Kyoto prefecture is abound with historical towns, ancient temples and natural attractions, but few travellers venture beyond the main city. This contemporary art festival that emerged in 2019 is seeking to change that by collaborating with innovative young artists for a series of exhibitions that highlight the beauty of Kyoto prefecture’s lesser known areas.
While travel restrictions and other Covid-related complications posed innumerous obstacles for both the artists and festival organisers, Alternative Kyoto successfully hosted exhibitions in the last two years. It’s set to return this September.
This year’s host cities are Fukuchiyama, Miyazu, Amanohashidate and Muko, with exhibitions running from September 9 through November 20. The line-up of artists feature both Japanese and international creatives, most of whom incorporate digital technology in their pieces to create an interesting juxtaposition with Kyoto’s reputation for tradition and antiquity. Among them are the art collective Think And Sense, along with Intercity-Express, who have collaborated to create their zen-inspired immersive piece titled 'Stillness'.
Other highlights include Tadashi Mitani's 'Subsurface: L350/C250', which utilises dozens of projectors and hundreds of streetlights for an after-dark spectacle at the foot of Fukuchiyama Castle. Montreal digital art studio Irregular, meanwhile, will be showing their 4m by 4m LED cube titled ‘Control No Control’ in Japan for the first time at the Motoise Kono Shrine in Miyazu City. It’s an interactive piece that ties into this year's overall theme of light.
As impressive as these installations are, they don’t require admission tickets for you to enjoy them. Instead, the exhibits are deliberately installed in public spaces to make them accessible to anyone passing through the area, with the goal of inspiring more people to get involved in the local communities and embrace the neoteric digital art movement.
Alternative Kyoto is happening from September 9 through November 20. For more information on the participating artists and their works, check out the festival website.
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