Naoshima Island fishing villages and Art Museums

The island of Naoshima in the Seto inland sea is a marvellous place. The island is composed of a large factory at one end that you don't see and then two fishing villages and three art museums. A wealthy benfactor built the oringinal, Ando designed, art museum to house his own collection. But now there are two other museums plus a museum house you can stay in.


Little galleries and private art installations have also sprung up, making truly an "Art Island".

 The island itself is lovely. People stay in little inns then walk, drive or bicycle around vsiting the various sights. The inland sea is a curious place, very sheltered, and deap in places as it is in fact part of the Pacific ocean .






Because of all the the islands and particularly Shikoku it is very sheltered. It feels more like a large lake than a sea. The islands are linked by ferries and Shikoku by a truly spectacular and enormous bridge. However on most of the islands an aging and falling population is making life harder.
Naoshima is an exception with people coming from all over the world to visit.

The houses are old and quaint and it is a quiet place. But the presence of the three museums and the people they bring has changed the pace for the locals quite a bit

So it's an interesting contrast. Old Japan, very rusty in places. and spanking new concrete museums housing world famous art.

The terrace of the Benesse Art House where you can stay

Inside the house

View from the main museum.

The end of the island with the museums has art dotted around in the landscape which is lovely when you are wandering around.


 This sculpture for me was one of the most effective art works on the island. Beautifully conceived and positioned.

                                                                                           

 

In the end the buildings are very much concrete and more concrete. One espccially is a sort of underground bunker. In this curious place you have to take your shoes off to view the Monet Waterlillies they have.
Sometimes I found myself wondering if the emperor had any clothes.  There are some pretty big egos at play here.





But art is all around us. Below a sign on a rusty shutter of an abandonned shop on the island.