KENPOKU ART 2016 Ibaraki Kenpoku Art Festival

This art festival transformed regional landscapes and facilities into contemporary art exhibition spaces, with the sea and mountains of Ibaraki Prefecture’s 6 northern municipalities as its setting.

About KENPOKU ART 2016 Ibaraki Kenpoku Art Festival

KENPOKU ART 2016 Ibaraki Kenpoku Art Festival was a contemporary art festival held in the Kenpoku region of Ibaraki Prefecture.

With the theme “Sea, Mountains, or Art?”, the festival used landscapes and facilities across the coastal and mountainous areas as exhibition spaces.

Works by artists from Japan and abroad were presented across 6 municipalities: Hitachi City, Takahagi City, Kitaibaraki City, Hitachiota City, Hitachiomiya City, and Daigo Town.

As the first edition of the art festival, it brought together the region’s nature and history with contemporary art.

Source: KENPOKU ART 2016 茨城県北芸術祭 - Wikipedia / 芸術祭に行く前に！ 2016→2017の動向を考える｜美術手帖

Festival highlights

Highlights include artworks spread across a variety of local places, such as coastlines, stations, shrines, schools, shopping streets, and art museums.

Exhibitions made use of the character of each place, including “The Dragon Deity Protecting Hitachi’s Ota,” which stands 16 meters tall in Hitachiota City, and a work featuring a rainbow at Hitachi Station.

Artistic approaches were diverse, including digital art by teamLab, works that turned household appliances into electronic instruments, and works made using resin derived from natto.

Contemporary art across 6 northern municipalities, set amid coastal and mountain landscapes

What to expect

Rather than staying at a single venue, visitors experienced the art festival by moving among works scattered across Ibaraki’s 6 northern municipalities.

In a former school building, visitors could see a work that projected a blue sky onto a darkened gymnasium, and take part in a workshop where participants stayed overnight and shared memories.

In Hitachiota City, exhibitions also featured a fictional city hall, city song, city festival, and mayoral election, combining the viewing of artworks with activities that explored local stories.

Location and access

Address: Hitachi City, Takahagi City, Kitaibaraki City, Hitachiota City, Hitachiomiya City, Daigo Town

Host municipality 茨城県日立市、高萩市、北茨城市、常陸太田市、常陸大宮市、大子町

This map shows the surrounding area, not the exact venue location.

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Dates and season

Frequency: First edition

Origins and History of KENPOKU ART 2016 Ibaraki Kenpoku Art Festival

KENPOKU ART 2016 was the first edition of the Ibaraki Kenpoku Art Festival.

Fumio Nanjo served as director, and 85 artist groups from 22 countries and regions in Japan and abroad took part.

Artists and artworks were also selected through open calls, hackathons, and awards, as the festival explored new ways of creating artistic expression in the region.

Following the 2016 event, approximately 776,000 visitors were recorded.

Source: プレスリリース | KENPOKU ART 茨城県北芸術祭

Official information

Press releases for KENPOKU ART 2016 Ibaraki Kenpoku Art Festival provide information on the event outline, announcements of artworks and artists, visitor numbers at the closing, and the final report.

KENPOKU ART 2016 Ibaraki Kenpoku Art Festival at a Glance

KENPOKU ART 2016 Ibaraki Kenpoku Art Festival was the first edition of the art festival, bringing contemporary art together with local landscapes and facilities across the sea and mountains of Ibaraki Prefecture’s 6 northern municipalities.

Experiences varied by venue, from a giant dragon artwork and exhibitions along the coast and at a station to workshops in a former school building.