4. Exhibition "Empowering Society Through Art" Report

Date:: July 26(Sat) − 27(Sun), 2025
Venue:: Gallery WEST, Future Life Zone, EXPO 2025

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Exhibition "Empowering Society Through Art", Photo by Nakagawa Ai

Appreciation Workshop "Empowering Society Through Art", Photo by Nakagawa Ai

General Information

The exhibition "Empowering Society Through Art", the main program the Art to Live, was held on July 26 (Sat) and 27 (Sun), 2025, at Gallery WEST within the Expo site.

The exhibition space was organized into three interwoven areas: one introduced seven case studies from welfare facilities and organizations in Osaka Prefecture that are engaged in unique, cross-disciplinary collaborations through art; another presented works by ten Osaka-based artists whose creative expressions are both original and compelling; and the third offered an archive of documentary footage, including videos of artists at work and records of symposiums and exhibitions previously organized by the Art to Live project.

The exhibition communicated the idea that disability can, at times, serve as a strength in the field of art, and that even when verbal communication is difficult—whether due to disability or otherwise—art can foster meaningful dialogue. Visitors were offered a vision of a society where people can live together creatively, joyfully, and inclusively.

Date	July 26(Sat) − 27(Sun), 2025 9:00 − 19:00 (Last Day: − 17:30)
Attendees	2810
Venue	L01 Gallery WEST, Future Life Zone, EXPO 2025, Osaka, Kansai (Osaka)
Collaboration Case Studies	Mat & Rug｜Capacious × Aswan (Interior Design) Naniwa Font｜Ripehouse × Daitsu (Graphic Design) Abigail Coffee｜COMIC COUNCIL Original Product (Food & Beverage) Calendar｜Nishiawaji House of Hope × Designer (Product Design) Super Hyper Spacey｜Nishiawaji Kobou-no-ie's Member (Fashion) Art Bridge｜Artists × Kansai Osaka 21st Century Association (Inclusive Art) Three Traditional Japanese Row Houses｜Atelier Hiko × Creators (Exhibition & Workshop)
Art Exhibition	Artists: Arita Kyoko, Katsunobu, Kuroda Katsutoshi, Shibata Ryuhei, Chazono Daiki, Nakane Kyoko, Hirata Yasuhiro, Hirano Yoshiyasu, Maeda Yasuhiro, Matsumoto Kunizo
Video Screening	Documentary Videos of Artists’ Working Processes (Featuring: Arita Kyoko, M.O., Katsunobu, Kuroda Katsutoshi, Shibata Ryuhei, Chazono Daiki, Nakane Kyoko, Hirata Yasuhiro, Maeda Yasuhiro) Art to Live International Symposium Art to Live Exhibition “Exploring Ⅱ - Fragments of Art in Everyday Life -
Appreciation Workshop (Japanese Only)	A total of six guided tours were held—three each day—where an art coordinator led participants through the exhibition, providing commentary on the artworks and projects. Number of participants: July 26 (Sat) – 28 people July 27 (Sun) – 33 people

Organizers: Osaka Prefecture, Association for the Promotion of Contemporary Art in Japan, Capacious
Cooperation: ASWAN Co., Ltd., Atelier Hiko, Abigail, YELLOW Co.,ltd., Kansai Osaka 21st Century Association, DAISTU Inc., Toyonaka Kirara Welfare Association, Normalization Social Welfare Association, atelier ripehouse, Social Welfare Corporation Atelier You-no-ie