The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic throughout the world has had a great impact on the Oku-Noto Triennale. “Oku-Noto Triennale 2020” was originally scheduled to open in September 2020, however, the decision was made to postpone the event for one year. We are now making a fresh start under the new name “Oku-Noto Triennale 2020＋”, and are proceeding with preparations in an aim to hold the triennale in September 2021.
In the “Ohkurazarae” project, local residents, supporters, experts in folklore and anthropology, and artists work together to collect the “local treasures” that lie stowed away in the storehouses of homes all over the city, along with the very memories and recollections of their users. Putting emphasize on the found objects, a theater-ish museum unlike ever seen before, where preservation and art coexist, will be opened in the “Former Seibu Elementary school” that stands on a hill overlooking the sea.
Artists invited from all over the world deeply engage with an original landscape that could be described as “forgotten Japan” that remains at the “furthest edge of the world,” and contribute to developing the charm of the place through their artworks. The significance of being at the “furthest edge of the world” and the potential it has is increasingly important as we struggle with environmental changes and the world continues to become increasingly homogenous.
“Oku-Noto Triennale” is a project with intentions to revitalize the city. “Oku-Noto Triennale 2020＋” will present the most contemporary art that resonates in harmony with local traditions in an aim to further evolve and explore the region’s potential with the world’s leading artists. Please look forward to Fall 2021, when the “foremost art festival at the furthest edge of the world” will finally be unveiled.
Fram Kitagawa
（Oku-Noto Triennial General Director）
