Study: Osaka Kansai International Arts Festival 2025 | Event outline, programs, and use of corporate hometown tax payment system announced

Corporate donation recipient: Matsubara City, Osaka Prefecture
How donations will be used: Osaka Kansai International Art Festival Executive Committee (to be used for various projects of the festival)
* Award of the Medal with Dark Blue Ribbon: Companies that have donated more than 10 million yen will be submitted by Matsubara City to the national government for the Medal with Dark Blue Ribbon. (The final decision on whether to award the Medal with Dark Blue Ribbon is made by the national government.)

Matsubara City has agreed to host this art festival, as it will be disseminating art to the world from Osaka/Kansai. Mayor Sawai Hirofumi, who is the chairman of the Expo Mayors' Union, which comprises 666 cities, wards, towns and villages nationwide, and the chairman of the Kinki City Mayors' Association, which comprises 111 cities in the Kinki region, aims to revitalize the region through art. Through this initiative, he aims to realize an art festival that will boost the cultural and artistic industry from Kansai.
*Details: https://osaka-kansai.art/pages/support

●Study: Osaka Kansai International Art Festival 2025 will be held at the Osaka Culturarium-Tempozan, designed by ANDO Tadao, ​​the Osaka International Convention Center, designed by KUROKAWA Kisho, and venues throughout Osaka, including the Nishinari area, Semba area, and JR Osaka Station area.

1. Osaka Culturarium-Tempozan, designed by ANDO Tadao, ​​will host "Reshaped Reality (tentative title)," an exhibition in collaboration with a German research institute, asking the question, "What is a human being?"

Osaka Culturarium-Tempozan (formerly the Suntory Museum), a museum designed by architect ANDO Tadao and completed in 1994, will host an exhibition titled "Reshaped Reality - 50 Years of Hyper-Realistic Sculpture (tentative title)" from April 2025 in collaboration with the German research institute "Institut für Kulturaustausch - The Institute for Cultural Exchange."
Hyperrealistic sculpture is a realistic representation of the form, contour and texture of the human body or body parts, thereby creating optical illusions for the viewer. Since the late 1960s, various contemporary artists have used traditional techniques such as modeling, casting and painting to challenge the philosophical ideas and new artistic experiences brought about by the representation of realism based on the physical, lifelike appearance of the human body.
This exhibition will showcase the development of human figures in hyper-realistic sculpture over the past 50 years and consider the question "What is a human being?" in the year of the World Expo, which has the theme of "Designing a Future Society for Our Lives."

Participating artists:
George Segal, Patricia Piccinini, Mel Ramos, Ron Mueck, and others *As of August 2024

This exhibition, which has received high acclaim and attracted large numbers of visitors around the world, will be held in Japan for the first time.
2016 | Guggenheim Museum Bilbao (Spain) 152,669 people [Duration: about 3 and a half months]
2017 | ARKEN Museum of Contemporary Art (Denmark) 112,407 people [Duration: Approximately 6 months]
2017-18 | National Gallery of Australia (Australia) 85,000 people [Duration: Approximately 4 months]
2018 | Kunsthal Rotterdam (Netherlands) 219,183 people [Duration: about 4 months]
2018-19 | Heydar Aliyev Centre (Azerbaijan) 95,000 people [Duration: Approximately 4 months]
2022 | La Sucrière (Lyon, France) 97,000 people [Duration: Approximately 5 and a half months]
2022-23 | Musée Maillol (Paris, France) 162,197 people [Duration: Approximately 6 months]

2. The Japan-Korea joint international art fair "Study × PLAS: Asia Art Fair" will be held at the Osaka International Convention Center (Grand Cube Osaka) designed by KUROKAWA Kisho. Exhibitors from a wide range of fields will be invited.

To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and South Korea, the international art fair "Study × PLAS: Asia Art Fair" will be held at the Osaka International Convention Center (Grand Cube Osaka), designed by KUROKAWA Kisho, in collaboration with Plastic Art Seoul (commonly known as PLAS), a contemporary art fair founded in South Korea in 2016, and ARTLOGUE Inc. During the same week as this art fair, the Tenjin Festival, one of Japan's three major festivals, which boasts over 1,000 years of history and attracts 1.3 million people every year, will be held around Osaka Tenmangu Shrine and the Okawa River.

In addition, the venue, which will be spread across multiple floors, will continue to host the business contest "StARTs UPs" for startups in the creative economy field, and NOX Gallery, the organizer of the NFT event "TOKYO SOLID," which has been a big hit overseas in France, Dubai, Mexico, etc., will host "NFT.OSAKA (tentative name)," the largest international NFT conference ever held in Japan. A show in an immersive space where you will be surrounded by music and digital art. It will be a place for exhibiting and selling cutting-edge technology expressions such as AI, generative art, and Web3, as well as conferences and networking with top runners in the Web3 field from Japan and abroad.

