Echigo Day 1

The Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale is one of the largest art events in the world. It takes place in the beautiful mountain areas of Nigata Prefecture. At the height of the festival there are over 400 artworks scattered around on mountain tops, in tunnels, by rivers, in old schools and factories,in forests and sometimes even in art museums.

It covers a vast area encompassing many towns and villages and to get around a car is essential unless you go on a tour.

We went for three days after the main festival had finished but there were still lots of great things to see.

We stayed in a very nice little onsen by the riverbank. Peaceful and not overdone.

The first work we saw was on a mountain top by Australia House, built to house Australian artists in residence.

This is a work by Hussein Valamanesh from Adelaide.

In an old, and now refurbished, primary school there were many works.

Parts of the wall had been covered in coloured ply-wood that was then etched back to the original wood in beautiful designs.

The weekly attendence board is still there.

So the whole building was filled with many works. Somewhat typical of what you would expect to find at a modern art exhibition.

Then it was on to see one of the highlights of the whole trip.

In the abandoned dye factory below there was a stunning work by Mexican artist Damiane Ortega. Called "Warp Cloud"

Thousands of small balls perfectly aligned to create an artwork you could also walk amongst.