Miki Tachibana | Inside the Tub Called Setouchi Triennale
The author reflects on the Setouchi Triennale 2025, focusing on the Hiketa area and examining the relationship between the art festival and the region through the metaphor of 'fermentation.'Summary
The author reflects on the Setouchi International Art Festival (Setouchi Triennale) 2025, which recently concluded, focusing particularly on the Hiketa area in Higashikagawa City, Kagawa Prefecture, which participated for the first time. In Hiketa, artworks centered on local industries like glove manufacturing and soy sauce/sake brewing were displayed, notably installations and picture books by Leonid Tishkov and Marina Moskvina about gloves, and a work by Ryoji Ikeda Collective utilizing an old sake cellar. The author likens these connections to local industries to the chemical reaction of fermentation, viewing them as an interaction between elements and the environment within the local community. Furthermore, the author conceptualizes the Setouchi Triennale itself as a 'tub,' arguing that continuous activities outside the main exhibition periods, sustained by groups like the 'Koebi-tai' volunteers and resident artists deeply involved in the community, are crucial for 'fermenting' the region and brewing 'umami' every three years. However, the author cautions that fermentation is closely related to decay, pointing out the risks of losing novelty, falling into mannerism, and the need for continuous, healthy 'fermentation' to avoid stagnation.
(Source：artscape)