By Cathy Hirano

Bengal Island is a fascinating highlight of the Setouchi Triennale 2013. Running for the entire summer session (July 20 to September 1), it features artists, artisans and performers from Bangladesh in large numbers (about 100 in fact!).



But what do masters of traditional Bengali arts and crafts have to do with the Triennale, a contemporary art festival held on 12 islands in the Seto Inland Sea?

Intrigued, I made my way through the numerous craft factories, watching the occupants at work and stopping to chat. The answer to my question was obvious. This is where art begins – in daily life, in making the tools, implements, clothing, furniture, and all the “ordinary” things we use. The whole site is a celebration of the joy humans take in creation, of our quest for beauty within utility.



Rather than the “works”, it is the workmanship that is on display, and it is amazing to watch. The government of Bangladesh supplied people who are top in a wide array of fields, including metal working and pottery,



embroidery and weaving,



henna tattoing and toy making,



bus, car and rickshaw painting.





The artisans are able to do so much with so little. Take this rudimentary wooden pottery wheel, for instance.







Nor do the workers need benches and clamps to secure their work. Feet and rope do the job!





These women produce stunning textiles, using their bodies to anchor the loom.





Quite a few artisans speak some English and are very willing to share their passion for their work so give yourself enough time to stop and chat, or just watch what they do. There are also participatory projects by Japanese artists, including Takashi Nishibori and a team of Thai university students, who are creating a constantly growing work of latticed bamboo,



students and teachers from the MEGI HOUSE project on Megijima, who are making not-so-musical instruments from tubes and everyday objects,



and umi-tama, who is making dolls out of eggshells and Japanese paper (JPY300 to make one; results will be exhibited in October in Shikokumura).



There are also daily open-air performances of Bengali dance, music and songs, by topnotch performers.




Admission is FREE, for everyone. No Triennale Passport required. Bengal Island is open daily from 3:30PM to 7:30 PM, but because of the heat, most of the action happens after 4:30PM. There are performances from 5:30 and 6:30 daily except in bad weather, workshops at different booths, and food and refreshments to be bought. Whether you are going to the Triennale or not, drop in and see what’s happening.

Location: On the west side of the Shodoshima/Naoshima ferry terminal at Takamatsu Port and north of the Takamatsu Port Setouchi Parking area.


Takamatsu Access:
Takamatsu can be reached by direct flights from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, by express bus from Kansai International Airport (3 hr), and by direct flights from China and Korea. It can also be reached by taking the bullet train to Okayama and changing to the Marine Liner bound for Takamatsu (runs every 1/2 hour; takes 1 hour). For more info see http://wikitravel.org/en/Takamatsu