Miyanoura Gallery 6, in the Miyanoura district of Naoshima, got a fresh start this summer as a gathering place aimed at generating new value through interactions among people, offering visitors the chance not only to view works of art but also to take part in workshops, artist talks, and a wide range of other events.
A part of this new mission was the short-term residency program "Artist in 6," carried out between July and September 2015. In preparation for the Setouchi Triennale 2016, artists were invited to spend approximately 10 days on Naoshima to plan and research projects for next year's art festival. They then spent time during the latter half of their stays sharing the results of their research and their ideas with island residents and visitors, and holding events where they interacted with the public.

Three artists, three different approaches to contemporary society

The three artists invited to reside on Naoshima during the summer months were Yoshinori Niwa (b. 1982), Yuki Iiyama (b. 1988), and Mari Katayama (b. 1987).
Yoshinori Niwa stayed on Naoshima July 22-31. He carried out "actions" related to the themes of communism, the value of money, and property and land rights, filming the process and editing it into a video work.
The second artist, Iiyama Yuki, stayed from August 27 to September 3. Iiyama purchased scrapbooks containing newspaper and magazine clippings via internet auctions and worked on an installation based on the historical events or individual viewpoints contained in them, incorporating aspects of contemporary society and her own perspectives.
Participating from September 24 through October 3 was Mari Katayama. Since having the lower parts of both legs amputated at the age of nine due to a congenital tibia defect, Katayama has been living with prosthetic legs. In addition to creating art relating to her own body and environment, such as self-portrait photographs featuring prosthetic limbs she herself decorated, Katayama has in recent years expanded her range of activities to include music, lecturing, writing and other fields.

A place where "something new" is born

The three projects by three artists with widely varying sets of concerns will be fully realized during the Setouchi Triennale 2016. During their residencies over the July to September period, however, it was evident that local residents, visitors, and staff were already engaging on equal footing with the glimpses of ideas that the artists began presenting. This was a valuable first step in the mission of Miyanoura Gallery 6, to be a place where new values arise from interpersonal interactions.

In the near future, we will report in greater detail on what took place during the residencies of these three intriguing artists who work in diverse styles.