"The J-Way" sounds like another example of Japanese-English, but if you thought so, like me, you would be mistaken. It is, in fact, the title of a high-octane exhibition of over 40 Japanese artists that was held Sept. 29-Oct. 1 at the Lydmar Hotel in Stockholm.
Long ago Miles Davis and bygone jazz festivals made the city famous for being open to and warmly appreciative of arts and artists who were less well received by the mainstream elsewhere. This reputation is being kept alive and kicking today, not only in Sweden but also in Tokyo. In fact, the Swedish Embassy has one of the highest cultural profiles here, largely due to the efforts of Eva Kumlin, the current Swedish ambassador's wife, whose real love and support of culture is not restricted to pottery and ikebana.
How exactly did famous Japanese curators and 40 Japanese artists end up celebrating, exhibiting and performing in Stockholm in a high-class hotel for three days? It all began last year with "Swedish Style," a sharp, walk-on-the-wild-side celebration of Swedish film, glass, fashion and art, coordinated by Kumlin and curated by Thomas Nordanstad.