Open Call Project

“Artist in Residence to Overcome the Crisis in Amami”

To avoid the destruction of the natural environment and the dilution of cultural heritage caused by the construction of high-rise hotels on Amami Oshima, we established the “Artist in Residence to Overcome the Crisis in Amami” on June 16, 2025, aiming to solve these issues through cultural and artistic activities.

To widely inform people around the world about the unique environmental culture and natural environment of Amami Oshima, we will invite artists from around the globe to Amami Oshima and develop a project to present the art works created during their stay both domestically and internationally.

We would be grateful if artists who agree with our mission could participate.

Amami Oshima and the Crisis

Amami Oshima was registered as a World Natural Heritage site in 2021 and is an island with diverse and beautiful nature, often referred to as the "Galapagos of Asia."
Since ancient times, singing, dancing, and shamanism have thrived, and people have lived supporting one another. The people of Amami have found divinity not only in gods and ancestors but also in the sea, mountains, plants and animals, the habu snake, the mythical creature Kenmun, typhoons, and the ebb and flow of tides, offering prayers to all. This "environmental culture," nurtured through living in harmony with nature, is the very soul of Amami Oshima.

However, now, large developers are advancing resort development on Amami Oshima. There are plans to construct a high-rise hotel in the center of the small Ashitoku village, where about 140 households live quietly, and a 12-story hotel is planned in the Setsuta village, which is home to the mountain where the creator god is said to have descended and the Amamiko Shrine dedicated to that god. When we imagine the towering buildings rising amidst the tranquility and the landscape where myths breathe, we cannot avoid the question, "What do we want to protect, and what do we want to pass on to the future?"

The construction of high-rise hotels raises concerns about the following issues:

・Destruction of the landscape
・Deterioration of water quality in the sea due to sewage and its impact on marine life
・Environmental destruction and negative effects on living organisms due to deforestation and mountain excavation
・Traffic congestion and accidents within the village
・Housing issues due to rising land prices (cases where young people, such as students living away from the island, cannot return to reside)
・Dilution of faith and culture (decline of nature worship and environmental culture)

“Purpose and Objectives of the “Artist in Residence to Overcome the Crisis in Amami” Project

To avoid the destruction of the natural environment and the dilution of cultural heritage, we believe it is important to widely inform the world about the environmental culture (the culture built over a long time by local people living in harmony with nature, respecting it, and valuing its blessings) and the uniqueness of the natural environment of Amami Oshima. We believe this will lead to an understanding of the appropriate buildings and ways of living for Amami Oshima.

To promote understanding of the environmental culture and uniqueness of the natural environment of Amami Oshima, we believe it is effective to have artists from around the world directly experience the environmental culture of Amami Oshima and create and present art works that express and visualize these experiences.

Real estate developers often plan developments without the knowledge of residents, attempting to start construction before issues are raised. While there are methods such as enacting regulations to prevent such movements, we believe that regulation by law alone will not lead to fundamental solutions.
If people in society and those who build structures understand the "environmental culture" and "uniqueness of the natural environment" of Amami Oshima, the idea of wanting to build high-rise hotels will naturally disappear. We hope that this autonomy will protect the nature and culture of Amami Oshima.

We will widely exhibit the art works created by artists at museums and commercial facilities in Amami Oshima, as well as at museums and local galleries of invited foreign artists, to broadly communicate the environmental culture of Amami Oshima along with local issues.

＜Application Guidelines＞

▼ Number of Artists to be Recruited
1 to 2 groups per year

※ We also accept stays for assistants and companions.

▼ Number of People Allowed to Stay
Up to 4 people per building (including companions) ※ Total of 2 buildings

▼ Target Art
Visual arts
※ Performance art is not included

▼ Project Implementation Period (Stay Creation Period)
Every year from January to February

▼ Duration of Stay for Artists
2 to 8 weeks
※ We will discuss the duration of stay based on your preferences and the content of the work.

▼ Recruitment Period
Ongoing

▼ Support Provided to Participating Artists
・Free accommodation
・Full coverage of material costs for works donated to the Ryukyu Villa
・Guided tours of major spots in Amami Oshima, cultural training
・Planning, setup, and operation of art exhibitions for presenting results at museums and commercial facilities ※ This does not guarantee the implementation of art exhibitions.
・Planning, setup, and operation of exchange events with local residents ※ This does not guarantee the implementation of exchange events.
・Sales of art works and related products through crowdfunding (we will share the proceeds) ※ This does not guarantee the implementation of crowdfunding.

※ The following costs will be borne by the artists.
・Travel expenses
・Transportation costs within the island
・Food expenses
・Material costs for works (excluding works donated to the Ryukyu Villa)

▼ Requests to Participating Artists
We ask that you donate at least one art work created at our facility for display at our facility.

▼ Application Requirements
・You must understand and agree with the purpose and objectives of this program and be able to engage in creating works.
・You must create site-specific works that express the culture and environment of Amami Oshima.
・You must actively engage in exchanges with local residents and collaborating domestic artists.
・You are required to enroll in accident insurance and liability insurance to cover injuries or property damage during your stay.

※Participation in this program is subject to screening, and you can only participate if you pass the screening.

▼ Screening Points
We will place emphasis on the site-specificity related to Amami Oshima.