Considered one of Japan’s premier international contemporary art events, the Yokohama Triennale will be returning for a fourth edition in 2011, it has been confirmed. In an August 18 press conference, the City of Yokohama unveiled initial plans for the Triennale, which was established in 2001 under the auspices of the national cultural exchange body, the Japan Foundation. Scheduled for August 6 to November 6, 2011, the fourth edition will have as its art director Eriko Osaka, director of the Yokohama Museum of Art, and occupy two primary venues, the Yokohama Museum of Art and BankART Studio NYK, as well as other neighboring areas in the city.
With the curators and theme to be announced in October, the organizers will have less than a year to pull together a major international exhibition. In a statement to the press, artistic director Osaka acknowledged the difficulties of working on such a short time frame, but said that she planned to produce a Triennale that could “communicate to a broad range of visitors the wonderful and diverse appeal of art.” She also expressed the hope that in turning for the first time to the museum as a core venue, the Triennale could take a further step towards its goal of establishing an enduring site of international cultural exchange.
Next year’s edition will also mark the first time that the City of Yokohama assumes sole responsibility for managing the Triennale, which had previously been overseen by the Japan Foundation.