I took a quick tour of the islands to check up on the new works being prepared for the Triennale’s summer session. At Uno Port, Diagonal Composition 1/Diagonal Composition 2/Horizontal Composition, a new work by Noriyuki Haraguchi, makes a powerful impact on the outdoor space. Three steel beams, one placed horizontally and the other two, diagonally, frame a building dedicated to industrial development, giving it a fresh look.
Okinosang, by Korean artist Koo Jeong A, is located on Okinoshima, a little island just 170 meters from Shodoshima. About 6,000 pieces of crystal glass have been scattered across existing structures, such as concrete walls and breakwaters. A masterpiece, the work reflects the subtle changes in light caused by the weather and the position of the sun, drawing the eye to the beauty of the island’s scenery. With these fragments of light in seven locations as a guide, the 30 to 40-minute stroll around the island promises to be an enjoyable experience.
Hans Op de Beeck’s The Silent Room, which is located in the former Soy Sauce Association building, is another stunning work of very high quality. Just seeing the above three works was enough to make my expectations for the rest of the Triennale soar.
On Oshima, Storytelling Table Runner in National Sanatorium Oshima Seishoen presents Tomoko Konoike’s designs inspired by the stories of residents and embroidered by women she collaborates with in Akita and Suzu (Ishikawa). I recommend allowing plenty of time to view these. Seizo Tashima’s Life of N: 70 Years on Oshima – A Room with a Wooden Pot is superb, proving that the poet Tashima is undeniably a master artist. The works by Nobuyuki Takahashi and Fuyuki Yamakawa are also solid and powerful. I feel that the development of the Setouchi Triennale on Oshima offers a page of hope in Japan’s history of Hansen’s disease.
On Ogijima, Trieb - House by Toshikatsu Endo with five tons of water thundering through a decaying home is a breathtaking sight. Kitahama Alley in Takamatsu presents an array of beautiful works including Kosugei-16’s Leftover made of Aji stone, folk crafts presented by Takamatsu Kogei High School and dot architects, and Takashi Nishibori’s Uchiwa Rib Square, which is made of bamboo fan ribs. Finally, Dommune Setouchi, Naohiro Ukawa’s live streaming studio in Hyakken-machi, Takamatsu, presents program content that, if it continues into the future, will make Takamatsu a key broadcasting site for the music scene.
This quick tour made it clear that the summer session is extraordinary, a reflection of the impressive content of the Triennale overall.
This morning, many volunteers from different companies were cleaning up Uno Port, while on Oshima, junior high school students were out in force to help. It makes me happy to see so many people involved with the art sites and the islands like this.
As for summer session events, we have another exciting lineup. Particularly worthy of note are the performances from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Thailand, which will be presented at the Asia Art Platform Déjà-vu: The Living Heritage in Fukuda on Shodoshima. Hope to see you there on July 21.
I also highly recommend the Seppeku Pistols who will be performing at Shikoku Mura, an outdoor architectural museum, on July 19, 20, and 21, as well as at other times during the session. At Shikoku Mura, they will also present a solo live performance on the museum’s rural kabuki theater stage.
