Antique small-scale art complex near Omiya Station, Kyoto

2022-11-19 2024-04-10 Rie

Rie

Contemporary artistic space

There is an art space quietly tucked away in a back alley off Goin Street in Shijo-Omiya. Originally famous for its art accommodation, it was renovated in 2021 in the form of a fusion of a coffee shop and gallery. Currently, it hosts exhibitions and events, and houses art shops run by Kyoto creators. The kumagusuku, a hideaway-like complex, has a minimalist, contemporary atmosphere that mixes the old and the new. On the other hand, it also holds seasonal marches and offers lunch, and is attracting attention from local residents as an easy place to drop in.

Powerful white-walled architecture of a converted Kyoto townhouse

The interior of the small gallery is quite attractive, with plenty of ideas typical of an art facility. When you open the small back door, you find yourself in a calm space with a mixture of antique Japanese and Western styles! The smiles of the staff at the entrance are soothing, and a casual peek into the coffee shop zone reveals the delicious smell of a curry shop renting out its space. The cafe is also very cosy, with a sense of openness from the atrium as you relax at the counter or look out onto the courtyard while slowly conversing at a table.

◆Space space on the ground floor

At the back of the inter-counter rental café, the 'back atrium courtyard ' can be seen through the café's large windows. The rental space surrounds the garden and the café actively organises events and parties, such as seasonal marches. Interestingly, it operates the quirkily named 'Thursday No Tsukuranai Pastry Shop' for regular events, as well as a 'fortune-telling' booth in a wooden white-painted shed in a remote location. It is very artistic that there is a further 'hidden hut ' further inside the hideaway-style complex.

As a staff member says, "I feel that the connection with the local community has become stronger through food and drink than when we were an art accommodation facility", whereas at the original accommodation facility there were many so-called first-time guests who cherished one-time relationships, at the renovated facility, "neighbourly friendships" seem to have gradually emerged. It seems that a few 'neighbourly relationships' have gradually emerged. By turning the threshold of art into a place open to the public as a gallery and workshop, it has become more easily recognised by the local community and has attracted a new clientele. Last year's winter Christmas market became a place for interaction with people living in the town. The space also allows for other projects that are not possible anywhere else, such as theatre, dance and a kitchen in combination.

◆Gallery space on the second floor

Art' is unfamiliar to the everyday lives of ordinary people. However, many people may become instantly interested when they hear of exhibitions and galleries. The concept of the complex, an attempt to "create a relationship between art and people from a new perspective", is exactly what you will find on the second floor. Just taking off your shoes and going up the stairs feels like a fresh form of gallery, but rather than artworks, you notice that many of the items are familiar to you in your daily life, such as glasses, clothes and poster cards.

Highlights as art architecture

The complex is a renovated Kyomachiya, which is also a unique architectural style. The old mortar plaster walls, retro tiles and tin roofs are a Westernised version of a Japanese house. This 'daringly visible renovation' adds a good artistic touch. It is fun to go around the buildings and look for points of interest that blend Japanese and Western styles.

Profile of the operator　

Yoshitaka Yazu, Representative Director of kumagusuku and President of kumagusuku Co.

Born 1980 in Osaka. Graduated from Kyoto City University of Arts, majoring in sculpture. Part-time lecturer at Kyoto University of Arts (formerly Kyoto University of Art and Design) and Ultra Factory Project artist. Works as an artist based in Kyoto. In parallel with his work as an artist, he initiated the kumagusuku project, an accommodation-based art space, and participated in the Setouchi International Art Festival 2013 Hishio no Sato + Sakate Port project. Major exhibitions include 'Aomori EARTH 2016 Roots and Roads' at Aomori Museum of Art (2016) and solo exhibition 'umbra' at Takuro Someya Contemporary Art (2011) In 2013, she stayed in Besançon, France, for two months under the AIR programme. His activities include the project 'By-product Product Store', which distributes waste wood from artists' studios, and 'Art x Work Juku', a private school for learning artistic thinking.

http://www.yazuyoshitaka.com
http://kumagusuku.info

Everyone who visits kumagusuku

Many people visit this place on a whim, alone, looking for new creativity and opportunities to meet people. Because of the activities of the operator's Art Work Juku, many people know about this place through art-related activities, but they are waiting for people to come and visit them for more everyday use. For the neighbourhood, the staff members hope to first spread the word about the art facility through event visits and other opportunities. This is also for those who want to nurture their local area or local area with new ideas, or for those who want to be more creative in their current work and life!

We hope you will drop by to wander around the city of Omiya with a sense of art in the springtime. A bit of playfulness and encounters with people in your daily life. The art facilities in the small town of Omiya weave time with a slow creative space.

Author Profile

Rie: A U-turn girl who was supposed to emigrate to Canada. She continues to search for the excitement of her hometown. Does her laundry at the laundromat every day. My weakness is that I am not good at reading the atmosphere and dislike housework.
I am a coffee shop owner who started a band at the age of 40:)