Association for Corporate Support of the Arts. - Kigyo Mécénat Kyogikai

Naoshima is a small island in the Seto Inland Sea with land area of 8.13 k㎡ and population of approximately 3,500 people. Benesse created a campsite facility on Naoshima in 1989 and has since developed a wide variety of artistic activities under the name “Benesse Art Site Naoshima.” In 1992, the “Benesse House,” a complex comprised of a hotel and art museum was opened. Based on the concept of “coexistence of nature, architecture and art,” approximately 70 works of art are exhibited not only inside the facilities but also in the forest and beach in the vicinity. From 1998, Benesse started the “Art House Project,” which aims to refurbish houses and shrines in the Honmura District as artworks. Artists such as Tatsuo Miyajima, James Turrell, Rei Naito and Hiroshi Sugimoto have been invited for this project, taking time to create houses within the local culture. In 2001, the exhibition “The Standard” took place in different areas around the island. The exhibition encouraged people to appreciate anew the life and history of the island using art as a catalyst. Many local citizens were invited to participate, which led to various exchanges between them and the people who visited the island.

In 2004, the Chichu Art Museum (operated by Naoshima Fukutake Art Museum Foundation) designed by Tadao Ando was opened, housing the works by Claude Monet, Walter De Maria and James Turrell in its permanent collection. These activities have attracted many audiences who appreciate this “one and only place for art,” amounting to 150,000 visitors during fiscal year 2005.