Naoshima's Lee Ufan Museum Offers Transcendent Art Experience

The Guardian's Oliver Wainwright visits Naoshima, Japan's 'art island' in the Seto Inland Sea, to experience the work of Lee Ufan. The island, once polluted by a Mitsubishi plant, was redeveloped by billionaire Sōichirō Fukutake in 1989. It now features galleries by architect Tadao Andō, housing works by Claude Monet, Walter De Maria, and Yayoi Kusama's iconic pumpkin (1994). Wainwright focuses on the Lee Ufan Museum, designed by Andō, where the artist's minimalist sculptures and paintings create a contemplative atmosphere. The museum includes an outdoor installation with a steel arch leading to the sea, embodying Ufan's philosophy of encounter and emptiness. Wainwright describes the experience as transcendental, noting the interplay between art, architecture, and nature. The article reflects on Naoshima's transformation from industrial site to art destination, attracting global visitors.