The social architecture of contemporary cultural festivals

Unlike traditional festivals that have emerged out of the social life of local communities, contemporary cultural festivals are state or local government creations guided by post-industrial economic aspirations. The Setouchi Triennale, an art festival in Japan’s Inland Sea, was conceived to engage the existing landscape-cum-seascape and its inhabitants, and showcase the area’s rich history and resources. Such festivals’ potential to benefit existing communities, create local business opportunities, and enrich social life following repeated manifestations over the long run is significant. The commodification of experience of site-specific works created for the festival underscores the vital function of space. Whilst experience may be ephemeral, it is consumed spatially, and, by organising elements in space in conjunction with programming, one can calibrate experience into an event. This chapter considers the visitor’s experience of the festival and encounter with the artworks at the Setouchi Triennale, arguing that festivals have evolved from offering novel experiences into transformative ones. The Triennale’s degree of embeddedness in the urban-rural fabric is gauged by its visibility and reach, in how attributes of the festival’s venues are activated, and how connections between locations rely on existing regional infrastructure and local ancillary services.