"Build and they will come." That couldn't be truer of Naoshima, a small island of 3,000 residents in the Seto Inland Sea. In a span of 25 years, what had been a waning industrial outpost was transformed under the auspices of the Fukutake Publishing Company (now Benesse Holdings, Inc.) into a renowned art destination that's home to Benesse House (1992), the Art House Project (1998), the Chichu Art Museum (2004), and the Lee Ufan Museum (2010), among others. Today Benesse Art Site Naoshima includes two neighboring isles and is the center of production for the Setouchi Triennale, which welcomed 1.18 million visitors in 2019. As that event's fifth installment kicked into gear last month, Naoshima saw the launch of Roka Art Project, an independent endeavor led by the island's first luxury ryokan. more...

It all starts with confusion. After making your way down to the third basement of the National Museum of Art, Osaka -- a building located almost entirely underground -- you would normally find yourself in front of the entrance to the current exhibition. But things are a bit different with Range of the Senses: What It Means to "Experience" Today (on view through 22 May), a show featuring works by seven now active artists. more...