Osaka wants to show off its artistic talents
What is Osaka's brand? One of Japan's largest cities, it is mainly known for comedy and street food, that wisecracking cousin to all-business Tokyo and elegant Kyoto. In hosting a world expo for the second time, though, Osaka would like to be taken more seriously, particularly when it comes to art.
Osaka International Art , an invite-only three-day art fair organized by Osaka Prefecture, Osaka City and the Osaka Culture and Arts Project Executive Committee opened May 31. The private sector is also launching bigger projects, with the Shinsaibashi Parco department store holding its inaugural Kansai Art Annual 2025 exhibition to showcase emerging artists from the area, and interior design brands Muji and Idee debuting Life in Art Osaka Artscapes 2025 , which is modeled after last year's Tokyo Artscapes. All three projects are collaborating or associated with Osaka Art and Design (OAD) , a multivenue event taking place from May 28 to June 24.
'Of course, we had the Expo in mind when planning this a few years ago,' says general producer Akio Aoki, adding that OAD started in 2023. He says this is a time of 'overlap of many different countries, cultures and people that will gather in the city,' a nod to the project's theme of 'overlap.'
Aoki is also behind Designart Tokyo, a festival launched in 2017. When asked to compare the two, he says OAD leans more toward art.
In addition to galleries and public spaces, department stores in Osaka also lent their space for art pop-ups and exhibitions. |
ZORIA PETKOSKA
'The impression I have is that Osaka, and Kansai in general, is very personable, colorful and fun,' he says, adding the art here 'is not swayed by trends and is more unique.'
Although OAD includes international artists, more attention is given to those from Kansai, some of whose creations are inextricably linked to their locus.
For example, Osakan Shotaro Sanada paints abstract urban landscapes of his hometown and they comprised the bulk of his debut showing at Hankyu Umeda department store earlier this month.
Inspired by Shinto practices, Momoko Fujii creates straw sculptures from rice she grew herself in the Kyoto countryside where she was born and still resides. Her work is showing at the Wa Gallery until June 15.
Maki Takato's 'Yokai Unity,' showing at the Osaka Takashimaya department store, includes a 3D-scanned replica of a Zen Buddhist monk's hands in prayer among two ant-like yōkai (monsters based on folklore) she created.
Osakan Shotaro Sanada paints abstract urban landscapes of his hometown. |
ZORIA PETKOSKA
Momoko Fujii creates straw sculptures from rice she grows in the Kyoto countrtside with techniques learned from her elders. |
ZORIA PETKOSKA
While the link to Osaka and broader Kansai isn't obvious at first glance, the 'Re:Re' exhibition at Laugh & Peace Art Gallery that wrapped up on June 9 is connected to Osaka's comedy scene. A Kobe-based artist known as 'alan' tackles issues of copyright and authorship in his 'Under 50% + Point' series, which was the basis of 'Re:Re:,' using famous characters but confining them to only half of the painting's total surface.
'He pushes the boundaries between originality and appropriation,' says Hiromi Mano, a representative of Yoshimoto Kogyo, the Osaka-based talent agency that owns Laugh & Peace Art Gallery. "Our company often deals with copyright, like for example in parody. So we have an interest in this topic."
Art and ambiguity
OAD has brought together more than 60 venues — from small galleries to department stores and product design shops — but quantity seems to be a double-edged sword. The event's organizers struggle to keep the exhibits cohesive and even visible. The inescapable visual clutter of advertising swallows the small art pop-ups in the giant department stores, often tucked on upper floors and in sporadically used event spaces. Most of the artworks are too marketable, safe and fail to trigger any real buzz. As simple products, the design offerings in particular fail to stand out.
Aoki accepts the criticism and says, 'It is at times hard to distinguish (the art) despite the signs placed ... (OAD) is still a work in progress.' However, he is also quick to point out that there is beauty in 'the ambiguity.'
'The good point of that unclear (location) is the lucky coincidence of coming across art,' he says, 'Art discovery is one of my goals for this event.'
The art fares better both in terms of visibility and quality at the individual galleries, though it often looks unconnected to OAD overall. These exhibitions also run shorter than the duration of the entire event.
Akio Aoki, general producer of Osaka Art and Design (OAD), highlighted the increase of public artworks in the OAD program this year and his commitment to grow this number in following years. |
ZORIA PETKOSKA
OAD isn't the only event to face challenges with visibility, however. In 2022 and 2023, Study: Osaka Kansai International Art Festival placed artworks in the same department stores. Currently showing, the audio exhibition "Speculative Music/Narrative" — billed as being screened on digital signage at the Lucua shopping mall — is hard to catch due to brief and undisclosed screening times.
This year's Study: Osaka Kansai International Art Festival has directly partnered with Expo 2025 and takes place concurrently. As one part of its program, several artworks have been placed around the expo grounds, but unfortunately, the flashy design of the expo pavilions distracts the eye. With minimal signage, the art is indistinguishable from standard landscaping (there are two artworks that are made of stones and coral) and wall decoration (solid color splashes on a building wall is another example).
Accessible art
Like Osaka's culture, the city's art offerings are best when they are out in the open, easily approachable and unpretentious. OAD prides itself on offering most of its exhibits free, with the exception of any that are inside collaborating venues with their own entrance fees, such as Tadao Ando's expansive 'Youth' exhibition at Vs. Gallery.
During OAD's opening ceremony, Aoki highlighted the increase of public artworks in the OAD program this year and his commitment to grow this number in following years. He is an advocate for having a Japanese version of the "1% for art" initiative which started overseas and which allots 1% of public funds for art and placing the commissioned art in public spaces. Currently, in Asia, there is similar legislation in South Korea and Taiwan.
On this, Aoki accentuates Adam Nathaniel Furman's 'A Forest of Delight,' an installation of colorful pillars at Umekita Plaza outside Osaka Station that invites passersby to enter freely, as well as 'wataridori,' a multicolored inflated sculpture by YAR, led by Yoshirotten, placed on the fifth floor of the station, at the Toki-no-Plaza space. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Yoshirotten said he wanted to place the art in a public space 'to create conversation."
As part of Osaka Art and Design, 'wataridori,' a big inflatable sculpture by YAR, is placed on the fifth floor of Osaka Station. |
ZORIA PETKOSKA
Whether it's conversation, playfulness or just a quick snap for social media, Aoki believes 'public art nurtures general culture' and 'increases art literacy.' He argues that appreciation for art often bleeds over to craft and design, which in turn can lead to spending habits that favor artists. He says that even the NFT bubble helped 'raise interest in buying art among younger generations' and sees increased preference for physical artworks as a counterreaction to the digital art market . 'Oil paintings with a lot of layers (of paint) are popular now," he adds.
While neither public art nor corporate ties are groundbreaking, the attention on Osaka due to the expo offers events like OAD a shot at increased attention. The city's art scene is quietly thriving as the birthplace of such artists as Chiharu Shiota, Kohei Nawa and Kenji Yanobe . It's a place of pure earnest energy and when that's directed toward art, it might just kickstart a new vibrant chapter for the city as a whole.
Osaka Art and Design 2025 runs through June 24 at various locations. For more information, visit osaka-artanddesign.com/en
Travel and accommodation for this were provided by OAD. No portion of this article has been shared with any third party prior to publication.
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