The unfathomable influence of art court. The fifth location that Go-Parky has set up is under the elevated railway tracks in Edogawa Ward.

The recent FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 . Many readers may have been glued to the Japanese national basketball team, which successfully qualified for next year's Paris Olympics. Not long after that, the NBA also started its season. Rui Yamura and Yuta Watanabe . No matter what anyone says, the wave of basketball is coming to Japan, and did you know that there is a project underway to give a boost to the basketball scene with the power of art?

The project was initiated by "go parkey," an organization that connects artists and local residents through the renovation of basketball courts in the park to create an art court for the entire community. This is the first project of the "go parkey" project.Interview at Hamacho Park. It has been about a year and a half since The new stage is "Matsumoto No. 2 Children's Amusement Park" in Edogawa-ku, Tokyo. On November 1, we visited Mr. Sho Ebihara of "Go Parky" and Mr. imaone, who was in charge of the artwork, as the launch was nearing.

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The influence of the art court on the skin.

It has been about a year and a half since we first covered the Nihonbashi Hamacho Art Court. First of all, I would like to ask you about the activities leading up to the launch of the Art Court at Matsumoto No. 2 Children's Amusement Park.

Ebihara: This is the fifth Art Court itself, but like Hamacho Park in Chuo-ku, Tokyo, this is the second to be built with the support of SPALDING. Other than that, there is "Okubo Park" in Shinjuku City, "Ikenoue Youth Exchange Center" in Setagaya City, and "Aqua Park" in Yoshikawa City, Saitama Prefecture. In each of these places, we hold events such as clinics for children and 3x3 tournaments to make basketball more accessible to the local community.

Art court is steadily increasing.

Ebihara: Thanks to you. This renovation was made possible by the support of "Spalding" for our first project as "Go Parky," the creation of an art court in "Hamacho Park. We had the same idea of "creating an environment where anyone can play sports," and we have been in constant contact with each other, so many factors came together to make this project possible. . It really is a chance encounter.

I think the basketball scene will become even more exciting if more art courts are built all over Japan. In fact, what has been the response to the four art courts you have worked on so far?

Ebihara: We have received positive feedback, including from children and local governments. The most common is that it is easier to use. They say the design is great and cool, but one of the things we are particular about is that we have reworked areas that had been exposed to the elements to make them easier to use. So we are happy to hear that it is less slippery, that the lines are more clearly visible, and that it is fun to play on the colorful court. Also, when I hear that basketball fans and culture art fans from overseas come to visit, it makes me feel even more happy.

. It's also the purpose of your trip, isn't it?

Ebihara: We have received more inquiries such as where can I find these courts and whether they are free to play or not. We have received a lot of coverage in the international media, and recently, at an award ceremony to recognize outstanding athletic facilities, Okubo Park was awarded both the "Future Project" category award and the "Project of the Year 2023" award, the grand prize (MVP) through all the categories.

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Functional coatings imported from overseas , specially designed for coatings.

Can you tell us how you came to offer imaone as the fifth artist for this year's show?

Ebihara: Earlier, I mentioned that I am always on the lookout for a good coat to renovate and the right artist to go with it, and one of those artists is imaone.

IMAONE：Yes, that's right. There are two people in Go Parky, Ebichan (Ebihara-san) and another person named Ozawa-san. I have known Ozawa-san for about 20 years now. We also worked together. So I have known him for a long time.

. I see. In your daily creative activities, do you ever paint on a coat?

imaone：We have done a little floor painting before, but this is the first time we have done something this big. And it was done with special paint for coating.

Are the paints for coatings only?

Ebihara: Unlike ordinary paints, there are paints for sports facilities, and we use the highest quality paints imported from overseas in terms of functionality.

IMAONE：This is a big point. We don't usually use it.

. Not only is it well-designed, but it is also very practical.

