Art Island Center's research activities center on the role and potential of art and art-related initiatives to support and sustain small island communities. This theme is interpreted quite broadly and covers topics including art and architecture, anthropology, human geography, and landscape studies. Our projects frequently bridge artistic and scholarly modes of query, and we present and publish our work in both academic and non-academic settings.
While our focus is primarily on the Seto Inland Sea region in western Japan, we are privileged to work with partner organizations, institutions, and associate scholars throughout the region and around the world. We also lead study tours and host occasional symposia on Naoshima and elsewhere in the Setouchi region. If you or your organization are interested in working with us, we would be delighted to hear from you.
VIDEO ► Art Island Center's research director Meng Qu introduces himself and discusses his work on the Seto Inland Sea islands.
Partners & Affiliates
Recent Academic Articles & Book Chapters
Qu, M., He, Y., McCormick, A. D., & Funck, C. (2022). Diagnosing uneven revitalisation outcomes among aging communities in Japan’s island art festival. In E. Papoutsaki & S. S. Niaah (Eds.), Island art and music festivals. UWI Press. [In press]
Qu, M., Funck, C., Usui, R., Jang, K., He, Y. & Lew, A. (2022). Island studies and socio-economic development policies in East Asia. Island Studies Journal. [PDF]
Cheer, J. M., Progano, R. N., Qu, M. & McCormick, A. D. (2022). Tourism in the rural periphery: Revitalization and community resilience in Japan. In A. Stoffelen & D. Ioannides (Eds.), Handbook of Tourism Impacts. Elgar. [DOI]
McCormick, A. D. (2022). Augmenting Small-Island Heritage through Site-Specific Art: A View from Naoshima. Okinawan Journal of Island Studies.
McCormick, A. D. & Qu, M. (2021). Community resourcefulness under pandemic pressure: a Japanese island’s creative network. Geographical Sciences (Chiri-Kagaku). [PDF]
Prince, S., Qu, M. & Zollet, S. (2021). The making of art islands: A comparative analysis of translocal assemblages of contemporary art and tourism. Island Studies Journal. [PDF]
Qu, M. & Funck, C. (2021). Rural art festival revitalizing a Japanese declining tourism island. In N. Duxbury (Ed.), Cultural Sustainability, Tourism, and Development. Routledge. [Link]
Qu, M., McCormick, A. D., & Funck, C. (2020). Community resourcefulness and partnerships in rural tourism. Journal of Sustainable Tourism. [DOI] [PDF]
Qu, M. & Cheer, J. (2020). Community art festivals and sustainable rural revitalisation. Journal of Sustainable Tourism. [DOI]
Qu, M. (2020). Teshima - from Island Art to the Art Island. Shima: The International Journal of Research into Island Cultures. [DOI]
Qu, M. (2019). Art interventions on Japanese islands: The promise and pitfalls of artistic interpretations of community. The International Journal of Social, Political and Community Agendas in the Arts. [DOI]
Zollet, S., & Qu, M. (2019). The Role of Domestic In-migrants for the Revitalization of Marginal Island Communities in the Seto Inland Sea of Japan. MIRRA (Migration in Remote and Rural Areas) Research and Policy Briefs Series. [PDF]
Qu, M. (2018). Regional Revitalization or Art Festival Tourism? 2015-2018 Setouchi Triennale Community Fieldwork Notes [地域复兴还是艺术节观光? 2015-2018年濑户内三年展社区田野调查手记], Public Art. (Chinese) [Link]
Recent Academic Publications - Other
Qu, M. (2019). Book Review: Ten Innovative Ideas of Land Art Festival: How to Revitalize the Community by Japanese Rural Art Festival [大地艺术节的十个创新思想:日本乡村艺术节如何振兴社区?]. Public Art. (Chinese) [Link]
Qu, M. (2019). Interview: After the Intervention of Art in the Countryside - A Study of Setouchi Triennale [艺术介入乡村之后—“濑户内三年展”在地研究]. Contemporary Artist. (Chinese)