Artist-run exhibition space in Okamoto, Kobe: OAG-owned culture

　The group exhibition “Kunst Party” was held from November 19 at OAG Art Center Kobe (6 Motoyamakita-cho, Higashinada-ku, Kobe City), an artist-run exhibition space that opened this fall near Okamoto Station on the Hankyu Kobe Line. OAG Art Center Kobe” (6 Motoyamakita-machi, Higashinada-ku, Kobe City) opened this fall near Okamoto Station.

Exterior view of OAG Art Center Kobe

　The OAG Art Center Kobe is a cultural facility owned by the OAG, a public interest incorporated association established in Tokyo in 1873 by a group of German residents in Japan with the main purpose of introducing Japan and other East Asian countries to German-speaking countries.

　The logo design was co-created by Tomoko Inagaki (art direction & leaf sketches) and Tetsuya Goto (design). The initials “O,” “A,” and “C” of the facility’s name are seamlessly integrated to express connection and unity, and four differently shaped leaves surround the word OAC to reflect the center’s natural surroundings.

　Inagaki, who is also the art director of OAG Art Center Kobe, explains, “The circle of four leaves is variable and can be used individually or linked together, expressing diversity inspired by the Japanese pattern “cloisonne,” which means perfection, harmony, and the interplay of karma. It is also a way of expressing diversity,” he reveals.

　The exhibition, which took place November 19-20 and 25-27, featured paintings, sculptures, videos, photographs, and installations by 12 artists, most of whom have experience in Germany, through exhibitions, residencies, and educational institutions, with a focus on the theme of place.

　Inagaki said, “In the future, we would like to hold monthly art classes for adults and children, as well as exhibitions and events, aiming to create a healthy cycle between art and society, and to connect the community and the world.