Going beyond the framework of conventional art fairs, this fair will be visited by art galleries, new market players and collectors, and will be held through cooperation between Japan and Korea. We are looking for exhibitors from a wide range of fields. In particular, we will place emphasis on projects that spotlight the art scene that originated in Kansai, such as Gutai, and projects that are directly or indirectly linked to the art culture of Kansai, such as Sen no Rikyu and Okamoto Taro, and we plan to set up a special area and create a special web page to promote the Kansai art market scene from Asia to the world.

We are looking for exhibitors for "Study × PLAS: Asia Art Fair" (those who meet any of the following criteria *see requirements)

• A gallery and art dealer that handles not only contemporary art, but also antiques, crafts, and modern art.
• Organizations and corporations engaged in activities that contribute to the arts and creative industries
• Organizations and corporations that are looking to collaborate with multiple young and overseas galleries, as well as artists, curators and art collectors to create attractive booths for visitors.

period:
July 21, 2025 (holiday/Monday) to 23rd (Wednesday)
*Preview and vernissage for press and invited guests will be held on Sunday, July 20th.
place:
Osaka International Convention Center (Grand Cube Osaka / Address: 5-3-1 Nakanoshima, Kita-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture)
Co-organized by:
PLAS, NOX Gallery

For details and application form: https://osaka-kansai.art/pages/artfair

3. The Nishinari and Semba areas, which weave together Osaka's history, will continue to host art festivals

Kamagasaki (Nishinari area), once a place where workers who gathered to do manual labor during the period of high economic growth lived, is now facing various social issues such as an aging population, an increase in foreigners, and rising land prices due to real estate investment. Since its inception, this art festival has focused on the power of art in this area, creating a variety of encounters.

In 2025, during the festival, we will continue to collaborate with Kamagasaki University of the Arts, run by the NPO Cocoroom, and the fashion brand Nishinarii Yoshio, which is based at Kioku Handicraft Museum Tansu, to create activities that will make new encounters and creative spaces a part of everyday life in the year of the Expo, which has as its theme "Designing a Future Society for Life."

Additionally, the Semba Art Site Project's base, the Semba Excel Building (3-2-11, Kyutaro-machi, Chuo-ku, Osaka), is located in the Semba area, which once flourished as a logistics hub and wholesale district where people, wealth, information, and culture and the arts gathered from all over the country. It will be used as an important base for Study: Osaka Kansai International Art Festival 2025, in conjunction with the co-creative urban development of the region. The curators and participating artists for each venue will be announced in due course.


"Our Sweet Home" is a place where you can stay and experience the art of Kamagasaki University of the Arts.
MORIMURA Yasumasa (artist) x SAKSASHITA Noriyuki (former day laborer, current student at Kamagasaki University of the Arts)

4. A cross-sectional working team will be established with the JR West Group to consider utilizing the festival for various projects.

In the previous the Art Festival Vol.3, we worked with the JR West Group to hold a large-scale installation by artist NOHARA Kunihiko and the "Augumented Music" exhibition curated by SAKUMA Yoji, director of the Osaka Pavilion at the Expo, at the landmark "Lucua 1100" facility directly connected to JR Osaka Station , which received a great response from a wide range of people across fields. The JR West Group and the Art Festival, which aims to evolve the connections between people, towns, and society, move people's hearts, create attractive towns, and create a sustainable and vibrant future, have launched a cross-sectional working team in preparation for the festival's opening in 2025. We plan to use the facilities and spaces of the JR West Group's various businesses as venues and projects for the Art Festival.

Exhibition view of "Lucua 1100" at the 3rd volume of this art festival. NOHARA Kunihiko's work "Between the Clouds"

"Augmented Music" by SAKUMA Yoji

●Even before the event begins, there will be collaborative projects with institutions around the world, Art Tourism, and talk programs, and a variety of practitioners and experts will be promoting this art festival from local to global levels, with Osaka and Kansai as the base .

1. "Art Tourism" A network that uncovers the hidden art, architecture, and dining of various regions in everyday life !

ARTLOGUE inc. has launched the web media "Art Tourism" ( https://www.art-tourism.jp/ ) in 2023, which proposes travel to enjoy art. There are many little-known spots where you can enjoy art in Kansai and other parts of Japan. You can experience unknown public art, famous architecture by masters, dining surrounded by art works, and lodging where you can experience the art lifestyle.
The tour aims to provide a multifaceted look at art, not just at viewing it, but also at touching, eating and staying there, showcasing the presence of art in everyday life, and to provide a journey that will awaken your senses and allow you to enjoy art and culture.

All content is available in four languages: Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean, and will help encourage overseas readers to visit art spots in Japan. The content will be useful when planning an art-focused trip, promoting art tourism both in Japan and overseas.

In 2024, the "High-value-added art tourism experience that makes full use of Hyogo Prefecture's cultural resources," proposed by ARTLOGUE Inc., which manages the festival's secretariat, was adopted as part of the Japan Tourism Agency 's "Project to Promote the Expansion and Improvement of Inbound Consumption by Providing Special Experiences, etc." Starting with Hyogo Prefecture, we will actively propose and promote art tourism across the country, contributing to regional revitalization from the perspective of art.

