The international art festival will be held in autumn of 2016, in the setting of the vast “KENPOKU” , the northern region six cities of Ibaraki Prefecture, blessed by abundant nature with scenic ocean and mountains.

These planned venues for the art festival, carry unique atmosphere formed by the combination of scenic beaches and mountains richly endowed with nature.

Looking back on the history of Ibaraki Prefecture, with mines opened toward the end of the Edo era, copper mines found in the surrounding area of Hitachi and industries being developed, it was the region which had supported the Japanese modernization from the Meiji era and after.

More recently, as there are several universities including the University of Tsukuba in the prefecture, as well as the prefecture having hosted “Tsukuba Expo '85,” Ibaraki Prefecture is considered a hub for the development of art and science technologies in Japan.

Based on such a background, through this art festival we would like to pay attention to this spirit of innovation of Ibaraki and to focus on collaboration with leading-edge science technologies while at the same time focusing on dialogue with nature.

It is art that makes integration of nature, science technologies and humanity possible. We believe it is only art that can reveal a new vision for the future by uniting diversified knowledge and creative minds, collaboration beyond individual fields of work and activities rooted in communities, as well as philosophical perspectives and the joy of living. 　

With this conviction, we would like to bring cutting-edge artworks that can evoke “astonishment and moving moments” in towns stitched by nature of the sea and mountains and everyday life, in order to make the KENPOKU ART 2016 a very unique art festival that is deeply-rooted in communities and that can only be produced “here and now.”

Junji Tanigawa of JTQ Inc. will be participated in this festival as a creative director.


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