What makes an art experience?

We have traditionally been to museums where we look AT art. We stand in front of the work, we stand back from it.

We had the opportunity to head off during the Silver Week holiday not to be confused with the Golden week to visit a mysterious series of art islands we had heard of nestled in the middle of the Inland Sea.

Enter the art at the Benesee Art Islands in the Haranada Sea. This sea has the city of Kobe on the north east side and Okayama on the west, and many beautiful little islands. These islands are protected in an inland sea but like a lot of Japan suffered from change of industry and lack of population starting in the late 70's. 

Once again Dan, bend, duck, step through that little hole, already in the art in our ancient air B and B lodging.

We began this journey by staying in an 100 year old hotel in Uno,which at first took a bit to warm up to. We lived in this old history with a lively young woman who seems to have inherited it.

 Check out, yes, again, old or new, the light from shoji screens is a bit of the divine. The young woman creatively filled any holes in the bamboo walls with paper stars. Do something funky with the old to make it work for a new time, like what we were about to investigate further.

This whole area is a re visioning of rural space sponsored by the Bennessee corporation as their gift to Japan. Click here to see their work.

 First Art island Teshima. Of course we had to bike around to truly get the feel of the area.

After being the only ones who swam here we headed into the first Art House near the beach. In the darkness of a little old closed up house you walk through the sound of different people's heart beats recorded by people from all around the world. Afterwards are invited to record your own heartbeat to add to the display.

We road from village to village to visit different temples & art houses. The Art Houses are a way of bringing life back to communities plagued by abandoned houses. Artists from around the world are spoonsored to come and revisualize the spaces. Check out some of these.

A take off on traditional Japanese homes-

A re-look at an abandoned fisherman home-

An abandoned community centre turned into an art statement-



And of course natural beauty-

Lovely rocks and hillsides with restored rice paddies are part of the new art projects on each of the islands.

In this hillside is nestled the most amazing museum which would more aptly be called an experience where water, light, air and concrete blend for an extremely powerful art experience rather than art viewing. You are asked to take off your shoes and to be quiet to fully engage in the experience.

Nestled among the breathtaking modern were the little shrines linking us to the long history of Japan.

From there we went on to Naoshima Island, the center piece of the Bennessee re-visioning. The whole island is covered with artistic creations, both the kitsh and the sublime-

Catchy-kitsch from re-purposed ocean flotsam & jetsam.

For our climbers Alexis & Sarah.

Old walls with a burnt finish, reused for fences.

Mom remember that trumpet flower you worked so hard to keep. Here, they are all over the place, and 3x as high as me.

On Noashima island, a caution...where seniors are more populous than children. Should we be printing this sign up for the Kootenays?

More Art House projects-

Art at an old temple...."climbing a stairway to heaven."

Glass stairs and string art on walls. 

Lovely light from the garden on a beautifully plated lunch in an old home.

 A tin house, artsy outside, the inside made  to resemble the inside of a ship.

And then the amazing, heart stopping Chi Chu Art Museum, a dramatic and sharp building designed by Tadoa Ando to be entirely lit by natural light-

There were only three main collections in the museum but each one was stupendous. First you walk up to the museum along a path lined with lilly pads to prepare you for an exhibit of the last four paintings Monet did. We  never knew these existed; huge paintings lit by natural light.

From there up a dramatic stair case in concrete-

to Walter de Marias installation that is the size of a cathedral-

to our absolute favourites from the incredible work by the Quaker artist James Turrell; check out this link for the amazing work he has done around the world.



This one is called Sky where you just sit and watch the sky as it drifts by through this frame... again being IN the art...



When we left the museum our senses were totally washed through with the beauty and awe of these sights so we mellowed into the setting sun on our bikes and enjoyed a sashimi meal and the setting sun.

The last art island we visited was Inujima Art Island. This had been a very industrial island that had all of its industry abandoned 80 years ago leaving crumbling remains. Again the challenge was to use art as a means of revitalising the island. 

An old smelter...

Art tiles...

Amazing growth sweeping over and engulfing old buildings...

Why can't I even get Pampas grass to come out of the ground?

Only to discover, tucked in among the old and battered houses a huge art-piece. This one is called the contacts...

Get it.....huge contact lenses in a transparent wall.

I caught Dan in this display of huge lens in one of  the gardens.

And of course another amazing museum created out of decay and destruction...





With an exhibit of a famous author and his house parts hung in the museum..



And once again amazing Art Houses sprinkled around the community...





A lush flower wall outside! 

Another house transitioning into art.

Then did some Japanese artist know about the phrase "to be in the dog house."

A mosaic dog pokes out of a house on the ocean channel.

We returned to Tokyo totally awash in having walked through, breathed, and experienced ART in new ways and in new places. What an amazing experience and a fascinating experiment in art as a form of community renewal. 

By the way, these islands have become magnets for art lovers from around the world. Each site was filled with people totally appreciating the art. 

First sight of Fuji on the train home... of course through the electrical wires.