The 'Sapporo International Art Festival 2014,' themed 'Urban' and 'Nature,' will unfold over 72 days from Saturday, July 19th to Sunday, September 28th, utilizing venues such as museums within Sapporo and Moerenuma Park. With Ryuichi Sakamoto serving as guest director, a diverse array of art events is promised.


For the festival's opening, guest directorRyuichi Sakamotonoted the fact that Japanese cities are inundated with unregulated noise, and proposed the investigation and curation of sound in public spaces. In line with this, a competition is being held to create an atmosphere with sounds befitting urban public spaces.


Two types of works are being sought. One is a sound piece of three minutes or longer to be installed at the Sapporo City Museum of Literature, and the other is a work like a sound logo, between three and fifteen seconds long, to be installed at the festival's main venue. Both must be musically interconnected.