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VIEW ALL2013.03.21 Setouchi and the Islands in Spring
I have had the pleasure of accompanying various tours to different islands. Recently, I visited Inujima, Megijima and Shamijima, all in one day.
At the Inujima Art House Project, Yusuke Asai and Haruka Kojin have done a great job of utilizing difficult spaces. Kohei Nawa’s work superbly captures the energy of life being born from chaos, while Jun Nguyen-Hatsushiba’s video installation “Stone Quarry Baseball” of a pitcher and batter is both entertaining and profound.
On Megijima, MECON by Shinro Ohtake, which is presented in the narrow school courtyard, is a fascinating “collection of things” that reflects the artist’s unique taste. Leandro Erlich’s “The Presence of Absence”, which is housed in the same building as the restaurant Iara, and Harumi Yukutake’s “Equipoise” have such a high level of perfection that they are a pleasure to view every time I visit. “Terrace Winds” by Yasuyoshi Sugiura is located up the hill from the shrine in what used to be terraced rice fields. The artist has created windscreens using over 400 ceramic bricks and the view of the Seto Inland Sea seen through this work is truly beautiful. I definitely recommend visiting this spot.
Finally, on Shamijima, I tried Eat & Art Taro’s “1,000 year soup”, which uses only ingredients that were common 1,000 years ago. It was delicious.
During the Triennale, my days end with a reflection meeting that starts at 8:30 PM. This is the time to assess the day’s accomplishments and deal with any problems or issues that have come up. That is, after all, the director’s job. Preparations for the post-Spring period and the coming Summer Season are already underway. But for now, spring is here. The Seto Inland Sea is calm, the flowers are blooming and all is enveloped in a soft and gentle light.