Extreme Cold Art Contagion Machine and Artist
Photo：Lee, Kuei-Chih/Wind
Extreme Cold Art Festival
At that moment, art is 100% contagious
Art Inn
Extreme Cold Art Contagion Machine
Photo：Tuneo Sekiguchi/RainbowHut2015
Extreme Cold Art Festival
EveryYear February2～March3
"Extreme Cold Art Festival" The "Extreme Cold Art Festival" is held every year from February 2nd to March 3rd. The main venue for the art festival is around the "Art Inn Extreme Cold Art Contagion Machine". The main event of the Art Festival is "Yukimori Outdoor Museum", which is held in a frigid forest. Overseas artists from France, Mexico, Taiwan, etc. also participated. Many domestic contemporary artists who are also active overseas also participate, and you can appreciate more than 40 works from dawn to 21:00. In the evening, a red lamp lights up in the forest and the bonfire in Fire Hut welcomes the viewer. When the temperature exceeds -15 degrees Celsius (beginning of extreme cold), the steam rising from the hot spring river freezes in the air and diamond dust is generated. The harmony between the natural beauty seen in the ghost forest and the works of art can only be experienced in the frigid season. It is an international art experiment site that asks artists what they can create with a special "frigid landscape" unique to the place. Like the "borrowed scenery of a Japanese garden," "natural beauty" and "art" make each other stand out. And we are aiming for such an outdoor museum that is "like an amusement park". (Producer Zen / ZEn)
Extreme Cold Art Contagion Machine
"Art Inn Extreme Cold Art Contagion Machine" is a museum where you can stay.
It is located in Kawayu Onsen, Teshikaga Town, a small town in eastern Hokkaido. It was procured to be the venue for the "Extreme Cold Art Festival", and part of the accommodation fee is used for the art festival. You can stay in a large room designed by domestic and foreign artists. You can also enjoy a typical hot spring open-air bath.
In the winter of 2020, I participated in an art festival held in Hokkaido and stayed at Art Inn. It is a fusion of hot springs, hotels and art. In other words, it is a place that combines life in Hokkaido with creative dreams. The space itself is also a large-scale artwork. Also, the beautiful and story-filled works influenced my creative thinking. Beautiful snow scenes, frigid winds, warm hot springs, creative spaces, and the care of the owner are the souls of this place. During my stay, I was treated like a family and felt warm. I was very happy to visit this place as an environmental artist and create a work. Although my stay was short, this space is definitely a fascinating part of the world. Thank you for creating a beautiful place where many people can experience the magic of nature while watching art. Lee, Kuei-Chih/Taiwan
Jun Honma/Japan
If there are periods of boyhood, adolescence, and mid age in space, This is quite different from the completed and sophisticated "Mid-year". It is a space of "youth" that constantly moves and proliferates energetic. The feeling of putting myself into the midst of this change is really comfortable for me. The Art Inn Extreme Cold Art Contagion Machine is such a special unique inn for me.
Thomas Kimmerlin/France
Beyond this unique space of creation, in nature, snow and cold, Art-Inn is above all a superb meeting point. Meetings between artists. Whether it be Japanese artists, and therefore an introduction to Japanese culture (with a twist!), or international artists. Meeting with the public also. I really enjoyed the workshops with the school students in the region. I learned a lot from it. Meeting with the inhabitants of Kawayu-onsen as well. Therefore, Art-Inn mixes both the international, national and local levels. Art-inn mixes people, nature and art. All these dimensions interacting together is what we may need today, more than ever.
Tomoyuki Noda/Japan
"Art inn and me"
When I go to Teshikaga Art Inn in Hokkaido, my switch turns on "Sience non-fiction" mode. There are Monochrome snow scene, -20° temperature, calm, heat of hot springs, mysterious encounters, people, animals, making art works, outdoor exhibition. Art inn is at the center of them. My deer says: "Is Art Inn an ART supercomputer server?"
Lua Rivera/Mexico
To me staying at Art Inn has been a wonderful experience full of surprises. I found a lot of inspiration in every room and corner of the place, every room has a very distinctive personality and is carefully decorated with costume art. I dare to say that there are very few places like this in the world. I felt welcome since day 1 and would never forget the hospitality of it is hosts who help me to have a deeper understanding of Japanese traditional and contemporary culture. I would definitely recommend the public to visit during the festival days and all year-long so you could also have a taste of the warming hot spring waters and the art surrounding during your stay.
Daigo Kobayashi/Japan
Art Inn continues to embody "unfinished beauty" while struggling with the vast nature. No matter where you look in Japan, you won't find such an inn. As long as the artists from all over the world continue to gather, this inn will not lose its appeal.
Tsuneo Sekiguchi/Japan
Art Inn is a very special accommodation, it makes our trip more creative. Trip for travelers and artists. They can stay there as a nomad. Art inn is a point of passage. Passage of life and passage of seeking. Travelers use it as a basecamp and take a walk in Hokkaido's beautiful woods. Artist can make experimental artworks outside of artistic circle. Good hot spring and bonfire is waiting for you.