Kazumi Miyai | Naebono Art Studio and 0 Chiten: Visiting Their Final Exhibitions
Sapporo's Naebono Art Studio and 0 Chiten closed due to building demolition, each holding a final exhibition.Summary
In Sapporo's Naebo area, Naebono Art Studio (naebono) opened in summer 2017 as an artist-run studio founded mainly by young artists, functioning as a diverse hub for exhibitions, talks, and music/theater performances. However, as the owner had said from the start it would last "at most 10 years," the building was demolished in 2026, and the final exhibition "Exploring Order" (September 19–27, 2026) was held. Curated by Ayako Taniguchi, it featured four artists: Yuya Suzuki, Kenichiro Taniguchi, Yuki Yamamoto, and Toshiyasu Oi. Each transformed a chaotic world into their own sculptural language, building abstract worlds. Notably, Yamamoto and Kenichiro Taniguchi had studied under Oi in university, making the exhibition a fitting finale where a question posed 20 years earlier seemed to come to fruition in this place of exchange.
Meanwhile, 0 Chiten, a 10-minute walk from naebono, was an art studio opened in 2021 mainly by artists in their twenties, utilizing a traditional house over 90 years old. It was born as a new production base for artists who could not be accommodated at naebono due to full occupancy, and maintained deep exchanges with naebono, forming routes linking nearby art spots. However, 0 Chiten also faced demolition around the same time and closed at the end of November. Its final exhibition was Emi Nakamura's solo show "The Northern Pole" (October 4–November 16, 2026). Nakamura is an artist based in Akita and Hokkaido who creates works while learning from local plant ecology, history, and culture. Using northern plants from Aomori as motifs, she presented works referencing the imaginary island "Kari no Michi" through poetry and maps. While questioning the history of people pushed to society's margins, her calm gaze, grounded in respect for natural providence, traced the existence of "northern poles" such as Hokkaido, Aomori, and Okinawa. Though the closure of the two studios is sad, the artists will continue their practice in new places, and it is hoped they will find gaps in the city and create places to gather again.
(Source：artscape)