{"id":9425,"date":"2016-06-13T22:21:39","date_gmt":"2016-06-13T13:21:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?p=9425"},"modified":"2020-03-27T11:00:17","modified_gmt":"2020-03-27T02:00:17","slug":"setouchi-art-islands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/setouchi-art-islands\/","title":{"rendered":"Setouchi Art Islands: Megijima and Ogijima"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whether\u00a0art aficionado or artist, you may have heard of Japan’s mysterious “art islands” located around the Seto Inland Sea. The Seto Inland Sea lies between three of Japan’s four islands: Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu. Once every three years,\u00a0the Setouchi International\u00a0Triennale<\/a> brings the whole Setouchi community\u00a0together to show the world an amazing array of Japanese and international contemporary art. During this time, islands that don’t\u00a0usually attract many tourists \u00a0participate as host sites for the event, showcasing open-air art installations and sculptures to the public eye.<\/p>\n

Sibling islands\u00a0Megijima (\u5973\u6728\u5cf6) and Ogijima (\u7537\u6728\u5cf6) are my favorite among these more obscure areas.<\/p>\n

\"Megijima<\/a>

Traveling by ferry between Setouchi art islands<\/p><\/div>\n

A few weeks ago, I had the lucky opportunity to travel to both Megijima and Ogijima during the Triennale and have the experience of viewing contemporary international\u00a0artwork in a seemingly unlikely place.\u00a0\u00a0I highly\u00a0recommend that everyone\u00a0planning on visiting Setouchi for the\u00a02016 Triennale specifically go to Megijima and Ogijima if they have the chance during the festival’s two remaining open seasons. Its easy\u00a0to visit both islands in one day from Takamatsu, as they are small and connected by the same ferry route. The sibling islands have a combined population of less than 400 people; <\/em>as you can probably imagine,\u00a0seeing contemporary art in such a remote Japanese\u00a0environment\u00a0is an experience of juxtaposition\u00a0that you will not forget!<\/p>\n

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\"Megijima<\/a>

The view from Megijima on a misty morning<\/p><\/div>\n

Megijima (\u5973\u6728\u5cf6) is a small island located north of the port city of Takamatsu. In recent years, it has become a more popular tourist destination because it has been linked to the Japanese folktale about Momotaro, a boy born from a peach who visits a mythical island of ogres, “Onigashima.” Thus, Onigashima (Island of Ogres) is Megijima’s nickname.\u00a0On top of the Washigamine Summit\u00a0there is a lovely panoramic view of the Setouchi Inland Sea as well as a cavern that is considered to be the home of the ogres in the folktale. In addition, Megijima\u00a0is home to over 2,000 cherry\u00a0trees, and people have started congregating from Takamatsu during the spring season to see the beautiful pink blossoms blooming on\u00a0the seaside. I was lucky enough\u00a0to attend the Triennale during April\u00a0and can bear witness to Megijima’s spring scenery – it is totally worth the ferry trip out here!<\/p>\n

\"Megijima,<\/a>

Megijima’s cherry blossoms<\/p><\/div>\n

Megijima has only one\u00a0port and its conveniently located in the community area where most of the art is. Because\u00a0the island is so small, all the art sites are within walking distance of each other and you won’t get lost like you might on the bigger islands of Naoshima and Teshima. Though you should definitely try and see all 13 of Megijima’s art sites, I think Harumi Yukutake’s “Equipoise” and Musashi Hirao’s “feel feel BONSAI” were the most interesting sites on the island. Harumi’s work envelopes the audience in light reflections that move with the passing of the breeze as ten thousand hand worked mirror plates\u00a0hang from the ceiling around you. Each viewer has a unique experience in this installation, depending on the weather, time of day, and how crowded the exhibit is, which allows each visitor to reflect on their surrounding in different ways.<\/p>\n

\"megijima<\/a>

“feel feel BONSAI” art site on Megijima<\/p><\/div>\n

Hirao’s “feel feel BONSAI” is an experience I would recommend for any person that is interested in the Japanese bonsai and the deep philosophy behind it. The artist is often in the bonsai house, as he must maintain and upkeep it relentlessly during the festival, which allows more curious audience members the chance to ask him questions (don’t worry, his English is quite good!). It is a peaceful but\u00a0stunning art house, complete with a\u00a0garden,\u00a0video and sound installation, and live events for each season.<\/p>\n

\""Ogijima's<\/a>

“Ogijima’s Soul” building at Ogijima Port<\/p><\/div>\n

Ogijima (\u7537\u6728\u6728\u5cf6) is 1 kilometer\u00a0north of Megijima, about 12 minutes further on the same ferry route.\u00a0It\u00a0is even smaller than Megijima, and very mountainous, with narrow and winding paths on steep hillsides, lined with traditional Japanese houses. Finding the different art sites on Ogijima is\u00a0really fun, because you get to walk around the island’s only village, Ogich\u014d, and get a feel for the local life there. Around each corner there were different surprises – local cafes and vegetable gardens, breathtaking views of the ocean, and of course all the artwork. Ogijima was surprisingly contemporary with 16 different sites, including sound and light installations, open air sculptures, community projects, a giant kaleidoscope, and even an infinity room.<\/p>\n

\""Memory<\/a>

“Memory Bottles” art site on Ogijima<\/p><\/div>\n

My favorite piece was Mayumi Kuri’s “Memory Bottle” art site. It was installed into an old storage building for boating supplies – the ceiling is very high and the interior is filled with delicate glass bottles with little lights inside the hang from the ceiling, each containing different items. Kuri actually involved the Ogijima community on her piece, harvesting ‘memories’ from the villagers in the form of small knickknacks, toys and photos. In this way, she gives viewers an idea of the things that the people of Ogijima hold dear to their hearts, allowing us to see into their lives.<\/p>\n

\""Sea<\/a><\/p>\n

I also recommend seeing Haruki Takahashi’s “Sea Vines” art house – it is a traditional Japanese bedroom filled with vines suspended from the ceiling, leading the eye to an open window overlooking the ocean. The vines are\u00a0beautiful from the moment I saw\u00a0them; I felt that they\u00a0alluded to the wind and waves behind them, but as\u00a0I looked more closely I realized that they are painstakingly handmade from fragile\u00a0porcelain – definitely a feat of artistic skill by Takahashi.<\/p>\n

Megijima and Ogijima have so much to offer and so few people know about them! So if you are making the trip to Setouchi\u00a0this year, don’t hesitate to see them both. They are\u00a0the two sibling islands that you won’t forget!<\/p>\n

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Setouchi International Triennale<\/a>‘s remaining open seasons:
\nSummer Session: July 18th – September 4th
\nAutumn Session: October 8th – November 6th<\/p>\n