Setouchi International Art Festival | Japan

[caption id="attachment_5355" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Yasuhiro Suzuki - Ship of the Zipper (2010) Megijima, rendering. Courtesy the Setouchi International Art Festival."]

[/caption] Setouchi International Art Festival "100-Day Art and Sea Adventure" takes place on the islands of the Seto Inland Sea in South Japan. Features 75 artists and projects and 16 events from 18 countries and regions. Featuring artists from Japan, France, Indonesia, China, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Korea, Denmark, Germany and more... From time immemorial, the Seto Inland Sea has been an important nexus of transportation. Boats from the mainland came and went, bringing new cultures and lifestyles to the islands dotting the Sea. Since then, each island has formed and developed its own unique culture. This rich heritage, along with its beautiful scenery, is still around today, set against the backdrop of tradition. However, in today’s globalising world, with increasing homogenization and streamlining, the islands are losing their unique characteristics because of the ageing and decreasing of the population on the islands and the decline of the local area’s vitality. The organisers are holding the Setouchi International Art Festival in hopes of bringing this vitality back to the islands of the Seto Inland Sea, where the beautiful nature and the people have mingled and become synchronised together. The aim is to make the Seto Inland Sea ‘the Sea of Hope‘ for all places in the world. The Setouchi International Art Festival blends the folk customs, entertainment, festivals, and regional characteristics that have transcended the ages with the art, architecture, and drama that evoke the feeling of our contemporary times. It is a project that conveys the charms of the Seto Inland Sea to the world. Check the full Artists and Projects list. Take a tour of the Naoshima Bath a Japanese-style public bath art facility designed by artist Shinro Ohtake. NEW: read ART-IT Review