One of the most quantitative results of the festival has been the influx of
tourism to the region since the advent of ETAT, prompting studies on the positive economic impact of exhibition-driven tourism to rural areas. However, the very nature of Echigo Tsumari as an experiential site founded in nascent human-nature relationships also creates a tension, and at times contrast, with this strictly economic model of success. This has resulted in arguments that, where previously discourse on art as a means of rural revitalization has been limited to its role as an economic or practical catalyst, ETAT instead represents a refreshing departure from this narrative, intervening in the "everyday life of farmers in the festival area" and becoming "a catalyst for social, cultural and natural change." Scholarship has framed ETAT as an
environmentally-conscious counterpoint to the
consumer culture that has gripped Japan and the world at large, remarking on the uniquely rural positioning of the Triennale. Scholar Brad Monsma writes that the location yields a thematic departure from the “festivals in Japan and elsewhere that are urban and centralized, linking art with international commercial development.” In contrast, he writes, “Echigo-Tsumari is rural, scattered throughout 750 square kilometres, and insistent upon the local and what cannot be commodified.” In addition to its departure from traditional conceptions of consumer culture, ETAT has garnered praise for its drift away the potentially homogenizing, urban-centric effects of
globalism on the art scene. For example, in the early days of the Triennale, art historian Reiko Tomii highlighted the innovative use of
site-specific installations to invite the local community to collaborate with international artists such as
Cai Guo-Qiang. Similarly, Susanne Klien writes that Echigo-Tsumari “constitutes a new type of revitalization with its emphasis on human exchange and interaction of heterogeneous players in a rural setting.” At the same time, there are potential pitfalls to the model that ETAT uses to promote the local region. Klien explores both sides of this coin, citing the side effects of the “collaboration” that occurs between artists and the community during the Triennale. She contends that, despite the organizers’ efforts to create a sense of camaraderie between artists and the local and international community, these practices simultaneously have the potential to infringe upon the lifestyles and smooth operation of these rural communities, and ultimately may achieve the nostalgic romanticization of rural life expected by urban audiences rather than true
glocal cooperation. More specifically, Thekla Boven has researched the repurposing of 11 defunct elementary schools in the Tokamachi region as art installation/exhibition spaces, positing that, despite the positive intentions of these interventions, in some cases the constant repurposing of abandoned buildings for use by the festival may not be the most effective use of these edifices in their local context; that is to say, what would be most useful for the local community on both an economic, social, and holistic level. While the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale is a temporary annual event, it does retain an element of permanence through the Echigo-Tsumari Art Field (ETAF), which opens to the public every spring, making it a year-round local fixture and tourist destination. The Art Field comprises a network of contemporary art museums and
open air installations that seek to propel the Art Field’s mission of, in light of global environmental concerns, structuring new ways of thinking and engaging with the natural landscape through the vehicle of art. In addition, ETAF collaborates with local town and village tourism offices to create tours and recommended itineraries in the region that encourage visitors to see works from past triennales, visit local galleries, and sample regional cuisine.
Selected List of Awards • Furusato Event Award (by the Ministry of Internal Affairs)（2001） • Tokyo Creation Award（Creation of Art Scene Award）（2002） • Machi-tsukuri Commendation by the General Affairs Minister（2007） • The 2nd JTB Culture Exchange Award - Excellence Prize（2007） • The 7th All Right ! Japan Award Grand Prix （Prime Minister’s Award) （2009） • New Tourism Development Category Award and Judges Special Award（Japan Association of Travel Agents）（2009） • Community Building Award: Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism（2010） • The 10th Eco Tourism Award Special Award（Ministry of the Environment / Japan Eco Tourism Organization）（2015） • NIKS Rural Revitalisation Award (2018） • GOOD DESIGN GOLD AWARD（Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award）（2018） ==Selected List of Affiliated Artists/Groups==