The Power of Art in the Face of Catastrophe

The term 'catastrophe', signifying 'great disaster' or 'major upheaval', continues to occur around the world. The United States has experienced a series of terrorist attacks, the global financial crisis erupted in 2008, and Japan suffered unprecedented losses in the 2011 earthquake. Through their creations, artists can pass on information about these tragic disasters to future generations. Their personal perspectives, different from the objective reporting of mainstream media, reveal another reality that is easily overlooked under the shadow of majority opinion. They visualize social contradictions and hidden issues, or express the pure personal sense of loss and mourning. On one hand, 'catastrophe' leads us to despair, but on the other hand, can it also stimulate our imagination to rebound, becoming an opportunity for creativity? In a contemporary world fraught with crises such as war, terrorism, refugee issues, and environmental destruction, how should art confront societal tragedies and personal sorrows? What role can it play in our rebirth? This exhibition focuses on 'The Power of Art' to turn negatives into positives, questioning the possibilities therein.