Naoshima, Shodoshima, Teshima, Ojima...

I found out about this island called Naoshima out on the inland sea of Japan accidentally. I think I had been spending a lot of time on design websites over my internship and stumbled upon some gushing reviews. There wasn't too much information in English at the time, but enough for me to get around. It is a bit of the beaten path art island belonging to Shikoku but is actually closer to Honshu. There are sculptures scattered around the island, along with two, now three, museums. I went and loved it, but wasn't planning on going again. That was in 2008. Through a series of mix-ups and mis-communications I went again last year in the winter 2009. There were a few new additions in terms of experiences, a lot of new restaurants and minshukus. The experience was quite different as I went with some friends and took a lot less pictures but still got as miserably lost as I did the first time. I was taken off map duty before the end of the first day. Again, I didn't think of going again. But then the Setouchi International Arts Festival posters started circulating and I started thinking, maybe...and I didn't end up going. But I recently spotted a picture on Snow mag, which led to even more on Design Boom, and finished off today by this piece on Spoon Tamago on the newly completed Teshima Art Museum; I have to go back. The festival ends in a little over a week but I imagine the artwork will still be around. My goal is to stay at the Benesse House hotel next time. Fingers crossed.

A lunch on Naoshima, taken by my friend. (This was actually a second choice, we were looking for this other shop run by local university students but failed completely. It was a nice runner up though: one of the many chic cafes now on the island. The place transformed so much in one year! But there was still only the one place that served breakfast. I regret not having any good photos of that place. There was a tv in the corner, worn red carpet on the floor, mismatched furniture (not, in a cool hipster way, more like wobbly stools paired with end tables) well-loved stuffed animals in every nook and cranny. It felt oddly like dining in somebody, a grandmother's, living room. Breakfast was coffee, toast, a halved kiwi, and a hard boiled egg. Like the establishment itself, the meal felt thrown together from whatever odds and ends that happened to be around. )
And here are some photos I skimmed off of the Setouchi Art Festival site:

This is Shima Kitchen on Teshima, by Ryo Abe. I love the open, airy atmosphere.

My favorite perhaps, is this: "Tom Na H-iu" (also on Teshima) by Mariko Mori

Here is the explanation, copied directly from the Setouchi website:

"In ancient Celtic lore, Tom Na H-iu was the place where souls waited to pass on to their next life. Inspired by this myth, Mori has created a contemporary monument of glass. Networked to the Super-Kamioka Neutrino Detection Experiment, it responds when the observatory captures a neutrino, such as those emitted by a dying star. When it a neutrino is detected, the work emits a beautiful light."

Autumn

Just some images for now. I stumbled upon this over at Nowness. A series of images by Natsko Seki, a Japanese artist now based in London. It was done for a London Japanese deli (sounds odd to my New York ears) called Tombo. There's something whimsical and for me at least, so Japanese about these seasonal pastimes. Although I'm not entirely sure about the activities depicted in Autumn (unsure) and Winter (kite-flying I think), Hanami in the Spring and Hanabi in the summer are perfect, and so universal in Japan. This aspect rather surprised and amazed me about Japan, the appreciation for the changing seasons and how universal it is. I wouldn't admit it to some of my Japanese friends though as it seemed to be a point of pride with them that I didn't want to yield to. Not aloud anyway.

Which one is your favorite? I am wavering between Spring and Summer.




Images by Seki Natsko, from Nowness

Something Fun

It's definitely fall now in New York. It was still summer when I returned. Everything fell back in place so quickly that I didn't even realize until I uploaded photos.

There were a few surprises when I got back. Soho feels suffocatingly crowded now, all the time, I remember there being a reprieve on weekday afternoons. Now the streets are always packed. The meatpacking district has become almost unrecognizably chic. I remember going to bumble and bumble during my high school days to get those free hair cuts...it was one of the very few stores there. Western Beef was the other highlight. Now, name brand stores are everywhere and Chelsea Market is more crowded than I remember it ever being. It's become a tourist destination now; I don't think it was even a blip on the tourist radar four years ago. I'm glad for the sake of the vendors but it dampens my experience a bit. I think the addition of the high-line has helped make the area chic and happening-the meatpacking district! Chic! But, with that said, I still like the high-line a lot. What a great idea. I just wish - rather selfishly I'll admit - it didn't attract quite so many people sometimes.
Photos are actually from two different trips, had gorgeous weather on both days.

もう日本にいないけど/"Understanding Rap"

I found this post on Cool Hunting a while ago. A site with frequent postings about design, architecture, etc. It was about this book that decodes rap lyrics by translating the words into more standard American English. I had thought that I understand rap lyrics generally but it turns out I don't...at all. Probably never noticed because I don't listen carefully. and quite honestly, all that often

Anyway, the following "translation" had me laughing.


Both images from Cool Hunting