Setouchi Triennale 2028 Dates, Locations and Call for Art Proposals
Some first news about the Setouchi Triennale 2028.
Dear readers,
I hope you're having a great weekend and keeping cool — unless you're in the Southern Hemisphere, in which case I hope you're keeping warm.
Yes, I know this newsletter has been quiet lately, especially regarding the Japan Art Islands section. It was the end of the semester here in Japan, and I was busy preparing and grading final exams. Add the scorching heat to that, and once I finished my teaching duties, I had just enough energy left to watch a movie or read a bit, but definitely not enough to think about and write new articles.
I hope you understand. In hopes that you will forgive me, I have some very interesting news.
For starters, if you're planning on attending the Setouchi Triennale 2028, mark your calendars because the dates have been announced.
Setouchi Triennale 2028 Dates
As has been the norm since 2013, the next Setouchi Triennale will be divided into three seasonal sessions:
- Spring: Friday, April 14 – Sunday, May 28
- Summer: Tuesday, July 25 – Sunday, August 20
- Autumn: Friday, September 29 – Sunday, November 12
One good thing is that the summer session is getting shorter every time, while the spring and autumn sessions are getting longer. This is a good thing because summers have become very unpleasant and brutal. Last year, I didn't visit a single art site in summer because it was too hot.
Sadly, the spring session is now firmly anchored around May. I understand why; the executive committee wants the Triennale to take place during Golden Week to attract more people, but personally, I miss when it started in mid-March. The beginning of the Triennale used to be more low-key (which was great for familiarizing myself with new art and meeting artists who were still on site), not to mention the cherry blossoms. Oh well.
I'm also glad the autumn session extends into November, as early October can still be unpleasantly hot.
Setouchi Triennale 2028 Locations
There aren't many changes on this front, but this is also the part that is most subject to change between now and then. No new locations are planned for now, but there will be a slight change in the schedule for some of them.
All seasons:
As always, the following seven islands and two ports will be at the heart of the Triennale and host it during the three seasonal sessions:
Inujima, Megijima, Naoshima, Ogijima, Oshima, Shodoshima, and Teshima, as well as Uno Port and Takamatsu. The latter is the central hub of the festival for obvious reasons.
Spring session only:
As it has since 2013, the Great Seto Bridge area (mostly Shamijima, Seijima, and Sakaide) will feature art during the spring session only.
However, in 2028, the eastern Kagawa municipalities will join the festival during the spring too (unlike in 2025, when it was in the summer). These venues are Shido and Tsuda in Sanuki City and Hiketa in Higashikagawa.
This is another sign that summer is becoming less and less the focus of the Triennale. The days when summer had the most important events are gone. It's sad, but it's really for the best.
Autumn session only:
So far, there have been no changes to the autumn islands and sites: Awashima, Honjima, Ibukijima, and Takamijima, as well as the town of Utazu.
Call for Art Proposals
Are you an artist? Would you like to participate in the Setouchi Triennale? You might be able to!
For each Triennale, artists are selected in two different ways. Most are invited by the organizers, but some apply and are accepted. That could mean you!
If you're interested, go directly to the official website, where you'll find everything you need to know.
Note that the application period is in October 2026. If you're interested, don't miss it. Once it's too late, it's too late.
Three years ago, someone missed the deadline and contacted me to see if there were other ways to apply. Sadly, there aren't any. Also, keep in mind that I'm not affiliated with the organizing committee, so I can't help you get accepted or forward your application or anything else like this.
Once again, it's best that you carefully read and follow the instructions linked below.
Best of luck to those of you who will be applying.
Links
In other news, you may have heard that the current Japanese government is becoming increasingly nationalist, enacting more and more xenophobic and authoritarian policies. One of the latest concerns the Japanese flag, which the government wants to turn into a sacred symbol. This goes against the most basic concepts of free speech. Hopefully, the Supreme Court of Japan will shut down this bill.
Here is an interesting and insightful interview with Makoto Aida explaining why this law is both pointless and dangerous.
On a more positive note, Meng Qu is a scholar based in Japan, whose research focuses on the "art islands." Here is a very interesting article about him and his work:
Hiroshima University
Here is the latest academic article he published about the impact of the Setouchi Triennale on local communities. It's worth a read!
Meng Qu
Well, that's all for today.
I'll have more free time than usual over the next month and a half, so I hope to catch up and share more Art Island articles with you. Stay tuned!
Thanks as always for reading. If you find this post interesting or useful, please share it with your loved ones and contacts.
If you haven't already, subscribe to the "Japan Art Islands" newsletter to receive future updates directly in your inbox. Subscription is free, but if you can afford it, consider becoming a paying subscriber to help finance my next visits to the islands and pay the website hosting bills. Thanks in advance!
Best,
David
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