Art festival held around Lake Biwa in Shiga, Japan. When stepping into a Japanese old house, excited by the contemporary art with a sense of Japanese culture.
An art festival in the Lake Biwa area in Shiga, Japan, west part of Japan. The first event was in 2001. 2001 is the same year that the Yokohama Triennale, which sparked the art festival, began. Therefore it is a historic art festival in this sense.
The main venues are Omihachiman Old Town and the Hikone area on the south side of Lake Biwa. Since it is in the Kansai area, I visited in 2018 at the first time. I had not heard of this art festival until then. I found the pamphlet and decided to visit by seeing the artworks shown. After all, advertising is important.
When art festivals are divided into regional and urban types, this art festival would fall somewhere in the middle. The main venue, Omihachiman Old Town, is a place where the old townscape is famous as the place where Omi merchants had prospered in the 15 to 16th centuries. This place is not rural area, but also it is not big city. Therefore, this art festival is not appropriate to call it a regional or urban types. It is in a delicate position, but the fact that it has continued for over 20 years is the proof of a successful art festival.
So why is it successful?
In my opinion, the exhibition space has a sense of unity and the concept is solid.
First of all, there is a sense of unity in the locations because almost all of the location in the old town of Omihachiman are in old Japanese houses. Japanese houses are wooden houses.
When entered the house where the exhibition is held, I can feel the smell of wood. Also, if it is an old house, it was built during the Edo period (15th to 16th century which is 300-400 years ago). Inside of the house, the lintel is low and the stairs are steep, but the space has a nostalgic and is full of an extraordinary feeling.
Secondary, having a solid concept means choosing works that will stand out when displayed in the house. Some venues have no windows, such as storehouses or warehouses. Therefore there is no natural light. I have found works that make colors stand out in this darkness.
Also, many works have an atmosphere reminiscent of Japanese art, perhaps because they are conscious of Japanese houses. However, it incorporates a modern art perspective and does not feel old-fashioned. Great balance between old and new.
Below, I will introduce some of my favorite venues and works that I have found at this art festival.
■Machiya Club (Omihachiman Old Town)
The place used to be a Japanese sake brewery. Enter through the front entrance, go to the back, and turn right to reach the exhibition area. The works are in a space with no natural light. There are two spaces on the left. There is also a work in the center, and as I move further through the center, the ceiling gets higher. Stairs leading to the second floor, which is a space where I can hear the floor creaking. Then, there is another room further back.
When I return to the first floor and go further inside, I found a space with a high ceiling at the very back of this building. These spaces have no windows. There were sake barrels lined up, emitting a green light. Suspicious colors in a quiet space. It was a strange space.
The area surrounding the entrance of this building has been renovated and there are miscellaneous shops and cafes.
■ Kicho Garden (former Kita Shichiemon residence) (Omihachiman old town)
This is an old mansion where people who were successful in the wholesale business of tatami mats and hemp nets lived since the Edo period (15th to 16th centuries). As entered the premises, there are two warehouse-like buildings on the right, with works inside. There is also a space on the second floor. If going up the steep stairs, find a dark and narrow space with works displayed.
The main building is on the left as entered the premises. When entered, I find works in a large hall that seems to be about 20 tatami mats in size. At the back is a courtyard, with a corridor surrounding the courtyard, and at the back there is a fine warehouse. The double-door entrance painted white, and the door is about 20cm thick. I think it is worth visiting this place just to see this door.
According to a staff member who was present at the venue, the secretariat in this Biwako Biennale art festival had bought this place and changed its name to Kicho.
■ Teramoto Residence (Omihachiman Old Town)
This old mansion was the place where roof tiles were manufactured. Once inside the building, I took off and grab my shoes and go inside. There are works in a room facing the courtyard. When I went to the end of the veranda, I put my shoes back on, went down to the courtyard, and walking to the earthen storehouse-style building behind the main building. Inside, no natural light, there are exciting works that use light. Wandering around the large courtyard and looking out at the rooms beyond the porch brings back old memories.
■ Kaneyoshi Separate Home
This was the place used to be a lumber merchant. It is an old mansion. Although it is not large, it has a complex floor plan. There are small rooms on the second floor of this building, which is very interesting for me. The stairs leading up to the second floor are steep and almost like a ladder, so it is required to pay attention.
There is a room on the second floor that is no larger than six tatami mats. I sit down at the edge of the room. Look at the object-based works in the center. Nowadays, I do not see a room that are smaller than 6 tatami mats, but it is fun to imagine how people would have been lived in such a small room.
■Others
From 2020, the Hikone area has been added to the venue. This site uses old houses and buildings around Hikone Castle and Hikone’s shopping district, but compared to Omihachiman Old Town, the impact is lower.
In 2020 and 2022, there were young people coming from overseas as venue staff. The person I spoke to in 2020 was a student from France who only participated during this art festival. I think the person I spoke to in 2018 was also French. The French woman I spoke to in 2020 said she came to Japan after hearing about the country’s reputation through word of mouth (by the way, she didn’t speak Japanese. She was a challenger).
It is a place where the scent of Japanese culture remains, and therefore, this mighht be an art festival that has a strong impact on foreigners, with works that incorporate elements of Japanese art.
In 2022, Toriimoto near Hikone and Okishima, an inhabited island in Lake Biwa, were added to the venue. When I spoke with the staff at the Toriimoto venue, I was told that the venue is usually a place where people live. One of the characteristics of this art festival is that the venue is not an abandoned house, but a place that retains the smell of life.
Okishima is an inhabited island located about 10 minutes by boat from the lakeside port, and is currently home to about 250 people. The view from the boat looked like I am heading towards an island floating in the sea, and it was a strange feeling. There was a shrine (Itsukushima Shrine) about 20 minutes walk from the port, and there were message-type works by Raita Ishikawa. The shrine has a torii gate built on the shore of the lake, and it was a quiet and relaxing space.
Personally, Raita Ishikawa is my favorite artist. He participated in message-based works in 2018, 2020, and 2022, which gave off a slightly different feel from the style exhibited at this art festival. It left an impression on me as I could once again feel the impact of this artist. I hope that he will have the same concept next time as well.
Visited in 2018, 2020, 2022.
Basic Information
■ Name : BIWAKO BIENNALE
■ Homepage : https://energyfield.org/biwakobiennale/
