Special
Exhibition
Location:
Supernova hotel
Room No.305
As part of our Cultural Programme, this exhibition introduces artworks created through the AKIYA AIR artist-in-residence programme in Yunotsu, Shimane Prefecture, Japan.
Explore the artworks reflecting the residents’ engagement with local materials, rural culture, and the unique character of Yunotsu’s vacant houses.
About AKIYA AIR
AKIYA AIR is an artist-in-residence program dedicated to revitalising vacant houses (“akiya”) in Yunotsu, a historic town in Shimane Prefecture, Japan.
Photos by Maan Limburg
Supported by Stichting MONO JAPAN and MUJUN, the program invites creatives to engage with Japan’s rural culture, collaborate with local craftspeople, and explore sustainable approaches to art, craft, and community building. This exhibition at MONO JAPAN Fair offers a glimpse into the artworks and stories emerging from both the 2024 and 2025 residencies.
Each AKIYA AIR residency culminates in a local exhibition in Yunotsu, celebrating creative achievements and the connections forged with the community. Through these delicate and thoughtful works, visitors are invited to experience the spirit of Yunotsu—its cultural continuity, community warmth, and the potential of vacant houses reimagined as sites of collaboration and inspiration.
Exhibitors
01. AKIYA AIR 2024 Residents:
Maan Limburg & Matilde Patuelli
The 2024 edition of AKIYA AIR marked an inspiring beginning for this artist-in-residence programme in Yunotsu, demonstrating the transformative power of art to bridge cultures, generations, and lifestyles. During their six-week stay, two creatives—Maan Limburg and Matilde Patuelli—immersed themselves in the local environment, drawing inspiration from Yunotsu’s rich heritage, natural beauty, and vibrant community.
Matilde Patuelli
Matilde is a social designer, artist, and researcher driven by curiosity and a fascination for the unfamiliar. Her practice explores the ambiguous spaces where realities blur and emotional tensions surface. Through visualisation, embodiment, and participatory methods, she investigates how communication can foster empathy and dissolve misunderstandings. Drawn to magic, stories, games, creatures, and the small wonders of daily life, Matilde brings a playful yet thoughtful lens to every project.
Matilde responded to Yunotsu's layered history and landscape by crafting a playful and poetic intervention. After the residency, Matilde's installations remain in place, continuing to engage locals and visitors alike. Reflecting on her time in Yunotsu, she noted, “To be in such a space where nature, culture, tradition, and community coexist and constantly highlight one another comes with a decisive push for inspiration and a desire to create.”
Photo by Joost Verpoort
Maan Limburg
Maan Limburg, born in Utrecht in 1988, is an artist with a background in photography and journalism. Her body of work spans photography, text, video, prints on paper and fabric, books, and multimedia exhibitions.
During the residency, Maan focused on the subtle beauty of daily life in Yunotsu, highlighting details often overlooked by residents themselves. Reflecting on her experience, Maan shared, “I was surprised to find that the house in Yunotsu was a true gathering place for creatives, students, and all kinds of free-thinking people. The exchanges there gave me new insights into cultures, art, and capitalism. These conversations helped me reflect more critically on my own culture-its challenges, and its strengths-through the lens of Japanese society.” Her work sparked meaningful dialogue within the community, with many residents expressing a renewed appreciation for the richness of everyday surroundings.
02. AKIYA AIR 2025 Residents:
Anne Fehres, Luke Conroy & Gemma Wilson
Currently underway, the AKIYA AIR 2025 residents, Anne Fehres, Luke Conroy, and Gemma Wilson, are developing new work while engaging with the region through its community networks, local artisans, and the rhythms of daily life. This exhibition offers visitors a unique opportunity to experience the residents’ fresh creations after their stay, showcasing the innovative outcomes of their immersive practice.
Anne Fehres and Luke Conroy
Anne Fehres (Netherlands) and Luke Conroy (Australia) are an interdisciplinary artist duo exploring sociocultural issues such as identity, nationalism, climate change, digital culture, and decolonisation. Working at the intersection of physical and virtual realities, they use collage techniques to disrupt, merge, and reframe images, sounds, and narratives, reflecting the fragmented nature of digital culture.
In Yunotsu, they are developing a new chapter of their ongoing project News From Home, blending field research, photography, and community storytelling. Their residency focuses on engaging with locals and craftspeople through workshops and interviews, exploring Yunotsu’s architecture, materials, and daily life. Aligned with AKIYA AIR’s values of cultural revitalisation and co-creation, their work seeks to create a lasting visual narrative celebrating the Iwami region’s unique spirit.
Gemma Wilson
Gemma Wilson is an artist and printmaker whose work draws on mythological themes to explore contemporary social and political issues. Influenced by European and Japanese printmaking traditions, she is focusing on woodblock prints that retell the myth of Susanoo and the Yamata-no-Orochi. Inspired by Yunotsu’s Iwami Kagura ritual performance, Gemma translates this living mythology into visual art, blending traditional techniques with her own distinctive expression. During her residency, she also engaged with a local Iwami washi artisan, gaining insight into the craft’s intricate techniques and creative possibilities.
Special Content Contributors: Shinya Kobayashi & Yuka Nishida
Powered by: Stichting MONO JAPAN (Netherlands) & MUJUN (Japan)
Supporters of AKIYA AIR 2025: Embassy of the Netherlands in Tokyo & the Isaac Alfred Ailion Foundation (IAAF)