法人別リリース

"BEPPU PROJECT" in Beppu City, Oita Prefecture, Southwestern Japan, Proposes New Journey...

BEPPU PROJECT — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 15:00:00 +0900

BEPPU, Japan, Feb. 27, 2026 /Kyodo JBN/ --
NPO BEPPU PROJECT
"BEPPU PROJECT" in Beppu City, Oita Prefecture, Southwestern Japan, Proposes New Journey to Experience Beppu through Art

BEPPU PROJECT, a nonprofit organization based in Beppu City, Oita Prefecture, southwestern Japan, has just installed the new artwork "space II" by art team "me" in "ALTERNATIVE-STATE," an art project that started in 2022 to enhance the hot spa-rich city's brand loyalty, as a proposed new journey to experience the city through art.

As one of the world's leading hot spring resorts, Beppu not only boasts a unique culture centered around hot spas, and with them the evocative image of steam rising mysteriously from the earth, but also is proving itself as a hub in the art world, with both local and overseas artistic endeavors gaining steady attention. The combination of these two points of appeal -- natural hot springs and the world of art -- makes Beppu a truly unique travel destination.

Photo1: Yukemuri (steam rising from hot springs)
https://cdn.kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M107359/202602164143/_prw_PI2fl_Oz4m78tc.jpg

ALTERNATIVE-STATE is an art project conceived as "A gateway to a world regenerated into an alternative state," dedicated to community building through art in Beppu City. Now, in 2026, the project features eight permanent pieces by eight artists and artist units active in Japan and abroad, as well as audio works that can only be experienced on location, a newly designed mechanism for fostering a more multifaceted engagement with the art. Introduced below is the newly installed artwork.

#2 space II / Artist: art team "me"
"What would we discover if we were to encounter the world unbound by all our knowledge and preconceived notions?" A gaping hole in an ordinary house leads to a stone cave: this sudden opening in the world invites the viewers into a space different from their own.

Photo2: space II
https://cdn.kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M107359/202602164143/_prw_PI1fl_KEgm5280.jpg
Photo by Shintaro Yamanaka (Qsyum!)

About Beppu City, Oita Prefecture
Beppu is home to a number of additional art spots dotted throughout the town. What's more, every year Beppu not only hosts Art Fair Beppu, where visitors have the chance to meet up-and-coming artists, but also features Beppu Art Month -- a cultural art festival that takes place all over the city.

ALTERNATIVE-STATE: https://alternative-state.com/?lang=en

Art Fair Beppu: https://artfairbeppu.com

Beppu Art Month: https://www.beppuartmonth.com

Tourist Information: WANDER COMPASS BEPPU
https://beppuinfo.jp/en

Mixed Bathing World Executive Committee Installs Its Latest Pieces in Art Project "ALTERNATIVE-...

BEPPU PROJECT — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 15:00:00 +0900

BEPPU, Japan, Mar. 26, 2025 /Kyodo JBN/ --
Mixed Bathing World Executive Committee
Mixed Bathing World Executive Committee Installs Its Latest Pieces in Art Project "ALTERNATIVE-STATE"

The "Mixed Bathing World Executive Committee" based in Beppu City, Oita Prefecture, southeastern Japan, has just installed its two latest artworks in "ALTERNATIVE-STATE," an art project that started in 2022 to enhance the hot spa-rich city's brand loyalty.

As one of the world's leading hot spring resorts, Beppu not only boasts a unique culture centered around hot spas, and with them the evocative image of steam rising mysteriously from the earth, but also is proving itself as a hub in the art world, with both local and overseas artistic endeavors gaining steady attention. The combination of these two points of appeal -- natural hot springs and the world of art -- makes Beppu a truly unique travel destination.

Photo1: Yukemuri (steam rising from hot springs)
https://cdn.kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M107359/202503185886/_prw_PI2fl_1O38wk0B.jpg

"ALTERNATIVE-STATE" is an art project started in 2022 to enhance the city’s brand loyalty and organized by the "Mixed Bathing World Executive Committee" based in Beppu. Installing art pieces throughout the city, ALTERNATIVE-STATE invites artists from all
over the world, from virtuosos to the up-and-coming, to participate in its goal of installing eight works of art in a four-year period. Introduced below are two newly installed artworks.

#5 Bluebird Sign
This work is a dispersed installation, inviting viewers to explore the downtown area of Beppu. It consists of stories created from interviews with people who live in this town. As if searching for a bluebird, visitors can look for the artworks scattered throughout the daily life and savor the town’s scenery and the stories.

Photo2: Bluebird Sign https://cdn.kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M107359/202503185886/_prw_PI3fl_5K6oPf4J.jpg

#7 Distorted "JIKU" #023D-1 / BEPPU
A single ray of light appears in the sky above the main street in front of Beppu Station after sunset. This is an artwork that makes visible the unique historical or geographical axis of a locality.

