Over 100 permanent artworks by artists from Japan and across the world are exhibited around the rural Echigo Tsumari region, producing an intriguing combination of contemporary art with a traditional countryside backdrop. During the art triennale, dozens of new artworks are added, some of which join the collection of permanent works after the end of the festival.

The art is related to the region's people, landscapes and social issues, and a lot of pieces incorporate vacant houses or abandoned schools, which are numerous due to the depopulation trend. The buildings are used as exhibition spaces or are transformed into artworks themselves.

Rather than concentrated in a single location, the art exhibits are scattered around the entire Echigo-Tsumari area. Many of them are in the open air, in rice fields, beside rivers or in the villages. While some of the exhibits are near the town centers and relatively easily accessible from train stations, others stand in remote places that are quite difficult to access.

The following is an incomplete list of some of the outstanding art exhibits which are on permanent display. Note that outside of the festivals, some of them are only open over the weekends and public holidays, and many are closed or inaccessible during the winter season. It is recommended to check the official website before visiting.

Tokamachi Area

  • Exhibit number: T025
    Satoyama Museum of Contemporary Art, Kinare
    By Hiroshi Hara + ATELIER, Japan
    Built in 2003
  • Exhibit number: T173
    Hachi & Seizo Tashima Museum of Picture Book Art
    By Tashima Seizo, Japan
    Built in 2009

Kawanishi Area

  • Exhibit number: K005
    House of Light
    By James Turrell, USA
    Built in 2000
  • Exhibit number: K002-005, 007-014, 022-023
    Nakago Green Park
    By various artists
    Built from 2000-2012

Matsudai Area

  • Exhibit number: D053
    Noh Butai Snow-Land Agrarian Culture Center
    By MVRDV, The Netherlands
    Built in 2003
  • Exhibit number: D001
    The Rice Field
    By Iliya & Emilia Kabakov, Russia
    Built in 2003
  • Exhibit number: D006
    Scarecrow Project
    By Oscar Satio Oiwa, Brazil
    Built in 2000
  • Exhibit number: D132
    Portrait of the Village
    By Richard Deacon, United Kingdom
    Built in 2006
  • Exhibit number: D143
    Shedding House
    By Kurakake Junichi + University College of Art Sculpture Course, Japan
    Built in 2006

Matsunoyama Area

  • Exhibit number: Y052
    The Last Class
    By Christian Boltanski + Jean Kalman, France
    Built in 2006
  • Exhibit number: Y013
    Dream House
    By Marina Abranovic, Former Yugoslavia
    Built in 2000
  • Exhibit number: Y082/083
    Australia House
    By Andrew Burns, Australia
    Built in 2009
  • Exhibit number: Y019
    Echigo-Matsunoyama Museum of Natural Science
    By Tezuka Takaharu + Yui, Japan
    Built in 2003

Nakasato Area

  • Exhibit number: N028
    For Lots of Lost Windows
    By Utsumi Akiko, Japan
    Built in 2006
  • Exhibit number: N019
    POTEMKIN
    By Architect Office Casagrande & Rintala, Finland
    Built in 2003
  • JR Iiyama Line Art Project
    By various artists
    Built in 2012
  • Exhibit number: N079
    Tunnel of Light
    By Ma Yansong / MAD architects, China
    Built in 2018

Tsunan Area

  • Exhibit number: M024
    0121-1110=109071
    By Lee Jaehyo, Korea
    Built in 2009
  • Exhibit number: M001
    DMOCA (Dragon Museum of Contemporary Art)
    By Cai Guo Qiang, China /USA
    Built in 2000

Getting there and around