Art

'Live Like a King'. - Used Brands shop slogan. Takamatsu.

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There are many glossy internet write-ups about Naoshima, the art island, with reference to its architecture and art museums. 

Well, from our experience they are pretty far off the mark. The art played second fiddle to the beauty of the island. 

Naoshima Island supposedly has a reputation as a ‘Mecca for art devotees’.  We visited on a Monday knowing 4 out of 5 galleries were closed. But, as informed, there were many outside installations and the stunning Benesse Art Museum to see. Teshima, the sister island’s galleries were also all open. 

So off on the ferry we went.

Refreshment stop

What we found, is the ferry company doesn’t run enough island connections to enable you to do both islands in one day - unless you’re a hotel guest, then you can.

We choose Naoshima island because we could see Benesse House, outside art installations and hire bikes and cycle round the whole island.

What we found when we got the bikes was that’s not possible - unless you’re a hotel guest, then you can.

To see the many outside installations you had to leave your bike and walk. The installations were only the examples mentioned on the internet and while they were fun, they had become teenage selfie centres. Yayoi Kusama’s ‘Pumpkins’, being the main contenders.

Each of gallery’s carry a hefty price tag. Chichu Art Museum is the most raved about with a fee of £35. But it was closed.

Benesse Art Museum is a stunning concrete homage to brutalist architecture, that’s where it ends. This was not a curated art museum, this was a private collection. An incoherent small group of artwork, that had been randomly acquired. They had no narrative and bore no relationship to each other or the space around them. Except for Hiroshi Sugimotos seascapes series - presented in an inspired setting but access into the space was denied. You probably had to be a hotel guest. 


Before we knew it we had covered the entire space and seen everything. We left the gallery feeling underwhelmed.

It reminds me of how wonderful Yorkshire’s Wakefield Sculpture Park is. Free, huge and staggering in its wealth of artistic brilliance. I can’t help but feel how lucky we are in The UK. 

Hiring the bikes was brilliant and made it such a lovely day. The higher we climbed the more amazing the views. One minute we were bathed in glorious sunshine then the next it went black. It was like a piece of theatrical art, as we watched a storm approaching from behind the islands.

The lightbox looks so wrong that I like it.

The islands across the water look beautiful. Like nothing we have ever seen before. They are worth returning to another time. But, Naoshima is not a ‘Mecca for art devotees’, the art is the expensive sideshow.

Road mirrors for the Art Museum Bus came in handy.

We got the high speed ferry home having saved potentially £200.