Gifu Prefecture has been blessed with abundant nature since ancient times. Pristine waters originating from forests run throughout the prefecture.They have fostered master craftsmanship in ceramics in Tono, woodworks in Hida, washi (Japanese handmade paper) in Mino, and swords in Seki, as well as traditional cormorant fishing on the Nagara River, which has a history of thousands of years. While these waters have helped cultivate such traditional culture, they have also served as the source of new creations.
In April 2017, Gifu Prefecture hosted “Art Award IN THE CUBE 2017 (AAIC2017)” with the aim of discovering and fostering new creative talent, for which we received 790 applications from Japan and overseas. Fifteen groups of applicants won awards and they have been playing active roles since then taking advantage of having won.
In April 2020, three years since AAIC2017, Art Award IN THE CUBE will be held again. For AAIC2020, we are inviting applicants to submit their work staged in the “limitless microcosm” of a 4.8 m (w) x 3.6 m (d) x 3.6 m (h) cuboid space, as in AAIC2017, under the theme of “Kioku no Yukue (Where Our Memories Go).”
Anyone, from any age group and in any genre, is eligible to participate. The aim of this triennial art competition is to provide an opportunity both for artists and audiences to feel inspired to appreciate the present moment.
We encourage as many applicants as possible, not only from Japan but from around the world, to apply for an award. It is our hope that, as one tiny drop gathers with others to form a large river and flows into the sea, a ripple emerging from this area will spread throughout the nation and around the world, leading to the creation of something new and attractive, as well as generating vitality in “Gifu, Land of Clear Waters.”