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Spirit of North 2025 – vol.15 Kitakata & vol.16 Tokyo

This year’s Spirit of North takes place in two cities—Kitakata and Tokyo—with three exhibition venues in total.
Five artists from Japan, Finland, and Ireland will take part in this international exchange. We hope to connect deeply—with each other, the local places, and the people we meet

Two Unique Venues in Kitakata

• Gallery Kaneta
  A restored red-brick warehouse, the oldest in Kitakata, brought back to life by local citizens to preserve the city’s heritage.
• Rashikuan, Yamatogawa Museum Yomo
  A pair of traditional tatami rooms located inside the Yamatogawa Sake Brewery.

In this historic town of kura (storehouses), surrounded by mountains and rural calm, contemporary art seeks to resonate with its spirit.

Artist Talk: Resonances of the Inner North
With the five artists and Yasunao Kawanobe (Advisor, Aizu Cultural Forum / Director, NPO Harunaka)
Mr. Kawanobe helped launch this project after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake. What insights will emerge from the dialogue between Mr. Kawanobe—who has supported and witnessed this project from the beginning—and the artists?

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Tokyo Exhibition
Held at Gallery Iriya, with its open first floor and small upstairs rooms. The five artists will show their unique works.
What new connections will appear after their shared time in Kitakata?

Artist Talk: Resonances of the Inner North
With the five artists and Toshiaki Ishikura (Anthropologist, Mythologist/ Associate Professor, Akita University of Art)
Mr. Ishikura joined Spirit of North vol.10 at the Rovaniemi Art Museum in Finland.
As the artists reflect on what they truly felt and discovered through this year’s exchange, what insights will emerge from an anthropologist’s view?

 

2025.09.08