Photo3: Distorted "JIKU" #023D-1 / BEPPU
https://cdn.kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M107359/202503185886/_prw_PI1fl_VhBnhPLk.jpg

About Beppu City, Oita Prefecture
Beppu is home to a number of additional art spots dotted throughout town. What’s more, every autumn Beppu will be not only Art Fair Beppu, where visitors have the chance to meet up-and-coming artists from September 27 (Sat.) to 29 (Mon.), 2025, but also a venue of Beppu Art Month -- a cultural art festival that takes place all over the city from September 27 (Sat.) to November 16 (Sun.), 2025.

Photos from Art Fair Beppu 2024:
https://cdn.kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M107359/202503185886/_prw_PI4fl_Br2Pn20L.jpg

https://cdn.kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M107359/202503185886/_prw_PI5fl_Px5C3P90.jpg

ALTERNATIVE-STATE
https://alternative-state.com/?lang=en

Art Fair Beppu
https://artfairbeppu.com

Beppu Art Month
https://www.beppuartmonth.com

Tourist Information WANDER COMPASS BEPPU
https://wandercompass.jp/beppu

Mixed Bathing World Executive Committee's Art Project "ALTERNATIVE-STATE" to Install Its Latest...

BEPPU PROJECT — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 16:00:00 +0900

BEPPU, Japan, Mar. 18, 2024 /Kyodo JBN/ --
Mixed Bathing World Executive Committee
Mixed Bathing World Executive Committee's Art Project "ALTERNATIVE-STATE" to Install Its Latest Piece on March 24, 2024

- Aiming to Create 8 Artworks over 4-year Period -

The "Mixed Bathing World Executive Committee" based in Beppu City, Oita Prefecture, southeastern Japan, is installing four new artworks by March 2024 in “ALERNATIVE-STATE,” an art project that started in 2022 to enhance the city's brand loyalty. Installing art pieces throughout the city, ALTERNATIVE-STATE invites artists from all over the world, from virtuosos to the up-and-coming, to participate in its goal of installing eight works of art in a four-year period.

As one of the world’s leading hot spring resorts, Beppu not only boasts a unique culture centered around hot spas, and with them the evocative image of steam rising mysteriously from the earth, but also is proving itself a hub in the art world, with both local and overseas artistic endeavors gaining steady attention. The combination of these two points of appeal -- natural hot springs and the world of art -- makes Beppu a truly unique travel destination.

Latest artworks
#1 Onsenbouquet / Michael Lin: https://cdn.kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M107359/202403127908/_prw_PI3fl_S6bw66N2.jpg

A colorful piece that jumps into view as visitors exit Beppu Station. This mural, which decorates the walls of the long-established cinema Bluebird Kaikan, was inspired by the patterns found on a Japanese "yukata" (light-weight, cotton kimono).

# 3 Botanic GENKI-RO / Takashi Kuribayashi: https://cdn.kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M107359/202403127908/_prw_PI1fl_2Gu6360w.jpg

This botanical garden-type artwork will be completed in March 2024 in the Kannawa district -- known for its abundant steam towers rising from the earth. Plants brought in by local residents will be grown inside the artwork.

#6 Watertower 10: Beppu City, 2023 / Tom Fruin: https://cdn.kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M107359/202403127908/_prw_PI2fl_vVr524o5.jpg

This work by Tom Fruin (born in Los Angeles) uses a water tower as its motif. The stained glass-like sections are made from recycled acrylic waste collected in the area. The lights are switched on from sunset until 11 p.m.

#8 Les Anges de Beppu / SARKIS: https://cdn.kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M107359/202403127908/_prw_PI4fl_No2jl10a.jpg

Installed upon the roof of the Amanek Hotel, this artwork features rainbow-colored feathers gradually emerging as the sun sets. The colors fade and reappear in sync with the rhythm of the artist's own breathing.

About Beppu City, Oita Prefecture
Beppu is home to a number of additional art spots dotted throughout the town. What’s more, every autumn Beppu not only hosts Art Fair Beppu, where visitors have the chance to meet up-and-coming artists, but also Beppu Art Month -- a cultural art festival that takes place all over the city. A truly unique combination of hot springs and art, no trip to Kyushu would be complete without a visit to Beppu.

ALTERNATIVE-STATE
https://alternative-state.com/?lang=en

Art Fair Beppu
https://artfairbeppu.com

Beppu Art Month
https://www.beppuartmonth.com

Tourist Information WANDER COMPASS BEPPU: https://wandercompass.jp/?beppu

Mixed Bathing World Executive Committee's New Art Project "ALTERNATIVE-STATE" in Beppu City, Oita...

