About

About "NAAF"

Duration: September 13 - November 4, 2024
Venue: Omachi City, Nagano Prefecture, Japan
Organizer: Northern Alps Art Festival executive committee
Honorary Chairman: Abe Shuichi (Governor of Nagano Prefectural)
Executive Chairman: Ushikoshi Toru(mayor of Omachi)
General Director: Kitagawa Fram (Art Director)
Visual director: Minagawa Akira (minä perhonen designer)

Concept

水・木・土・空 〜土地は気配であり。透明度であり。重さなのだ〜

  • Water
  • Trees
  • Earth
  • Sky

Water Headstream

An overwhelming stream of water surges forth from the mountains of the Northern Alps, shaking each and every sense in our bodies.

水

Trees Forest and Plant Life

A rich forest is located on the western rim of the Fossa Magna that divides the Japanese archipelago into east and west. It is home to the “Salt Road” which connects the Shinshu region to the sea, and is a place where the geological features and vegetation of east and west meet.

木

Earth The Terrain

Evaporated warm and cold currents are carried by seasonal winds and collide against the Northern Alps. The resulting water falls upon the ground, and together with the forest, nurtures rich soil.

土

Sky Azure

The high, blue skies that the people of Shinano gaze up at throughout their lives.
Beyond this cherished land, over the mountains, it connects to the vast world.

空

Main visual

Main visual
Nishina Three Lakes Area

Nishina Three Lakes Area

The Nishina Three Lakes lie along the historical route of the Salt Road on Omachi’s northern doorstep. The northernmost lake, Aokiko, is known as Nagano’s deepest and clearest lake. The central lake, Nakatsunako, is famed for stunning reflections throughout the seasons. The southernmost lake, Kizakiko, is a centre for sports, recreation and arts.

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Eastern Mountains Area

Eastern Mountains Area

Views of the entire city and the Japan Alps can be enjoyed from the peak of Mt. Takagari in Omachi’s east. The city of Omachi lies in a basin between the Japan Alps in the west and the richly wooded slopes of the eastern mountains. Running beneath this area in a north-south line is the Itoigawa-Shizuoka Tectonic Fault. Geological and ecological features tend to differ depending their location east or west of this line. The fault, which is used today to mark the border between greater north-east Japan and greater south-west Japan, serves as a vivid reminder of geological rifting in the Japanese archipelago’s past.

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Downtown Area

Downtown Area

Forming the city’s main artery in front of Shinano Omachi Station is hondori street. It was once an area bustling with shops and businesses. But with recent consumer spending geared towards large supermarket chains and the internet, we have come to consider new ways of using this important space. Whether in design, craftsmanship, IT industry, services for the elderly or so on, we’re seeking new initiatives through various art projects to help revitalise and develop the downtown area.

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Dam Area

Dam Area

This area is the gateway to one of Asia’s greatest feats of engineering, the Kurobe Dam. Situated on the alluvial flood plain of the Japan Alps, Omachi City also maintains various others dams in the area, including Omachi Dam in the picturesque Takase Ravine, Nanakura Dam, and Takase Dam.

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Headwaters Area

Headwaters Area

The region of headwaters – an area of streams fed by snow-melt from the Japan Alps – provides the ideal location to experience Shinano Omachi’s natural environment. As the doorway to the Kurobe Dam, a major icon of Japan’s post-war construction period, the area receives many visitors. With an abundant water supply, the dam provides flood and irrigation control. It’s a region where nature and civilization intersect.

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Past Triennales

2024
2021

Northern Alps Art Festival 2020-2021

Northern Alps Art Festival 2020-2021

Performance period: August 21 - October 3, 2021
Artwork period: October 2 - November 21, 2021
Organizer: Northern Alps Art Festival executive committee
Honorary Chairman: Abe Shuichi (Governor of Nagano Prefectural)
Executive Chairman: Ushikoshi Toru (mayor of Omachi)
General Director: Kitagawa Fram (Art Director)
Visual director: Minagawa Akira (minä perhonen designer)
Artworks: 36 groups and individuals from 11 countries and regions

※The 2nd Northern Alps Art Festival ,initially scheduled for Fall 2021 due to the novel coronavirus and will be held as the "Northern Alps Art Festival 2020-2021".

2017

Japan Alps Art Festival 2017
-Shinano-Omachi Food and Art Corridor -

Japan Alps Art Festival 2017

Duration: June 4 - July 30, 2017
Organizer: Northern Alps Art Festival executive committee
Honorary Chairman: Abe Shuichi (Governor of Nagano Prefectural)
Executive Chairman: Ushikoshi Toru (mayor of Omachi)
General Director: Kitagawa Fram (Art Director)
Artworks: 36 groups and individuals from 14 countries and regions

2014

Shinano-Omachi 2014
-Food and Art Corridor-

Duration: August 9 - Augus 24, 2014 (16 days)
Organizer: Shinano-Omachi Food and Art Corridor executive committee
Advisor: Kitagawa Fram