Chronicle: Imako Tanaka – Hiroshima Keith Haring saw, Part 6
Apr. 30, 2025
I was born and raised in Nagasaki, but if I were asked whether I had always thought deeply about anti-war and anti-nuclear causes, I would have to say no. I lived a peaceful and ordinary life. However, the images I formed in my flexible mind while listening to the stories of elderly people have surely remained at the depths of my thoughts.
Let’s return to Part 1 of this series. In August 2023, as the peace month exhibition opened successfully, I stopped by Hiroshima on my way to my hometown. Walking through the city with Haring’s diary in hand, I made several new discoveries, and a question arose in my mind. After returning to the museum, I first organized the people involved. Once the direction of our research was decided, our team visited Hiroshima to conduct a series of oral interviews there.
Haring’s visit to Hiroshima involved a variety of groups and individuals, including a concert planning and production company, a record company, Honkawa Elementary School, which was considered a potential site for a mural production, the Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art, and Hiroshima City Hall. We organized testimonies from those involved, Haring’s diary, and materials preserved by the Keith Haring Foundation, comparing them in chronological order with materials held by Yoshihiko Ueda, who was in charge of the executive office of “HIROSHIMA ’88.” Through this process, we were able to clarify Haring’s path.
Mr. Ueda, who was consulted regarding Haring’s mural production, made every effort to visit potential sites and prepare for Haring’s arrival while organizing the concert. He also served as a host during Haring’s stay. Moreover, Mr. Ueda held notes recording those days, by the hour, for more than 30 years. (Chief curator of the Nakamura Keith Haring Collection in Yamanashi Prefecture)
(Originally published on April 30, 2025)
Let’s return to Part 1 of this series. In August 2023, as the peace month exhibition opened successfully, I stopped by Hiroshima on my way to my hometown. Walking through the city with Haring’s diary in hand, I made several new discoveries, and a question arose in my mind. After returning to the museum, I first organized the people involved. Once the direction of our research was decided, our team visited Hiroshima to conduct a series of oral interviews there.
Haring’s visit to Hiroshima involved a variety of groups and individuals, including a concert planning and production company, a record company, Honkawa Elementary School, which was considered a potential site for a mural production, the Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art, and Hiroshima City Hall. We organized testimonies from those involved, Haring’s diary, and materials preserved by the Keith Haring Foundation, comparing them in chronological order with materials held by Yoshihiko Ueda, who was in charge of the executive office of “HIROSHIMA ’88.” Through this process, we were able to clarify Haring’s path.
Mr. Ueda, who was consulted regarding Haring’s mural production, made every effort to visit potential sites and prepare for Haring’s arrival while organizing the concert. He also served as a host during Haring’s stay. Moreover, Mr. Ueda held notes recording those days, by the hour, for more than 30 years. (Chief curator of the Nakamura Keith Haring Collection in Yamanashi Prefecture)
(Originally published on April 30, 2025)
