The entire Kiya Ryokan becomes a single installation piece.

"Kiya Ryokan" was founded in 1911 (Meiji 44). This two-story wooden building, retaining the atmosphere of a Meiji-era inn favored by figures like Shinpei Goto, Tsuyoshi Inukai, Ryotaro Shiba, Akira Yoshimura, and Hiroshi Itsuki, sadly closed its doors in 1995 (Heisei 7). It was reborn last spring as a new type of destination for travelers, with architect Yuko Nagayama's renovation garnering significant attention.

The renovated "Kiya Ryokan" features clear acrylic panels on parts of the second-floor guest room floors, allowing a view from the first-floor common areas as if looking up into a void, adding vertical depth to the horizontally expansive building. Furthermore, by covering the second-floor acrylic sections with roll screens and subtly changing colors with LEDs, the building's facade now adds a dynamic expression to the townscape, creating a new, modern vista.



For "AT ART UWAJIMA 2013," held this summer, a site-specific collaborative work was exhibited at Kiya Ryokan, created by Yuko Nagayama, contemporary artist Tabaimo, and manga artist Yoriko Hoshi. These three women created a unique piece that transforms the entire Kiya Ryokan into a single installation.



"I felt Tabaimo's video imagery would be a good fit for Kiya Ryokan" (Nagayama)

Yuko NagayamaMy relationship with Uwajima began with the renovation of Kiya Ryokan, a project involving both public and private sectors. This project also had an aspect of town revitalization, and I had been thinking about holding an art event from the design stage.Teshima Yokoo Museum of ArtI was also inspired by my work on this project.

So, I thought Tabaimo's video imagery would be a good fit for Kiya Ryokan, and I invited her to visit last autumn when the renovation was complete. While inviting her to visit, I also brought a projector to show her videos (laughs).

TabaimoUwajima is also the hometown of my best friend, and I had wanted to visit for a long time. Before going, I thought it was an island (laughs). Staying at Kiya Ryokan with Nagayama, eating delicious local food, and visiting various places, it was a place that sparked my interest.

Yuko NagayamaFollowing that, we decided to do something this year, in connection withSetouchi Triennale 2013.I consulted with the Fukutake Foundation, which operates facilities like the Teshima Yokoo Museum of Art. When I presented the concept to the mayor of Uwajima City, he was supportive, and the project was launched primarily with grants from the Fukutake Foundation and Uwajima City.





"We express layers of space, experience, and time through narrative" (Nagayama)

Yuko Nagayama"AT ART UWAJIMA 2013" was held at two main locations: Kiya Ryokan and the gallery "SITUATIONALLY," which we created in the arcade. At Kiya Ryokan, we exhibited an original video by Tabaimo, created based on Yoriko Hoshi's novel. The video projected onto the acrylic floor, reflected and amplified on the glass, created various visual effects within the space, and appeared in the transom windows, weaving a narrative. It resulted in a truly magical space.

TabaimoIt was like an image of "shadows in the transom," a prologue to the story of Uwajima's landscape and Kiya Ryokan.

Yuko NagayamaYoriko Hoshi's novel, set at Kiya Ryokan, depicts the subtle psychological states of people as they move through the space. We expressed layers of space, experience, and time through narrative and video, using the guests who stayed at Kiya Ryokan as the theme.

Kiya Ryokan was open to the public during the day, so many local residents came to see it, experiencing art within a place they considered their everyday surroundings. Having art in a traditional Japanese house allowed people to approach it without hesitation, and I think it effectively conveyed its purpose as an exhibition space.

TabaimoHowever, since the production started with writing the novel, the production period was short, and we created it in a rush.



"The event connects with the town, building new culture" (Nagayama)

Yuko NagayamaThe theme of regional regeneration and revitalization was also included in this "AT ART UWAJIMA 2013." While industrial regeneration might be difficult, I felt that the unique cultural aspects of Japan's regions, such as festivals, should be preserved.

TabaimoIndeed. I was also skeptical about regional revitalization, but overseas, it's a common phenomenon for communities to form in declining areas and for art to bring towns back to life, often occurring spontaneously.

Yuko NagayamaHowever, art doesn't always yield immediate results. In this case, the people of Uwajima, including the mayor, put in more than 100% effort, and the event naturally gained momentum. At Kiya Ryokan, the "words, space, and video" came together surprisingly well, resulting in a highly polished creation. It was gratifying to see the visitors' astonishment.

TabaimoIt was a collaboration between the hard elements of the inn and the soft elements of words and video, but it also became a collaboration involving the town, both internally and externally.



Yuko NagayamaAs an architect, I want to consider what happens after a building is completed. There was a time when architecture was seen as just creating a box and being finished, but I always have a lingering concern about what happens to the 'software' after completion. In other words, I'm interested in 'what possibilities does a building, as hardware, enable?'

This time, we experimented at Kiya Ryokan with the help of Tabaimo, and I felt new possibilities emerging as the event connected with the town. Architecture is a significant action towards a town, and I will continue to question myself about the meaning my creations hold. This "AT ART UWAJIMA 2013" provided a valuable opportunity to consider the potential for creating new culture by building upon the old culture of a region, and what changes might result from it.

Yuko Nagayama Exhibition "Future Starting from Architecture"
Dates: Ongoing until Sunday, November 24, 2013
Hours: 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM Free Admission
Venue: EYE of GYRE
3F GYRE, 5-10-1 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

A talk session "Possibilities of Architecture x Art" by Tabaimo and Yuko Nagayama is scheduled to coincide with this exhibition.
Moderator: Yoshiko Ikoma
Date & Time: Sunday, November 17, 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Location: EYE of GYRE Free to attend, no prior registration required.