I have been checking the artworks on the four islands in western Kagawa which have joined the Triennale’s fall session. On Ibukijima, three artist units related to Indonesia (Takashi Kuribayashi, Melia Jaarsma + Nindityo Adipurnomo, and Eko Nugroho) are presenting works. Awashima where Vietnamese artist Dinh Q. Le is participating also has many strong works, such as those related to the schooner TARA. The Song of the Children All Gone (aw07) by Mounir Fatmi and Contours of Thinking (aw06) by Italian artist Esther Stocker, both of which are from the 2016 Triennale, are wonderful works too.
On Honjima, the Kasashima district is definitely worth a visit with its historic townscape and works by Pinaree Sanpitak (Thailand), Alicja Kwade (Poland), and Su-Mei Tse (Luxemburg). Atsuko Nakamura’s work is terrific, while The Course of Love (ho07), a work by Raqs Media Collective that bobs on a canal, is tastefully done and a good indication of why this artist unit has been put in charge of artistic direction for the 2020 Yokohama Triennale.
So be sure to check out the four western islands, including Takamijima, that joined the fall session in the remaining weeks of the Triennale. The works presented on each are of very high caliber.
Triennale events continue to unfold as we approach the finale. Starting on October 25, the Setouchi Art Book Fair will run for three days in Tamamo Park, Takamatsu. About 90 booths will open, of which thirty percent will be from Asia and other parts of the world. It makes me very happy to see this kind of collaboration that transcends national borders, something made possible through the Triennale’s development as a prominent international art festival.
Also starting on October 25 and running for three days is the Setouchi Business Forum: Aiming for Sustainable Business Development. This forum arose from the strong movement occurring throughout Japan to examine such issues as how businesses can increase common social capital, how to improve the natural environment worldwide, how to participate in sustainable programs, and how scientific technology can truly benefit humankind.
On November 1st and 2nd, Valuable Cargo, a performance on the theme of Hansen’s disease by Christiaan Bastiaans (Netherlands), will be presented at Sunport Takamatsu. World-renowned actress Liv Ullmann is participating, while well-established Japanese actor Akira Emoto and up-and-coming Japanese actress Shizuka Ishibashi will be performing live. Don’t miss it.
The effects of unseasonable weather are growing worse every year, and the earth’s glaciers and the ice covering its poles are melting at a phenomenal rate. Some predict that all of these will have melted by 2100. This is a critical point in time for humanity, and for local communities and cultures.
