Emma, Keiko and I went to Naoshima this weekend. Early Sunday morning we drove the two hours to Takamatsu where we boarded the ferry that goes across the inland sea. Luckily we took tons of snacks. By the 10 am ferry it was already hot, humid, sunny, and the wind on the top of the ferry was welcome. The shorelines have grey masses of building and industry on them, and the blue green mountains rise behind. Naoshima Island has an industrial area on one end, but on the other it is a vacation destination for art and architecture aficionados. A few small hamlets on this end are connected by art destinations, all of which (unsurprisingly) began due to the largess of one corporation. Benesse (a publishing house I think) decided to create an art site here for outdoor sculpture and a museum, as well as a hotel, and now there is the Chichu museum as well. All designed by Tadao Ando. The best part though is the Art House project, in which several old homes have been renovated and turned into installation spaces for contemporary artists. Each one has been transformed by one artist into an installation work. I don’t have pictures of most of these because they don’t permit them in or near any art on the island.
We began our day, after eating the bento lunches I brought along in a shed near the port, by heading to the Homura village where the art house project is located. We splurged and took the car on the ferry, so we were able to meander at will instead of hiking or waiting for a bus. Within the village all the art house projects are within fairly close distance so we parked and began wandering.
The whole village is very compact and picturesque, and also full of stylish young couples on holiday to consume the culture that is oozing out of the place. Gorgeous noren (hanging things in doors) were everywhere.
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