In my last blog post, I mentioned that we were short of Koebitai volunteer supporters and introduced 2 families that had stepped in to help. I am delighted to say that people who read the article have already contacted us and offered to help. We know, however, that the need for volunteers will continue for some time yet. Joining the Koebitai is a great experience, a chance to get to know people of all ages, backgrounds and nationalities. Here I’d like to share just a few examples of the variety of people who apply along with the philosophy behind this approach.

A few days ago, we were joined by siblings aged 16 and 18 from New York and a woman from France also recently applied. As part of our overseas contingent, we are also fortunate to have a large number of volunteers joining us from Taiwan and Hong Kong. A surprising number of housewives from the Kanto area also come, just for the weekends, leaving home on Friday night and returning home on Sunday evening. Many volunteers travel by overnight bus or the night ferry. Volunteers range in age from four to seventy-five. This diversity reflects one of the overall objectives of the Triennale.

I think that art, too, should be as diverse as possible. Art is probably the only field in which one is praised for being different. Of the 7 billion people currently living on this planet, each one is unique; each has a different point of view. Each one of those 7 billion people is involved in one way or another with other people. This is awesome; incredible. The immensity of the fact that all of these people have to find a way to work together is overwhelming.

Art is a manifestation of those differences. The Setouchi Triennale is an expression of the human physiology that is art, the response of the individual to constant changes in the climate, the land, the passing time, an experiment in celebrating together just this one moment of our ephemeral lives, with the resonating changes as the base.

It is only natural therefore, that many positive things happen. The bonds forged between Koebita volunteers as they live and share food together under the same roof are strong and deep. They become good friends because they have shared the experience of encouraging visitors, even those who are tired after their long journey, to buy a Triennale passport. They encourage people to buy Passports because they want them to go to as many islands as possible and experience the differences.