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"The Culture of Seclusion" and "The Culture of Ports”

The deep green of the mountains nurtured by blessed rain.

Emperor Jimmu walked and paved the way,
Kukai opened Mount Koya, which became a place of pilgrimage.

The woods and seafood nurtured by the rich nature were brought to various parts of Japan from the port of Tonda.

In this land named, Kumano and Muro,
the gods were said to be holed up, and people were said to travel back and forth between this world and the next.

Since ancient times, Kinan has been a place where people and things come and go, and ideas and information cross paths under the divine chambers.

The hearts and subconscious minds of the people there have something in common, even though they come from different cultures and backgrounds.

At Kinan Art Week, through art, the events, people, and thoughts that intersect in this place will become an irreplaceable experience that can only be had here.

Inside and outside, past and present, people and nature, Kinan/Muro and the world.
Although it is here, it is also connected to some other place.
What will the new encounters that will occur in the Chamber of the Gods bring to us?
Photo by Visit Wakayama

OUR CULTURES

KINAN ART WEEK 2021

@Kinan Area, Wakayama Prefecture

(to be updated in the future)

Free Admission

籠りの文化と港の文化

“Muro（牟婁）” which is the same meaning of the Kinan area of Wakayama Prefecture, takes its name from the words “Komoru” (Secluding to hide away and return to one’s origins, thereby experiencing a rebirth), and originates from “Chamber of the Gods”, and has a history of excelling at exploring the inner world, secluding oneself in the midst of rich mountain and forest resources. The religious beliefs of Koyasan (Mount Koya) and the Kumano Kodo are a source of tolerance and diversity in Japan regardless of status, religion, or gender, and have given rise to such visionary figures as Kumagusu Minakata and Rosetsu Nagasawa.

On the other hand, “Kinan（紀南）”, the southernmost peninsula of the main land of Japan, was once characterized by its “openness’”and fostered a culture of immigration together with the Kuroshio Current. Its long coastline and high-quality timber have resulted in the development of advanced shipbuilding technology which originated from ancient times, and it has played a major role in history as a base for goods transport and the naval forces. The first ships used in Sakai, Osaka were ships from Tonda port and used to serve as the starting point of the “Port” and cultural and economic center. However, in modern times, the origins of Muro and its prosperous “Port” have been forgotten, and through this activity, I hope to restore its historical and cultural assets to the present day.

Greeting from General Producer

Yabumoto Yuto

General ProducerYabumoto Yuto

It has been 15 years since I left Kinan, and almost 10 years have passed since I founded law firm in Cambodia at the age of 22. With offices in 18 countries around the world, I have witnessed the disappearance of inherent goodness, and goods and values due to the effects of modernization and urbanization in Asia and the rest of the world. As a native of the Asian countryside in the Kinan area of Wakayama Prefecture, I personally believe that maintaining and further developing the 'Aura', which is a value that is unique to the region, will lead to stability and peace in the world.

I would like to rediscover the historical value of 'the Culture of Seclusion and the Culture of Ports' unique to the Kinan/Muro area, and present them as new values in the present day. Globalization and localization are considered to be opposed or divided concepts, but my opinion is that they are essentially from the same roots.

In order to embody this hypothesis, the KINAN ART WEEK has formed a partnership with Nanki-Shirahama Airport and experts in various fields/regions, and will be inviting top contemporary artists and artworks from around the world to participate in the event which is, based on a thorough study of the local history and culture. In addition to contributing to the promotion of culture and education, primary and secondary industries, and tourism, the Kinan /Muro region itself will also contribute to the historical culture and art through a creative approach that allows “acharamon” (meaning 'stranger' in the Kinan dialect) to find universal similarities in contemporary art.

'The Culture of Seclusion” and “The Culture of Ports'

January 2021

Yabumoto Yuto

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Miyatsu Daisuke

Miyatsu Daisuke

Born in Tokyo in 1963. Graduated from the Graduate School of Art and Design, Kyoto University of Art and Design with a master’s degree. Researches the relationship between art, the economy, and society. Known as a world-renowned collector of contemporary art. While working for a private company, he collected more than 400 pieces of art works, and his home, which he built in collaboration with an artist, is world-renowned. He is also a professional art custodian and conservator.

He has served as a member of the ‘Council for the Study of Overseas Dissemination of Contemporary Art’ of the Agency for Cultural Affairs and the ‘Haneda Olympic and Paralympic Legacy Promotion Task Force’, acted as a juror for the ‘Asian Art Award 2017’ and the ‘ART FUTURE PRIZE. He has been active in the media, appearing on general TV’s ‘Close-Up Gendai+’ and ‘NHK News Good Morning Japan’ and has also giving many lectures in Taiwan, Korea, China and other countries.

Morishige Ryota

Kinan Promotion ProducerMorishige Ryota

Nanki Shirahama Airport, which was the prefectural airport of Wakayama Prefecture, has been privatized since April 2019. As the air gateway to the Kinan region in southern Wakayama Prefecture, the airport will not only serve as an air transportation hub for people to come and go, but also as a place to connect the world (global) with the region (local) and create new exchanges and relationships,including the nature, culture, and history of Kinan, by taking advantage of itsairport characteristics.

Through Kinan Art Week, we hope to contribute to enriching the spirit and revitalizing the region by redefining KINAN, which has a rich culture and history that is said to be the origin of nature worship in Japan.

After gaining experience at a major electronics manufacturer, he was involved in numerous airport privatization and regional revitalization projects across Japan from both the public and private sectors at IGPI. Currently, as the General Manager of Nanki-Shirahama Airport's Regional Revitalization Office, he is in charge of attracting airlines, regional cooperation, and landing-based travel business for airport-based regional development. From the perspective of both tourism and business, he is working to create a framework for attracting inbound travelers, promoting work vacations, and attracting IoT companies, and to revitalize the region by expanding the local acceptance system, promoting demonstration experiments, and fostering human resources.

OVERVIEW OF KINAN ART WEEK 2021

Dates・Venue

November 18th 2021 - November 28th 2021 (11days)
Kinan Area, Wakayama
(to be updated in the future)
Free Admission

Organizer

Kinan Art Week Executive Committee

Co-organized by

Nanki-Shirahama Airport,Inc.

Cooperation

Aura Contemporary Art Foundation

TETAU Union

Supported by

Wakayama Prefecture

General Producer

Yabumoto Yuto

Artistic Director

Miyatsu Daisuke

Kinan Promotion Producer

Morishige Ryota

Executive Committee Organization

Executive Committee Chairman:Yabumoto Yuto

Vice Chairman:Morishige Ryota

Vice Chairman:Sugi Mariko

Vice Chairman:Moriwaki Roku

Advisor:Miyatsu Daisuke

Secretary General:Shimoda Manabu

Auditor:Kimura Kodai(Attorney at Law admitted in Japan & New York)

CONTACT