AQ Field Trip: Echigo Tsumari Art Triennial 2009
September 16th, 2009
Chris Palmieri
Last week, AQ took a short field trip to the Echigo Tsumari Art Triennial in Niigata Prefecture, accompanied by our friends at Tokyo Art Beat and Birds Design.
Like the Seto Inland Sea, Niigata’s countryside has experienced rapid depopulation over the last few decades, with devastating consequences to the local economy. The triennial started in 2000, led by general producer Soichiro Fukutake and general director Fram Kitagawa. This year marks its fourth edition, with 350 artworks scattered across 750 km2.
Disembarking in Echigo Yuzawa
Tatsuo Kawaguchi “Relation-Blackboard Classroom／Relation-Farmer’s Work”
Tatsuo Kawaguchi “Relation-Blackboard Classroom／Relation-Farmer’s Work”
Tatsuo Kawaguchi “Relation-Blackboard Classroom／Relation-Farmer’s Work”
We stayed at Sansho House, a school house converted into a lodging facility, with bunkbeds and homemade meals with local ingredients.
Next time, maybe we’ll try for Dream House By Marina Abranovic. Guests sleep in wooden boxes with crystal pillows wearing special pajamas designed by the artist. The next morning they write their dreams in a book embedded in the bed.
Dream House By Marina Abranovic
Lauren Berkowitz “Harvest House”
Sotaro Yamamoto “Yard of Doors”
Planning. . .
On the first day, we had a tasty vegan lunch prepared by local oba-sans at Jean-Luc Vilmouth’s “Cafe Reflet”, a cafeteria furnished in all sky blue, with mirrored table surfaces.
Jean-Luc Vilmouth’s “Cafe Reflet”
A group fav was Junichi Kurakake + Nihon University College of Art Sculpture “Shedding House”. An old, unused house was meticulously carved on every surface, including the wooden sandals in the entranceway.
Junichi Kurakake + Nihon University College of Art Sculpture “Shedding House”
Junichi Kurakake + Nihon University College of Art Sculpture “Shedding House”
Junichi Kurakake + Nihon University College of Art Sculpture “Shedding House”
For “The Last Class”, Christian Boltanski＋Jean Kalman repurposed an entire school in a dark meditation on the absence of human presence.
Christian Boltanski＋Jean Kalman “The Last Class”
One room reproduces the rhythm of actual human heartbeats using massive vibrating speakers and a single incandescent bulb:
Janet Cardiff & George Bures Miller “Storm Room”
Claude Leveque “In silence or in noises”
Claude Leveque “In silence or in noises”
Claude Leveque “In silence or in noises”
You can see many more photos by Tomomi, Ryan, Naoki, and myself on Flickr.
Until next year!
Mom Palmieri
September 16th, 2009
Great photos–glad you all enjoyed and thanks for sharing these highlights with us on the other side of the world! My favorite would be the photos of the “carved” house.
Must say, Ihowever, that I would never have the desire to sleep in that box while I’m still breathing!!
Love to all!!
Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale 2009 or Number Two « are.are
September 18th, 2009
[...] I won’t go into all the work we saw, there’s just too much to go into. We all took our own photos though and have uploaded various sets to flickr, including my own which can be found here. Chris, my boss, set is located here. Tomomi, who also works at AQ as project manager, has a set here and Naoki who works for Tokyo Art Beat has one here. A digested version that Chris put up on our work blog can be found here. [...]
Katrina
February 10th, 2010
Beautiful photographs
Katrina
February 10th, 2010
Who took ‘em?
Chris Palmieri
February 11th, 2010
Tomomi, Ryan, Naoki, and myself (maybe Paul too?)