2. Co-hosting an African art program from Kansai produced by Oussouby Sacko

Together with Oussouby Sacko (Vice Chairman of the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition / Former President of Kyoto Seika University) and this art festival, we will be hosting a program to introduce African art in the Kansai region, showcasing the culture and arts of 46 African countries, with the theme of realizing a multicultural society.

As the first step, an exhibition titled "Wafrica - In Search of a Third Aesthetic Sense" by Serge Mouangue, a contemporary artist from Cameroon who is based in Paris, will be held in Kyoto in October 2024 as a related event to the Osaka Africa Business Forum 2024. Mouangue is an artist who creates new expressions through his "Wafrica" ​​series of works that combine aesthetic sensibilities derived from Africa and Japan. His new fusion of African art using Japanese materials such as lacquer and kimono is attracting attention around the world.

Producer: Oussouby Sacko (Vice President, Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition)

3. "EXPO PLL Talks" will be held every month, where a variety of practitioners and experts will deliver talks both domestically and internationally.

The Osaka-Kansai Expo has set the concept of "People's Living Lab (PLL, a laboratory for future society)" as a way to realize the theme of the expo, "Designing a future society where life shines." Based on this concept, "EXPO PLL Talks" will be an online talk event held before the expo, where various practitioners and experts will share their efforts on the theme from their respective positions both domestically and internationally, as a place to create the expo together.

The eighth session will welcome guest Oussouby Sacko (Vice President of the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition / Former President of Kyoto Seika University). Approximately 20 experts from various fields are scheduled to take the stage, and in conjunction with each session, a "Study: Media Forum" will be held to provide the latest information related to the Osaka Kansai International Art Festival 2025 to the media (this may not be possible depending on the venue).

*Past speakers at Art & Impact
Vol.1: NANJO Fumio (Special Advisor, Mori Art Museum),
HIRATA Oriza (playwright, director, president of the University of Arts and Culture)
Vol.2: OBAYASHI Takeo (Chairman of the Board of Directors of Obayashi Corporation, Chairman of the Obayashi Foundation, Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Aichi International Art Festival)
No.3: OGAWA Michiko (Panasonic Holdings Co., Ltd., Advisor in charge of Kansai public relations and Expo promotion, and Technics brand business)
Vol.4: OCHIAI Yoichi (Media Artist / Theme Project Producer)
No.5: UKISHIMA Tomoko (Member of the House of Representatives)
No.6: SATO Hirohisa (CEO of BALNIBARBI Co., Ltd.)
No. 7: TATEHATA Akira (Art critic, poet, chairman of the Japan Council of Art Museums)

Osaka Kansai International Art Festival Executive Committee (as of August 2024):
[Organizer] Osaka Kansai International Art Festival Executive Committee (within ARTLOGUE Inc.)
[Chairman] YAMAGIWA Juichi (Director of the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature)
[Vice Chairman] TORII Shingo (Representative Director and Vice Chairman, Suntory Holdings Limited)
[Chairman] SUZUKI Daisuke (CEO of ARTLOGUE Inc.)
[Permanent Directors] OGAWA Michiko (Counsellor, Panasonic Holdings Co., Ltd.), TATSUNO Mitsuhiko (President and CEO, Tatsuno Co., Ltd.), NAKAI Kanji (President and CEO, Chibo Co., Ltd.),TANAKA Kunihiro (President and CEO, Sakura Internet Inc.), DOUME Takuo (Professor and Presidential Advisor, Osaka University)
[Cooperation and Support] * Previous results: Osaka Prefecture, Osaka City, Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition, Kansai Economic Federation, Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Kansai Association of Corporate Executives, The Kansai Consular Corps, Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau, Tatsuno Corporation, and others.

General Producer:
Daisuke Suzuki (CEO, ARTLOGUE Inc.)

※Reference material) Trends in corporate hometown tax donations

Due to the tax reform in 2020 (Reiwa 2), the corporate version of hometown tax has seen an expansion of tax deductions (up to about 90% deduction), and in 2022 (Reiwa 4), the amount and number of donations have increased significantly, following the previous year. (The amount is about 1.5 times higher than the previous year, and the number of donations is about 1.7 times higher *From the August 2023 report by the Cabinet Secretariat Digital Garden City State Realization Council Secretariat and the Cabinet Office Regional Revitalization Promotion Office)
Meanwhile, only about 10% of all prefectures and municipalities have used corporate hometown tax donations for arts and culture. With regard to promoting the use of private funds in the arts and culture sector, the Agency for Cultural Affairs has stated that "donations from individuals and companies are particularly important from the perspective of ensuring diversity in the entities that support the arts and culture sector." (From the Agency for Cultural Affairs' " Survey Results on the Use of Diverse Funds for Art and Culture, " August 2022)

"Trends in total donations and number of donations through corporate hometown tax" Source: Cabinet Secretariat/Cabinet Office website

"Percentage of initiatives related to culture and the arts (including preservation and utilization of cultural assets)"
Source: Agency for Cultural Affairs "Survey results on the utilization of various funds related to culture and the arts" (August 2023)