The Benesse Art Site Naoshima, a globally acclaimed art destination across three Japanese islands, will open the Naoshima New Museum of Art (NNMA) on May 31. Designed by architect Tadao Ando, the one-story building with two underground floors sits on a hilltop near Honmura village. Its opening exhibition, centered on wellbeing, features works by 12 artists including Takashi Murakami, Aida Makoto, Do Ho Suh, Cai Guo-Qiang, and Martha Atienza. The museum shifts focus to contemporary art from Asia with rotating exhibitions, according to director Akiko Miki.
This new museum matters because it continues the Benesse Art Site's mission of regenerating depopulating island communities through art. By situating the museum within a village rather than a resort area, NNMA aims to deepen local engagement and sustain tourism that has revitalized the region's economy. The project builds on a vision that began in 1985 and has already transformed Naoshima into a model for art-driven rural regeneration, now expanding its scope to highlight Asian contemporary art.