Setouchi Triennale in Japan: Naoshima (2) Favorite "Art House Project"

Continuing the guide for the 2025 Setouchi Triennale,
last time I covered the 10 buildings designed by Tadao Ando.
This article focuses on Naoshima’s "Art House Project" series,
which is among the many artworks on the island that I particularly love.

The Art House Project involves redesigning and renovating local historic buildings, temples, and shrines in Naoshima, transforming their spaces into artworks.
Walking through the Honmura district where locals live,
strolling through everyday courtyards,
feels entirely different from the formal experience of visiting museums or galleries—
it’s like stepping into the memories and elements of the past residents.

🌟 The entire Art House Project features 8 works, including:
👉🏻 Minamidera, a work by Tadao Ando
👉🏻 Ando Museum, also housed in a century-old building
(Shared in previous notes.)

🌟 We also visited two other works:
1️⃣ Kadoya (Images 12-15)
The first completed project in the series, this 200-year-old house was restored to its original state using traditional materials like plaster, burnt wood panels, and clay tiles.
Inside is Tatsuo Miyajima’s "Sea of Time '98," created with the participation of many local residents.

2️⃣ Go’o Shrine (Images 6-9)
This shrine, worshipped since the Edo period, was redesigned by Hiroshi Sugimoto.
The main hall and front shrine reference early Shinto architecture like Ise Shrine, while a glass staircase connects the stone chamber and main hall, linking the underground and aboveground worlds.

3️⃣ Another standout work in the same area is "Ring of Fire" (Images 1-4), housed in an old building.
The structure was renovated by Akiko Miki and features a stunning moss-covered garden reminiscent of Kyoto’s Saihō-ji.
The indoor artwork shifts between day and night: by day, Korean artist Haegue Yang’s "Sun" fills the space with hanging beads and sculptures; by night, Yang and Thai artist Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s "Moon" creates an ethereal glow with lighting. (No photos allowed inside, so only the garden and building are shown.)

4️⃣ Lastly, the public architecture here is also worth seeing:
Naoshima Town Hall (Image 16) brims with playful imagination;
Naoshima Hall (Image 17), designed by architect Hiroshi Sambuichi, uses wind-powered air circulation after two years of climate research. The traditional plaster ceilings and hinoki wood roof are highlights.

Next time, I’ll share Naoshima’s iconic outdoor artworks, like the Yellow and Red Pumpkins.
Naoshima, Kagawa District