NPO Syuto Kanazawa, organizer of “GO FOR KOGEI” in the Hokuriku region since 2020, will present “Ethnography of the Body and Material — Slowness and Depth in an Accelerated Society” in Venice, Italy, as a concurrent exhibition of the 61st International Art Exhibition — La Biennale di Venezia. The exhibition will run from May 9 through November 22, 2026.

The exhibition is curated by Yuji Akimoto, artistic director of GO FOR KOGEI, and features ten Japanese artists active both in Japan and internationally: Junko Oki, Kazuhito Kawai, Takuro Kuwata, Takahiro Komuro, Shige Fujishiro, Noritaka Tatehana, Mayu Nakata, Ritsue Mishima, Yoca Muta, and Yui Wata. The exhibition will take place at Palazzo Pisani Santa Marina, a historic aristocratic residence located in Venice’s Santa Marina district. The exhibition design is led by architect Kulapat Yantrasast of WHY Architecture, who has developed museum architecture and exhibition designs for institutions around the world.

This exhibition, “Ethnography of the Body and Material — Slowness and Depth in an Accelerated Society,” seeks to restore an alternative sense of time and bodily perception inherent in the act of “making” to today’s world of ever-accelerating information and consumption. Here, “ethnography” refers to an approach that interprets artistic practice — a slow process of creation grounded in commitment to materials and manual labor — within broader cultural and social contexts. The exhibition foregrounds works in which artists have imbued materials such as clay, glass, lacquer, fiber, embroidery, and wood carving with a sense of “slowness” and “depth.” Rather than being presented as immediately “easy to understand,” these works invite viewers to spend time developing a relationship with them. Moving through the three-dimensional exhibition space, structured with temporary scaffolding, visitors are encouraged to pause, shift their perspectives, and engage deeply with the works. In doing so, the exhibition poses a meaningful question to our accelerated society, which prioritizes immediacy and efficiency.

Originating as an art festival in the Hokuriku region, GO FOR KOGEI has actively advanced its international outreach initiatives in recent years. This exhibition further proposes a new perspective on contemporary art through craft-based approaches.

◾️General information
“Ethnography of the Body and Material — Slowness and Depth in an Accelerated Society”
Dates: May 9 – November 22, 2026 (closed Tuesdays)
Opening hours:
11:00 am – 7:00 pm (May 9 – September 30)
10:00 am – 6:00 pm (October 1 – November 22)
Venue: Palazzo Pisani Santa Marina (Cannaregio 6104, 30121 Venice, Italy)
Admission: Free

Curator: Yuji Akimoto (GO FOR KOGEI artistic director)
Artists: Junko Oki, Kazuhito Kawai, Takuro Kuwata, Takahiro Komuro, Shige Fujishiro,
Noritaka Tatehana, Mayu Nakata, Ritsue Mishima, Yoca Muta, Yui Wata
Organizer: NPO Syuto Kanazawa
Website: https://venice.goforkogei.com/