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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, 009-013, 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 2003
Exhibit number: Y019

Echigo-Matsunoyama Museum of Natural Science

By Takahara Tezuka + 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

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