KOTOHOGU NARA
ABOUT
Nara City Art Project 2026
Kotohogu Nara: Beyond Time and Space
In 2016, Nara City hosted East Asian Cultural City 2016 Nara, a year-long cultural exchange program with partner cities in China and South Korea. Its flagship project, *Kotohogu Nara, brought visual and performing arts to historic sites across the city.
In 2026, ten years on from the milestone, Kotohogu Nara: Beyond Time and Space looks back over the past decade and turns toward the next ten years—and beyond. Through culture, the project reconsiders the values of tolerance and diversity, as well as the spirit of exchange embodied by ancient Nara, taking a step toward the future.
Featuring exhibitions of works by three artists invited from Japan, China, and Korea, as well as participatory programs, this art project unfolds in Nara—a place where multiple layers of time, extending back to antiquity, continue to coexist. Here, artists and the people who gather in the city are invited to sense and experience the past, the present, and the future.
Kotohogu Nara: Beyond Time and Space is both an expression of gratitude for the ten years that have brought us here and a celebration of the decade now completed. In the ancient capital of Nara, transformed by the colors of autumn, we invite you to embark on a journey through time and space, guided by art.
Exhibition Program
The exhibition unfolds across three sites marked by the memory of people gathering there in different eras: Todaiji Kannon-in, a historic sub-temple (tātō) of Tōdai-ji Temple and was served as artistic and literary salon In the mid-20th century, Tsubai Market, a historic market with more than 120 years of history, and Kitayama Jūhachikento, a former relief facility for people with Hansen’s disease and other serious illnesses, traditionally believed to date to the mid-Kamakura period. These venues will present works by three artists from East Asia: Kimsooja ↗︎ (KR), Tohru NAKAZAKI ↗︎ (JP), and Kenryo GU ↗︎ (CH/JP).
Collaborative & Participatory Program
Over the past decade, Kotohogu Nara has cultivated, together with artists and participants, spaces for people to gather, learn, and share experiences. The project continues this practice through performances in places frequented by residents and visitors, explorations of how art can contribute to shaping the city, and intimate gatherings for shared learning around small fires.