Ebihara: Yes, that's right. This has been the same since Hamacho.

imaone：This paint was the first time for me to use it, so I was still a bit surprised. The way to use it was totally different. As Ebi said earlier, if you want to maintain the functionality of the paint, you need to use a brush or roller to spread it out nicely, not just apply it with a spatula. From the selection of materials, to the use of the mind, to the actual work process, it was quite different from my usual creative work. To be honest, it was a lot of work (laughs).

How long did it take you to make the film?

IMAONE：It takes about 3 weeks including ground preparation.

You were very fast. What did you pay attention to when designing?

imaone：I was conscious of how it would look from the side, from above, when you drive by, and how it would look as a whole. I usually paint large murals or canvases, but as I said before, the way I use my head is different from usual, so this time it was more like a work of forcefully bringing the work to life rather than painting it. I interpreted that one of the conditions of the work was to show large lines that would stand out from a distance.

What is the significance of this color scheme?

IMAONE：When I first came here, I had a strong impression that the ceiling was concrete under the elevated building and the atmosphere was a bit dingy, so I wanted to use positive colors to dispel that impression.

Ebihara: Indeed, this place was originally an old court, just like an asphalt road.

imaone：I usually draw one character in detail, but I wanted to make it more lively than that, so I ended up creating a design that looks like a pattern with characters scattered around. I wanted to make it more lively than that, so I ended up designing it like a pattern with characters scattered all over it.

How about you, Mr. Ebihara?

Ebihara: As imaone-san mentioned earlier, imaone-san's drawings have the image of large characters. So, when I first saw this pattern, I was genuinely surprised. I had not expected it at all. At the same time, I was really excited.

Ebihara: Also, in the past projects, we have had to hire so-called "contractors" or construction companies to do some of the work, but this time, everything, including the technical aspects, was done solely by "Go-Parky" and imaone. On holidays, staff from "Spalding" helped us with the painting. When painting art on a basketball court, it is necessary to achieve both "functionality as a court" and "beauty as art. There are many important technical points in the production process, and it is easier and faster to complete the work on our own. We have learned from the past four coat productions and are making the most of it through trial and error.

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The art coat is only complete when it is used.

By the way, do you often have to give back your work?

Ebihara: As in past projects, we take care to give the artist the full expression of what he or she wants to express as much as possible.

imaone：I think art is usually framed and displayed, but in the case of the court, it is to be played and stepped on. I think that is what makes this project so interesting. Playing on an art court is also a part of the art. I think the more you play and get dirty, the more it becomes a finished product.

What do you expect from Matsumoto No. 2 Children's Amusement Park in the future?

The opening ceremony took place on Saturday, November 11.

Ebihara: First of all, I would like it to be filled with children. Basketball in Japan is very serious. When you leave a team, you have to retire. In the case of competitive basketball, there is a tendency that you should not play halfway after retirement. There are pictures by imaone, and you might make friends with someone who came here with a different motivation. It would be a great opportunity for people to interact with each other. . Of course, I hope that adults will also come here to shoot on a whim.

I also hope to see a synergy between art and basketball, such as children who were only interested in basketball becoming interested in art after being exposed to imaone's work, or even becoming interested in mural art.

IMAONE：We hope that many people will come and step on many steps. I hope that people will come into contact with art without realizing it, and that the threshold for art itself will be lowered. I hope that people will use the art courts more and more, and that the world will become a place where art courts are more accessible.

After the opening of "Matsumoto No. 2 Children's Amusement Park," do you have any plans to use the park for other projects?

Ebihara: We are planning an anniversary event with Mr. Spalding exactly one year from now. It is still shiny now, but in a year's time it will have been used by many people and will have bash marks and dirt on it. I am looking forward to seeing the changes in the artwork and how it will fit in with the surrounding landscape.

. Finally, what would you like to say to visitors and users?

Ebihara: I just want you to feel free to use it . You can play basketball, or just watch. You can just take pictures and go home.

IMAONE：Yes. I would be happy if people use it freely and happily. I hope it will be a good spot for all generations.

Photo_Yuya Wada
Text_Jun Nakada