skiers such as Yūichirō Miura, photo/video of people with strong ties to Mt.Hakkōda and woodblock prints/paintings which depict Aomori winters. These items were donated by corporations, groups and individuals based in AomoriPrefecture. Additionally, there shall be several other items on display, including over 100 pairs of skis dating from the early Shōwa period to the present day. Thanks to the efforts of Tohru Nakazaki and all those who participated in our workshops, we are confident that this exhibition shall reveal a previously unheard tale of Aomori’s history, people and culture.