JAPAN GUIDE

Today I headed to Nakanojo in northwestern Gunma Prefecture to check out the Nakanojo Biennalewhich started on September 12, 2015 and will carry on for a month through to October 12, 2015. This contemporary art event is held once every two years, and I was pleased to be able to go this year. Most of the art installations are indoors and can be viewed between 09:30 and 17:00. I arrived earlier at Tsumugi, a community exchange area not far from Nakanojo Station, and bought my admission passport and guidebook.

The art festival is spread across a number of towns in Nakanojo, including the hot spring towns of Shima Onsen and Sawatari Onsen. Travelling between the different areas is best done by car and then each town on foot as parking may not be available near some of the exhibits.

Despite the cloudy weather, I had an enjoyable time at the Nakanojo Biennale looking at the different art works. Many of the installations make excellent use of empty schools and homes, drawing inspiration from the surrounding countryside landscape. Many of the works I saw mixed texture and form, while some pieces included sensory aspects like smell and sound. Some of my favourite pieces were in lumberyards which exuded a raw industrial feel. Some performing art events are held typically over the weekend, and their schedules can be found in the guidebook.

Below are some of the things I saw at the Nakanojo Biennale and would recommend it to those who enjoy art or being out in the countryside.

That's not a brain but sushi rice that visitors could lie on and pretend to be sushi topping


Tiny dandelion stalks delicately hung on a piece of string


It was completely dark in this room save for that light surrounded by shards of glass, emiting a light ringing sound


Things stuck to the walls of a former brewery


Dandelion puffs suspended in the air


This creeped me out a little and mesmerised me at the same time


The inside of a home turned canvas for the artist


Beautiful quiet room overlooking the Shimagawa River


Looking at the Shimagawa River


Light installation in the woods


Went for a short walk in the woods along the path that is lit in the evenings


Fluorescent dehumidfying agents in a room in an onsen town


Light bulbs that turned on and off at random intervals


Inside an old wooden school


The cafe was open for business when I was there