BEPPU PROJECT — Mon, 06 Mar 2023 15:00:00 +0900

BEPPU, Japan, Mar. 6, 2023 /Kyodo JBN/ --
Mixed Bathing World Executive Committee
Mixed Bathing World Executive Committee's New Art Project "ALTERNATIVE-STATE" in Beppu City, Oita Prefecture, Japan

The Mixed Bathing World Executive Committee (*) based in Beppu City, Oita Prefecture, Japan, has begun a new art project, "ALTERNATIVE-STATE," envisioning improvement in the city's brand loyalty. The first work by Sarkis is now on view, and the second work by Michael Lin will be completed in March 2023. The plan is to invite artists from among promising young artists to international virtuosos for the purpose of producing eight public works over four years. Through the entire project, the committee aims to make Beppu even more attractive as a place where visitors can enjoy art and sightseeing whenever they visit, changing the stereotype notion that "onsen" (hot spring) is the city’s only attraction.

(*) The Mixed Bathing World Executive Committee is an organization that has been engaged in regional revitalization through art and culture, with the aim of multicultural coexistence.

Project outline
Title: ALTERNATIVE-STATE
Venue: Various locations in Beppu City, Oita Prefecture
Admission: Free
Website: https://alternative-state.com
Host: Mixed Bathing World Executive Committee

Images: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/release/202302273286?p=images

About "ALTERNATIVE-STATE"
Interpreting characters used to describe Beppu as "alternate city," ALTERNATIVE-STATE envisions the city as not only a physical place but an idea that includes imaginary spaces and situations. Just as pressing the "alt" key allows users to access alternate functions or characters not typically assigned to the keyboard, the artwork in ALTERNATIVE-STATE transports visitors to a different world and state of being. It is an invitation into a regenerated world -- a new proposal for how to relate to the city.

First work by Sarkis: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/attach/202302273286-O3-6g981w73.pdf

Second work by Michael Lin to be completed in March 2023
The second work "Onsenbouquet" is by Michael Lin, an internationally acclaimed artist based in Taipei and Brussels. He is known for his technique of using patterns and motifs rooted in people's daily lives to create huge paintings in public spaces that make the viewer a part of them. While researching the city of Beppu, he found inspiration in floral patterns of yukata, or summer kimonos, and patterns of tiles used on building exteriors and inside public baths. Those patterns will spread from public to private spaces in various parts of the city, appearing in a variety of media and scales.

- Mural project
With the help of local emerging artists and students, a large mural will be installed on the western wall of Bluebird Hall, which houses the historic movie theater.
Opening date (tentative): March 25, 2023

- Poster project
Some designated walls will be covered with 11 different posters like "wild posting" (street poster) campaigns. Also, a private residence, selected through an open call, will be one of the venues. Posters will be widely distributed to local stores and the community.
Opening date (tentative): March 16, 2023

Artists' biographies: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/attach/202302273286-O4-ds0eiA07.pdf

Mixed Bathing World Executive Committee Hosts Chiharu Shiota’s Solo Exhibition...

BEPPU PROJECT — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 15:00:00 +0900

BEPPU, Japan, Sept. 16, 2022 /Kyodo JBN/ --
Mixed Bathing World Executive Committee
Mixed Bathing World Executive Committee Hosts Chiharu Shiota’s Solo Exhibition "Circulating Memories" with "Culture City of East Asia 2022. OITA" Executive Committee

- Exhibition is Ongoing through October 16 -

The Mixed Bathing World Executive Committee is hosting an exhibition of artworks by internationally acclaimed Berlin-based artist Chiharu Shiota through October 16 with "Culture City of East Asia 2022. OITA" Executive Committee in Beppu City, Oita Prefecture.

The exhibition transforms two buildings in the Beppu Station area into dynamic and finely detailed art installations. For visitors to experience the exhibition on a deeper level, explanatory documents are available at the satellite venue, and a booklet is going to be published in Japanese and English.

The work of Chiharu Shiota, which deals with such primordial questions of humanity as life, death, existence, and memories, jolts the emotions of viewers with its astounding and experiential style. The two executive committees believe that the exhibition will be an opportunity for many people to confront the question of what it means to live and find a focal point of hope for the future.

Main image: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M107359/202209146463/_prw_PI4fl_co8n329k.jpg

Event Outline
- Period: Friday, August 5 - Sunday, October 16, 2022 *Closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays
- Venue: Central Area of Beppu City, Oita
- Admission: Free
- Website: https://www.beppuproject.com/shiotachiharu/
- Organizers: Mixed Bathing World Executive Committee, "Culture City of East Asia 2022. OITA" Executive Committee
*This exhibition is one of the core programs of "Culture City of East Asia 2022. OITA."

Images: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/release/202209146463?p=images

Artist’s Biography: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/attach/202209146463-O1-488GJLOB.pdf

Notes:
The Mixed Bathing World Executive Committee is an organization that has been engaged in regional revitalization through art and culture, with the aim of multicultural coexistence.

"Culture City of East Asia" is a program aimed at advancing artistic culture in Japan, China, and South Korea. Every year, one city of each country is selected and its artistic and traditional culture, and lifestyles are highlighted through various events over the course of a year.