This year more than 150 new artworks are being introduced at the Setouchi Triennale, making a total of around 200 pieces in the islands' collection. With 12 islands to navigate and many galleries, sites and outdoor installations to visit, conquering the collection seems a formidable task. It would be impossible to see everything in a single trip unless you've planned to stay for quite a while, so we've selected some impressive pieces that we think deserve a visit.
Beginning with the largest and eastern-most island of Shodoshima, a must-see work is Taiwanese artist Wang Wen-Chih's "The Light of Shodoshima." Wang, known for large installations using natural materials such as rattan and bamboo, has created a giant dome made up of 5,000 bamboos that were grown on the island. The dome will be illuminated by LED lights at night while during the day, visitors can venture inside to enjoy the patterns cast by sunlight through the woven roof.
On Inujima, just above Shodoshima, is the Inujima "Art House" project, three galleries developed by Yuko Hasegawa, chief curator of the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, and Pritzker Prize-winning architect Kazuyo Sejima. Haruka Kojin, a young visual artist whose large-scale installations often use unusual materials, such as plastic flowers or dried spaghetti, has been invited to showcase her works at two of the "houses." "Contact Lens," a wall of large lenses, and "Reflectwo," an installation made of artificial flowers that appear to be reflected like a large Rorschach test, each get their own dedicated spaces.