[2 hours from Nagoya] From mandarin orange picking to local food and contemporary art. Recommended for autumn and winter! A day trip plan to fully enjoy Minami-Ise Town

Enjoy art with beautiful nature
"Contemporary Art Museum ISE"

As I was driving, I saw a white mansion on the banks of Gokashoura Bay. Contemporary Art Museum ISE is a place where you can enjoy contemporary art alongside beautiful nature. In addition to various exhibitions, the café and garden facing the sea and the sculpture garden with the forest in the background are also highlights.

In addition to the approximately 460㎡ space on the 1st and 2nd floors combined, the annex "Sculpture Hall Ukuu" with an approximately 700㎡ garden serves as an exhibition space.

We interviewed Mr. Hattori, the director of the museum.

Mr. Hattori: "Contemporary Art Museum ISE is a private art museum that opened in 2003. It exhibits a wide range of paintings, three-dimensional sculptures, ceramics, etc. In the main space on the first floor, there are three to four special exhibitions, and a collection based on the holdings. We hold four to five exhibitions a year.”

1st Floor: Mie 3D Artists Exhibition

This is the main space on the first floor. It is an open space with high ceilings.

From December 1, 2019 (Sunday) to March 1, 2020 (Sunday), the “Mie 3D Artists Exhibition” is being held. The exhibiting artists are 10 people who are related to Mie Prefecture. After graduating from an art university, they are active as three-dimensional artists in Japan and overseas.

Mie 3D Artists Exhibition

[Date] December 1st (Sun) - March 1st (Sun), 2019
[Venue] Contemporary Art Museum ISE "Main Building 1F" Exhibition Room & "Sculpture Hall Ukuu" Exhibition Room (held at 2 venues)
[Closed] Tuesdays and Wednesdays (open on 2/11), 12/24-1/2 (closed in winter), 2/13

2nd Floor: Fresh 2019 / Ryoko Tsuzuki Exhibition

"Looking from the Edge" Tsuzuki Ryoko

On the second floor, "Fresh 2019 / Ryoko Tsuzuki Exhibition" was held.

Another point of the Contemporary Art Museum ISE is its focus on discovering and nurturing young artists. Works by young artists selected by Mr. Hattori, the museum director, are introduced under the title of "Fresh."

Ryoko Tsuzuki's print work created with the technique of "silkscreen". She pursues a unique expression by using "print misalignment" due to hand printing and "subtle changes in image" due to expansion and contraction of paper.

In this exhibition, the artist creates works that show the bumps and viscosity of ink that appear when an oversized image is printed in the same position over and over again, as well as the way the image changes greatly depending on the force of the hand.

Annex "Sculpture Hall Ukuu"

After receiving the materials, head to the annex "Sculpture Hall Ukuu".

The building with a triangular roof is the landmark. Exhibitions centered on three-dimensional works are held in the museum, and permanent works can be enjoyed in the sculpture garden.

When we visited, Emi Katsuta's work was on display. It's so real that you can't help but mistake it for the real thing.

This is the permanent exhibition "Walking People". It was explained as follows.

Walking on the body-inspired work, visitors can enjoy the work while confirming the presence of the body.

When you get on the stones, you will find some that wobble or shakes a lot. Thinking what kind of image does this stone have, we were able to enjoy the work while we experience it.

This is the "Distant horizon". When we looked through the hole in the white granite, I found negative films of the smiling faces of 120 people inside. There are many works that can be viewed while having fun like this, so it is a museum that is friendly even to those who are new to art.

Relaxing tea time in the cafe and shop space

Finally, go to the cafe & shop space.

The store sold artists' works, sundries, and accessories, as well as local products from Minami-Ise Town.

At the café, you can enjoy tea time while gazing at the calm Gokasho Bay and the garden with three-dimensional works. Terrace seats are also available.

Chocolate cake ￥450

Cheesecake ￥450

We tried the "Cake Set (¥800)". Both cakes were moist and rich. What a luxurious time to enjoy tea time while looking at the artwork and the sea. Even non-museum visitors can use the cafe, so be sure to stop by.

[Contemporary Art Museum ISE]
Address: 102-8 Gokashourawanba, Minamiise-cho, Watarai-gun, Mie Prefecture
Open: 10:00-17:00 (admission until 16:30)
Closed: Tuesdays and Wednesdays (open if it falls on a national holiday, but closed on the following weekday), temporary closed days
Admission fee: General ¥700, students (university, high school, middle school) ¥500, elementary school students and younger free
Parking lot: 8 cars

https://www.ise-muse.com/

*For details on exhibitions, event schedules, closed days, etc., please check the official website of　Contemporary Art Museum ISE.

The trip is finally at its final stage.  Let's go buy seasonal specialties!