TALK & BRUNCH “Symposium: How Can Art Activate Local Capital? — From Hidden Resources to Shared Futures” for Forest Festival of the Arts

We are pleased to announce the upcoming Talk & Brunch “Symposium: How Can Art Activate Local Capital? — From Hidden Resources to Shared Futures” for Forest Festival of the Arts, to be held on Monday, May 8, 2026, at the IUAV - Aula Magna Fondamenta dei Tolentini in Venice, Italy.

“Symposium: How Can Art Activate Local Capital? — From Hidden Resources to Shared Futures” explores how art and design can reveal and activate the latent natural, social, and cultural capital embedded in local contexts. While taking Forest Festival of the Arts Okayama: Clear-skies Country 2024 as a case study, the discussion extends beyond a single project to address broader questions: How can artistic and design practices uncover overlooked local resources? By bringing together artists, curators, and scholars, the symposium examines interdisciplinary and place-based approaches that reconnect communities, environments, and cultural practices, proposing new models for sustainable regional revitalization.

※Light refreshments will be provided for networking reception following the symposium.

[Event Overview]
Date and time: May 8, 2026 (Monday) 10:00–12:30 (Symposium 10:00-11:15 / Brunch 11:15-12:30)
venue:Auditorium of the Venice School of Architecture(IUAV – Aula Magna Fondamenta dei Tolentini)
Price: Free

Panelists:
- Bianca Bondi (artist)
- Emanuele Coccia (Philosopher/Associate Professor, School for Advanced Studies in Social Sciences (EHESS))
- Alessandra Marcon (Urban Designer / Adjunct Professor at the Venice School of Architecture (IUAV))
- Angela Vettese (Art historian and curator / Professor at the Venice School of Architecture (IUAV))
- Asim Wakif (artist)

Moderator:
Moderator: Yuko Hasegawa (Art Director of Forest Festival of the Arts / Guest Professor, Università Iuav di Venezia)

Organizer:Forest Festival of the Arts Okayama: Clear-skies Country Executive Committee

Co-sponsored by:Venice School of Architecture (IUAV)

Reservation form: Please make your reservation here.

Contact info@forestartfest-okayama.jp

Photo credit: Leandro Erlich, The Nature Above, 2024, Photo by Takeshi Asano