ITAMI Airport to Become an Art Gallery

Kansai Airports is delighted to announce that Osaka International Airport (ITAMI Airport) will host the First Ozora Art Exhibition from April 1 to May 6, 2019. This is an industry-academia collaboration project to showcase a collection of artworks created by art students in Kansai, conceived as a part of “ITAMI Airport Art Project” that has been promoting art throughout the airport since its launch in 2018.

Ozora Art Exhibition will be held a total of three times before the grand re-opening of the airport terminals after the ongoing renovation in summer 2020. It will serve as a public arena for aspiring young artists and designers to showcase their creativity and art skills cultivated and earned through their university education. It will also demonstrate Kansai Airports’ commitment to fostering harmonious coexistence with local communities by creating art scenes in the airport.

For the very first exhibition, about 50 students from five universities in Kansai will create artworks around the theme “Airport”. A collection of 85 art pieces of different genres; traditional Japanese paintings, woodblocks, textiles, video art on digital signage, furniture, etc. will welcome you to ITAMI Airport and give you a brand-new perspective on an airport.

“We are pleased and honored to display at our airport artworks created by students who are studying art in Kansai; the next generation of leaders in the art world. This great
opportunity will help us grow and become an airport cherished and loved by local communities. We would like to thank everyone from the participating universities who has
been involved in this project. We will stay committed to supporting young talents in Kansai.” (Keiji Koizumi, Executive Officer, Kansai Airports)

“As an advisor supervising the participating students, I am very excited for them who are blessed with this great opportunity to show their work in the airport, a gateway to society and the world. Eighteen fledgling young artists from our university have been working tirelessly to create art pieces expressing the many stories that unfold every day at the airport. Watching how their imagination translates the theme “airport” into shape and form, all faculty and staff cannot help but be deeply moved and excited. We are all looking forward to the day that these artworks will finally be unveiled for everyone to enjoy.” (Yoshinobu Nakagawa, Visiting Associate Professor, Osaka University of Arts)

“We are privileged and grateful to show our artworks at Ozora Art Exhibition. We will create art pieces that make the best of the unique display format, the public spaces of the airport. I hope our artworks will give airport guests a cultural retreat in the airport and add some colors to their journey.” (Genki Ishiguro, Graduate School of Art: Primary Doctoral Program, Kyoto Seika University)