The sixth edition of the Aichi Triennale, titled "A Time Between Ashes and Roses," opened in Japan in September and runs until 30 November. Curated by Hoor Al Qasimi, the first non-Japanese artistic director of the triennial, the exhibition confronts war, displacement, memory, and environmental collapse, drawing inspiration from a poem by Syrian poet Adonis. Featured works include Kubo Hiroko's tapestry marking the 80th anniversary of the Hiroshima atomic bombing and a video installation by Palestinian duo Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme. Controversy erupted during the opening weekend over the Aichi-Israel Matching Program, a government initiative pairing Israeli startups with local companies, leading to protests and the resignation of organizing committee vice chairman Hideyuki Tomita.
This edition matters because it marks a sharp political turn for the Aichi Triennale, with Al Qasimi explicitly addressing the war in Gaza and framing it as genocide and ethnic cleansing. The triennial's focus on the intersection of war and environmental collapse, alongside the local controversy over ties to Israel, highlights the growing entanglement of art, politics, and activism in global biennials. It also underscores the challenges faced by cultural institutions when their funding sources are linked to contentious geopolitical issues.