The Kunisaki Peninsula Art Festival will be held from October 4th to November 30th in various locations in Bungotakada City and Kunisaki City, Oita Prefecture.
This art festival is the culmination of the Kunisaki Peninsula Art Project, which began in 2012. Its concept is a "walking art festival" where art-seeking visitors to the Kunisaki Peninsula can experience the unique charms of the area.
Throughout the festival, three major projects will be developed.
The first is the "site-specific project" (works created for a specific location). By developing projects in six areas that evoke the history and culture of the Kunisaki Peninsula, the festival aims to convey the appeal of the artworks as well as the stories of each location. Participating artists include Yoko Ono (Kakachi Project, which developed a project in Kakachi), Saburo Teshigawara (Namiishi Project), teamLab (Matama Project), and Tatsuo Miyajima (Jobutsu Project). The second, "Performance Project," will feature three performing arts works that reflect the nature, culture, and lives of the Kunisaki Peninsula, from past to future. The works to be performed are "Tam Kai (Following the Chicken) Kunisaki Peninsula Version" by Pichet Klunchun; "Someone from Where?" by Teshigawara Saburo; and "Iriguchi Deguchi," directed and written by Ameya Norimizu, with text by Asabuki Mariko and sound by zAk. The third, "Residence Project," will feature artists presenting works created on the Kunisaki Peninsula. Sculptures and installations by Amemiya Yosuke, Suzuki Hiraku, and the late Hinako Sanezo will be on display, as well as "Onta ware," pottery produced in the Onta area. There will also be a photography exhibition by Nishimitsu Yusuke. In addition, the website "http://kunisakigenzo.jp," which launched in March and conveys the activities of artists who have visited the Kunisaki Peninsula and the breath of the people and things living there, will be updated regularly throughout the festival. A press conference was held in Tokyo on July 10th to announce various events planned for the festival. On October 4th, a talk event featuring participating artists Tadashi Kawamata and Tatsuo Miyajima will be held at Kunisaki City Minnankan. On October 26th, a talk event featuring fellow participating artist Toshiyuki Inoko of teamLab will be held at Bungotakada City Central Community Center. In addition, a special bus tour of the Kunisaki Peninsula with model KIKI will be held on November 29th. A two-day, one-night guided tour featuring all six works from the site-specific project will also be planned, guided by Junya Yamaide, general director of the Kunisaki Peninsula Art Festival.

There is no admission fee for the site-specific projects and residence projects, and they can be viewed from 10am to 5pm during the festival period, except on Wednesdays, which is the festival's regular closing day. The performance times for each program in the performance projects are posted on the official website.

Attending the press conference, Inoko said, "In Kunisaki, I spent all my time looking at flowers. The nature was wonderful, and it made me feel so good (laughs). This work was inspired by that. I hope that visitors will feel good as well."


[Event Information]
Kunisaki Peninsula Art Festival
Location: Various locations in Bungotakada City and Kunisaki City, Oita Prefecture
Date: October 4th to November 30th