The Echigo Tsumari Triennial 大地の芸術祭 越後妻有

Boosting rural space

In the summer of 2000, Fram Kitagawa, director of the Art FrontGallery in Tokyo, organized the first triennial of contemporary art by Echigo Tsumari and brought to the forefront of the international artistic scene a rural region which until then had been mainly known for its rice fields, its sake, harsh winters and heavy snowfalls. For Kitagawa, a native of the prefecture, this choice corresponds to his deep desire to revitalize the region which is suffering from a continuous demographic decline and the aging of the population. Contemporary art, set up outside the classic pattern of closed exhibition spaces, must breathe new life into this rural Japan. The numerous works of art are dispersed in a vast space of 760km 2 and invest the traditional satoyama and the abandoned villages.

To read: Satoyama experience

Involvement of the population

The triennale, organized according to a unique model in the world, is truly a regional project that greatly mobilizes the local population. This one is not a simple spectator because it collaborates closely with the artists. The triennale is articulated as a community project where art helps to forge unbreakable links between artists, residents and international volunteers. The contribution of many volunteers is a specificity of the event. The organizing committee uses volunteers nicknamed the kohebi-tai or "little squad of snakes". Young city dwellers and visual arts students from around the world mingle with older people from the region to help set up the rich program. The triennale is thus an intergenerational gathering between very different communities; the demonstration of a great open-mindedness at each edition.

Museums and galleries in Japan

In harmony with nature

The contemporary art festival champions Kitagawa's vision; that of reconnecting man and nature . Visitors who cross the landscapes of satoyama to access the exhibition sites distant from each other have an intense sensory experience. At the turn of a forest, a rice terrace or a deserted school, you will discover the works and installations of the greatest Japanese and international artists specially designed to integrate this environment. The key word is harmony . 158 works created during previous editions are visible outside the period of the triennale. So you can admire at any time of the year "Tsumari in Bloom" by Yayoi Kusama or "The House of Light" by James Turrell. The success of the Echigo Tsumari Triennial ( 1 million visitors each time ), hailed by the highest authorities in the country, has strengthened its initiator in his momentum. Kitagawa has developed other contemporary art festivals across the archipelago: the Setouchi triennial since 2010, the Japan Alps Art Festival and the Oku-Noto triennial since 2017. The revitalization of the Japanese countryside now goes through art contemporary !

See also: Yokohama Art Triennale