8.1.2017

We had an early start today we we had a few trains to catch to get from Kyoto to Uno port to get the ferry over to Naoshima Island and we wanted to make the most of our time on the island. It rained all day and we got pretty soaked walking around to get to each of the museums, but we still enjoyed the day and were both feeling very inspired. 

First stop after checking in at our hotel was the Chichu art museum, and it was definitely my favourite of the day. The museum was designed by Tadao Ando to rethink the relationship between nature and people and is built mostly underground. Artworks by Claude Monet, James Turrell, and Walter De Maria are on permanent display and each of the displays are designed specifically for the artworks with influence from the artists. Natural light is brought into the museum through skylights which change the feel of the space as the light changes. The detail in the design was so inspiring, every angle and every finish was thoroughly considered by Ando to control the light and the space. 

Next stop was the Lee Ufan Museum, a museum resulting from the collaboration between artist Lee Ufan and architect Tadao Ando. This museum was semi-underground and featured paintings and sculptures by Lee Ufan which resonate with the architecture. Lastly was the Benesse House Museum, also designed by Tadao Ando, the museum overlooks the Seto Inland Sea with large windows that feature the view at part of the art. The museum's artworks are also scattered in locations along the shoreline, so the last stop was Yayoi Kusama's Pumpkin which overlooks the sea.  

We weren't allowed to take any photos inside any of the muesums so if you want to see what they look like inside you will have to google them (or the better option would be to go and visit them in person).