We are hosting a Special Exhibition at the NUNAGAWA Campus featuring Ayako Fudamoto, an artist known for her three-dimensional artworks inspired by food and ingredients. The artist, who visualizes the intersections and unexpected connections between food and the society in which we live, will present artworks based on the local cuisine of Echigo-Tsumari.
We will display local dishes from Echigo-Tsumari in the classrooms of the NUNAGAWA Campus, once a place of learning.
The item placed on the desk that appears to be the main dish, “grilled salmon,” is actually made from sponges that local residents have used extensively in their homes.She has been continuously creating the “Moshus” series, in which she reimagines everyday objects and fragments of debris as food in a fleeting moment. In this work, she employs that same technique to transform a sponge into a representation of grilled salmon.
Sponges change little by little with each use, etching the accumulation of daily housework and the time spent caring for others.
The customs of hospitality and generosity cherished in this region. Behind those lively moments lies the quiet labor of preparation and cleanup.
The grilled salmon arranged on the table evokes the nameless hours of daily life that have accumulated behind the scenes of the dining table. (Artist’s comment)
Photo by Nakamura Osamu
Past Artworks
Aichi 2025 International Art Festival: Exhibition View
Ayako Fudamoto, *Steak Rock: Cut Steak (230g)*, 2025
© Aichi International Art Festival Organizing Committee
Photo: ToLoLo studio
《Salmon》Photo by Tamotsu Kido
Related Workshops
During ETAT, we will be holding a workshop where participants can create lifelike three-dimensional sculptures of food alongside the artist.
Date: Saturday, August 1, 2026, starting at 1:00 PM (approx. 2 hours)
Workshop Fee: 800 yen (Admission fee not included)
Artist Profile
Ayako Fudamoto
Born in Yamaguchi Prefecture, currently based in Kyoto Prefecture. She creates three-dimensional artworks that meticulously mimic ingredients and food items. The forms she produces through her unique process go beyond mere reproduction, challenging viewers’ perceptions and memories of food.
Recent major exhibitions include “Artist in Museum AiM Vol. 16: Ayako Fudamoto” (Gifu Prefectural Museum of Art) and the international art festival “Aichi 2025” (Aichi Prefectural Art and Culture Center).
Facility Information
Nunagawa Elementary School, which closed in March 2014, has been reborn as a school where students can learn about the value of their local community through hands-on experiences.Based on agriculture, we provide a space to help each individual discover their unique strengths through food, daily life, play, and dance. Additionally, as the “Children’s Five Senses Art Museum,” we present art that engages the whole body—beyond just “seeing”—and the venue also serves as the home ground for “FC Echigo-Tsumari,” an agricultural corporate team where female soccer players from the city have relocated to become stewards of the Rice Fields and continue playing soccer.
[Hours] 10:00 AM–5:00 PM (until 4:00 PM in October and November)
[Dates] April 25–November 8, 2026 (Closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, except holidays)
[Admission] Adults: 800 yen; Elementary and junior high school students: 400 yen, or use the Echigo-Tsumari Art Field 2026 Common Ticket
Summary
| Date and time | April 25 (Sat), 2026 – November 8 (Sun), 2026 *Closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (except holidays) |
|---|---|
| Venue |
NUNAGAWA Campus |
| Admission |
NUNAGAWA Campus admission fee (800 yen for adults, 400 yen for elementary and junior high school students) or a Common Ticket
|
Recommended Tours / Itineraries
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