In the fall of 2019, a new art festival, "Art Project KOBE 2019: TRANS-," will be launched in Kobe. "TRANS-" will be held from September 14th to November 10th in three areas of Kobe.

This project is "an attempt to use contemporary art to "jump over something and head to the other side," with the aim of making Kobe a leading glocal city." During the event, various exhibits, including art pieces and outdoor theater, will appear in Kobe's Shinkaichi, Shin-Nagata, and Hyogo Port districts. Directed by Hayashi Hisami, the festival is organized by the Kobe Citizens' Cultural Promotion Foundation. What sets this festival apart from the flurry of art festivals held around the world in recent years is the limited number of participating artists. The two artists currently announced as participating are Gregor Schneider, a world-renowned artist born in Rheingut, Germany, and Miwa Yanagi, an artist from Hyogo Ward, Kobe, where the project is set. There will be no main museum or exhibition facility; instead, the artists will use the city and people of Kobe as their subject matter and create and unveil new installations. Strange beings suddenly appear in ordinary landscapes. How will people encounter and respond to these beings? Gregor Schneider, who specializes in creating uncharted spaces within the private spaces of homes and rooms, and within the flow of everyday time, plans to scatter approximately 10 works across three areas. Visitors can explore these spaces in one day and experience an uncharted journey.

Gregor Schneider [Reference work] u r 10 Coffee Room, 1993. A room that rotates within a room, plasterboard, laminated timber, a wooden structure with pillars and pulleys, etc.
© Gregor Schneider / VG Bild-Kunst Bonn

Meanwhile, Yanagi Miwa, who began working seriously on theater in 2011 and performed her outdoor play "Wings of the Sun" in Kyoto two years ago using a mobile stage trailer, will present the same play for the first time in Kobe. She will take on the spectacle of a maritime play at a port in Hyogo Ward.

Yanagi Miwa [Reference work] Kawanakajima, 2016, Digital print, 285x160cm
©2018 Yanagi Miwa
During the exhibition, a variety of events will be held, allowing people to experience contemporary art and become familiar with the city of Kobe, including workshops, talk events, walking tours of the city, music events, and related video and film screenings. These will include programs for kids in collaboration with local organizations and artists. In addition, programs are being solicited from students, individuals, and companies/organizations, with TRANS- providing production support and a venue for the events.

Hyogo Wharf/Hyogo Port (Canal) Area