Zushi Art Festival 2026 Announced for October; First Wave of Artists Revealed

The Zushi Art Festival Executive Committee has announced the dates for 'Zushi Art Festival 2026 (ZAF2026),' to be held from October 3 to 25, 2026, and revealed the event theme, key visuals, main venues, and the first wave of participating artists. The theme is 'The Future of Beginning, The Place of Beginning.' Surrounded by the sea and mountains, Zushi serves as a crossroads for diverse cultures and people. This volunteer-led art festival marks its 14th edition in 2026.

ZAF2026, a special triennial event, will feature a multi-layered art program across the city, with the registered tangible cultural property 'Kyuhonda-tei' serving as the main venue, along with sites in the Zushi City area and the Numama area. The program includes exhibitions by domestic and international artists, the Ikego Forest Music Festival, and citizen-participatory projects.

First-announced artists include Zushi-based photographer Daido Moriyama and artist Shingo Francis, who works between Kamakura and Los Angeles. Additionally, a special exhibition of the large lithograph picture book 'Tetrascroll' by architect and thinker R. Buckminster Fuller will be held, alongside installation performance works by 'Taiki no Irie.' These works will interact with the landscape, history, and nature of Zushi.

ZAF2026 aims to open up the entire city as a space for 'co-education,' where diverse people can meet, learn from each other, and grow together through arts and culture. Leveraging the regional characteristics of Zushi, where nature, history, and daily life intersect, the festival aims to contribute to community formation, talent development, and the dissemination of local culture through participatory and experiential arts activities.

1 Theme: 'The Future of Beginning, The Place of Beginning.' Key Visuals Revealed
For ZAF2026, the special triennial edition, Hiroaki Sumiya has been appointed as the new General Producer and Director. The theme 'The Future of Beginning, The Place of Beginning' is based on the concept that the countless 'beginnings' connecting the past, present, and future will generate new dialogues and expressions in this place.
The future and the past are not separate; they exist within the flow of the 'here and now.' This philosophy resonates with the words of Zushi-based photographer Daido Moriyama: 'The past is always new, the future is always nostalgic.' The theme is also inspired by R. Buckminster Fuller's 'Tetrascroll.' Using the 'triangle' structure, considered the origin of life and physics, as a clue, the festival aims to represent how diverse people and cultures intersect to shape the future. Art direction for the key visual is handled by Yutaro Yamada, who uses triangular elements to express the worldview of ZAF2026, where people and expressions organically connect and expand in Zushi, a place where sea, city, and culture intersect.

2 Main Venue Announced
ZAF2026 will utilize local historical buildings, with the Kyuhonda-tei as the main venue, for a multi-layered art program. The program introduces art into everyday scenes from the moment visitors arrive at the station, creating new dialogues.

1 Main Venue
'Kyuhonda-tei': This historical architecture, registered as a tangible cultural property and preserved/renovated by Kume Sekkei, will be the main venue. The residence will host special exhibitions that respond to the space and history, featuring several artists active domestically and internationally, alongside daily cultural events.

*Special Exhibition: R. Buckminster Fuller 'Tetrascroll'
A large lithograph picture book left by R. Buckminster Fuller, a leading architect and thinker of the 20th century, which explores the truths of the universe and life. This work, symbolizing the theme and visual of ZAF2026, will be specially exhibited at Kyuhonda-tei with the exhibition support of P3 art and environment (Representative: Takashi Serizawa). Future generations, including children and students, are also planned to create and present citizen-participatory installations, such as readings and video productions based on 'Tetrascroll.'

2 Zushi City Area and Roka Memorial Park
The major venues of the Zushi Art Festival extend from the Zushi City area to Roka Memorial Park.