Over the past several years, art exhibitions called triennales have been popping up around Japan. Triennale is an Italian word that means ‘once every three years’ (English equivalent: triennial) and, as you can expect, it refers to an international art exhibition held once every three years. For the record, exhibitions that occur every other year are called biennales (i.e., biennials), and some of the more famous of these events have been around for more than 100 years.
The Fukuoka Asian Art Triennale (or Fukuoka Triennale for short) was first held in 1999, and this year’s show will be the fifth iteration. The Fukuoka Asian Art Museum is highly acclaimed both in Japan and around the world for its focus on contemporary Asian art. The Fukuoka Triennale was established to showcase the museum’s research achievements and promote exchange while communicating the latest trends in Asian art.
The exhibitions feature paintings, sculptures, installations, films and other artworks from around Asia, and the artists visit Fukuoka to create joint works, hold workshops, and give lectures. This year, around 40 artists from 21 countries and regions are scheduled to participate in the triennale, including several first-time Japanese artists; the exhibition will feature many new works in the fields of video, photography, design, and media art.
As an added bonus, this year’s event is being held in conjunction with Yokohama Triennale 2014, with the Fukuoka Triennale itself participating in the Yokohama exhibit as a “featured artist.” Aimed at promoting interaction among artists, this first-ever collaboration will allow visitors to the Yokohama Triennale enjoy works on display at the Fukuoka Triennale.
Originally published by Fukuoka Now Magazine (Sep. 2014)
