KOBE Biennale 2013

Saku

October 1 – December 1, 2013

KOBE Biennale 2013 will feature exhibitions and performances not only of modern art, but also of a wide spectrum of Art Culture genres, selected through competitions. One of the major aims of the event is to promote the fusion and interaction of all kinds of Art Culture by training the spotlight on culture as a whole, including traditional culture and lifestyle culture, in addition to conventional art.

Theme
Building on KOBE Biennale’s past achievements attained through the 2007 “Deai” (Encounter～People,Community,Arts) project, the 2009 “Wa” ( harmony) project, and the 2011 “Kira” (sparkle) project, the organizers have set our new goal for KOBE Biennale 2013, by deciding on “Saku” (meaning “blooming”) as the theme for the latest festival (the 4th KOBE Biennale), since we believe that the seeds of our efforts to overcome difficulties will bloom to grow into new strengths in diverse forms, like colorful flowers in full bloom, encouraging us not to stick to conventional systems or old ideas.

Aims
KOBE Biennale 2013 has several aims: to use the power of art to inspire people to reconsider and re-evaluate local resources, and to spread the word about the wonderful resources that Kobe has; to serve as a gathering of creative talent; to serve as forum for interaction of Art Culture and an inspiration for a diverse range of projects for citizens to participate in; and to promote cooperation in activities of Art Culture. Through this, we hope to further invigorate the city and to contribute to the generation of further vitality together with citizens and artists.

Sites
The main sites of KOBE Biennale 2013 include the Port of Kobe, Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art, the Museum Road zone, the Sannomiya/Motomachi area, and Kobe Meriken Park, which is one of Kobe’s most symbolic waterfront spaces with a wonderful mountain view, attracting many visitors from Japan and abroad.