Where Island Meets Art
After spending most of his younger years in Tokyo, Soichiro Fukutakeusing at the age of 40, started visiting Naoshima regularly to help out his aging father’s venture of revitalizing a bleak area into a campsite for children on the island. During his involvement in the project, he had the opportunity to deepen ties with the island’s residents and developed a renewed appreciation for the history, culture and daily lives of the island residents while taking in the exquisite beauty of the Seto Inland Sea.
The island’s evolution into a globally renowned open-air museum and international contemporary arts hub was all but assured in 1994, when Yayoi Kusama’s yellow and black-spotted pumpkin was added to the landscape’s growing collection of public artworks. This iconic work has since become emblematic of Naoshima itself. In 2010, the Setouchi Triennale beacame the next step – a contemporary art festival – which is now one of Japan’s foremost international art events. Now visitors flock annually to Naoshima, whose fishing villages, rice fields and craggy coastlines have become the canvas for mesmerising art installations and ambitious museums.
“This project began as an act of resistance,” explained Fukutake. “It was my conscious intention to build a kind of heaven on Earth – the very first paradise that harmonises art, nature and the local community. The initial goal wasn’t to promote tourism,but rather to revitalise the region through art and help locals feel a renewed sense of pride in their hometown.”
Now the people who live on the island are getting more and more enthusiastic as they interact with the visitors.They use art as an opportunity to talk about the history and culture of the island, and to talk about themselves.
The smiles of the elderly, the masters of life, are also a source of energy for the young people who will carry the future.
There are wonderful works of art.
One of the goals is to create opportunities for people to see, rather than a conventional exhibition that asks, “Can you see the beauty of this?”.
Art is not the main focus. The island and the people who live there are the main focus, and art is something that brings out the charm of the island.
It’s not just about looking at art, it’s about what you can see through art.
It`s all about using what exists to create what is to be “
NSPS Summit With Tony Hewitt
N
orth Shore Photographic Society are holding their annual Summit on the 9th July. Tony Hewitt is this years speaker and you will be treated to an unforgettable evening including a delicious supper and time to mingle and chat with this world-class guest!
TICKETS-$45 are limited and entry is by ticket only
Tony Hewitt’s photographic journey has seen him explore a variety of genres including Fine Art, Aerial, Landscape, Nature, Portrait & Wedding. With an instinctive sense of the moment, he brings a unique combination of creative skills, award winning photographic vision and simple creativity. His career highlights feature over 400 state, national and international photography awards, including being awarded the AIPP Australian Professional Photographer of the Year in 2013. More recently he was awarded the International Landscape Photographer of the Year in 2024.
Don’t miss this opportunity to hear and meet Tony!
Workshop Date | 9 July 2025, 7.30pm
East Coast Bays Bridge Club Building | Lyons Ave | Murrays Bay
Speaker :Tony Hewitt G.M. Photog. AIPP, Hon. FAIPP, FAIPP, FNZIPP, G.M.Photog. ICON
Auckland Festival Of Photography
The Auckland Festival of Photography is proud to present and exhibit a new group residency project within the Strand Arcade.The Common Room is an eight-week group open-studio taking place in a vacant shop space within the Strand Arcade. The residency showcases the diverse range of work by the 2024 Exhibitors Micro-Grant award recipients Kate Rampling, Rukus Photo Group, Beatrice Carlson (phase 1), and Judy Stokes. It is an opportunity to develop, reiterate, showcase, and garner conversation between the artists in the heart of the Auckland CBD.
The residency is culminating in an exhibition HEARTH
Opening Wed 11th June | 5-7pm | 235 Queen St, Auckland Central
Auckland Photo Day -This Weekend
Image credit – Deb Owen – Joy of Youth
Anyone, anywhere in Auckland is invited to share their perspectives of the region this Friday /Saturday!
Showcase the fascination in the everyday, what is surprisingly different and what is comfortingly familiar. This event celebrates the many individual pockets of culture and identity present in New Zealand’s biggest city by building cultural currency. Whilst celebrated in a spirit of fun this event also fulfills the important role of documenting our life right here and now in the world we live in.
A DAY IN THE LIFE of Auckland is a digital archive for future generations.
So pull out your camera or phone and let your creativity shine over a 24 hour time frame to be in to win a prize by Fujifilm NZ
12pm Friday 6th June – 11.59am Sat 7th June
Print Art - Quality Art Solutions
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Your satisfaction is our priority! We provide a turnkey solution for artists from artwork digitization to giclée printing, drop shipping and packaging, ready for sale. We handle every step so you can focus on your creativity. We specialize in creating gallery-quality fine art prints using archival inkjet technology and our color-calibrated workflow ensures exceptional accuracy and consistency in every Giclée inkjet fine art print. We use only the highest-quality materials for producing and expertly stretching your canvas prints, ensuring a flawless finish that enhances and preserves your artwork.
We know presentation matters, that’s why we offer custom matting, mounting and framing services. We apply the same level of care and attention to detail as we do with our prints offering a variety of stylish and high-quality frames to perfectly complement and protect your prints. Simplify your sales with our drop shipping service. We handle packaging and shipping directly to your customers, so you can focus on creating while we manage the logistics.
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