Back to Ogijima

 

Sorry, I couldn’t be back yesterday as previously mentioned, some connection problems made my life hell yesterday and I couldn’t post. Now everything works (thanks for LAN cables) and I can finally start telling you about my adventures in the Setouchi International Art Festival.

Of course, yesterday, the first official day of my coverage, I had to start with Ogijima for obvious reasons.

I hadn’t been back to the island in about one and a half year, and if I trusted the various blogs I had read about it since the Festival had started I was going to like what I’d see. And indeed, those blogs didn’t lie.

I’ll tell you the whole story into much more details in the near future, but here are my first basic impressions, with pictures.

 

 

Ogijima’ Soul by Jaume Plensa

 

On the right side of the picture, Ms. Murakami’s tiny restaurant, that I knew of from this article. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance to “chat” with her -she was quite busy- however I did eat her delicious Udon!

 

I also did what I have been wanting to do ever since I first discovered Ogijima: to explore the heart of the island, that is a tiny path that leads to the middle of the forest and up the hill. Harder that it looked.

 

Sea Vine by Haruki Takahashi.
Beautiful.

 

Organ by Tomoko Taniguchi.
As fun as expected.

 

A piece of Birth-Sex-Life-Death-House-Legend in Ogijimaby Yoshio Kitayama.
As gloomy as it seems (and somewhat out of place compared to the other art on the island)

 

Project for wall painting in lane, ogijima: wallalley by Rikuji Makabe
(or how to give new colors to the island while repairing the torn-down walls from some of its houses)

 

Onba Factory
Or how I’ve found the works that embodies the best what this Festival is all about. I have much more to say about this factory, and I will in the near future.

 

Memory Drops by Takeshi Kawashima and “dream friends”

 

A Town Between the Sky and the Sea by Hiromu Nakanishi and Takeo Nakai

 

 

We returned to Takamatsu as the sun was setting over the Seto Inland Sea, but the day was far from over as we “moved” to the amazing apartment where we’re going to stay for the remainder of the trip and where our Henro pilgrim compatriots were waiting for us and some of the members and friends of Shikoku Muchujin to celebrate all of us being here basically.

I wish this post was more detailed, but we’ll have to blame my wi-fi problem for that, but do not worry you’ll hear from me about the Setouchi Festival for the weeks and even months to come.