I recently contributed an article to the Kyoto Journal, a quarterly magazine that presents cultural and historical insights from Kyoto, Japan, with which I have been involved for over a year. The piece explores Villa Kujoyama, a French artist residency where I completed an internship last year, and highlights Nuit Blanche Kyoto—a festival inspired by its Parisian counterpart, dedicated to bringing to the public free access to contemporary art for an entire month.

One of the French government’s most prestigious international artist residencies alongside Villa Médicis in Rome, Casa de Velázquez in Madrid, Villa Albertine in the United States, and Villa Swagatam in India, the brutalist architecture of Villa Kujoyama rises in splendor high above the vegetation of Mount Higashiyama. Since its establishment in 1992, more than 400 creators — including designer and artisan Tony Jouanneau, writer Emmanuel Carrère, and others — have passed through its doors. Each artist, whose background is carefully reviewed by a jury of around 40 experts from various fields, must demonstrate the need for a research residency in Japan, during which they will develop a unique and original project.

The Villa’s roots trace back to the first Franco-Japanese cultural center established in 1926 by Paul Claudel, who was then the French ambassador to Japan. Alongside Inabata Katsutaro, president of the Osaka Chamber of Commerce, Claudel gathered support from local francophiles to create the Institut franco-japonais du Kansai, with a mission to foster innovative artistic projects promoting cultural exchange, creativity, and dialogue between France and Japan, while also advancing contemporary art and design. The institute was inaugurated on November 5, 1927, on the current site of Villa Kujoyama. However, in 1936, the institute moved to a new location closer to Kyoto University, and the original site remained abandoned until 1986, when the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs with support from Inabata’s grandson and architect Katô Kunio, established Villa Kujoyama as a haven for artistic creation and cross-cultural dialogue.

A few years later, after another extensive renovation funded by Pierre Bergé of Yves Saint Laurent and the Villa’s principal patron, the Bettencourt Schueller Foundation, Villa Kujoyama reopened in 2014. Through this collaboration, the residency has expanded to include artisans and métiers d’art—an honor awarded by the French Ministry of Culture for exceptional craftsmanship and dedication to tradition—to encourage exchange between French and Japanese artisans. Furthermore, beginning in 2022, two winners of the Liliane Bettencourt Prize for the Intelligence of the Hand are invited each year for a month-long residency, celebrating craftsmanship, creativity, and innovation in the métiers d’art. The Bettencourt Schueller Foundation, which recently completed a second phase of renovations, will continue its support through 2026, ensuring top-quality facilities and programming throughout.

This year again, no more than seventeen artists are in residence at Villa Kujoyama, either individually or in pairs, for several months at a time. To name but a few: Maguelone Vidal, in residence from June to November 2024, is exploring the poetic and sensory relationship between body and sound. Multidisciplinary artist Ulla von Brandenburg adapts her work across various media for each exhibition space. Meanwhile, craft duo Dimitry Hlinka & Nicolas Pinon, part of the métiers d’art category introduced in 2014 with support from the Bettencourt Schueller Foundation, are collaborating with Japanese experts on a plant fiber project.

In its mission to foster cultural exchange and openness, Villa Kujoyama, led by Adèle Fremolle since 2022,, opens its doors to the public on the first Thursday of each month, from 2 PM to 9 PM. Last year, I interned there and took part in one of its public openings. It was a rare chance to see what the resident artists had been working on and to hear them talk about their projects with genuine excitement. Being part of the Villa’s community, meeting artists, international professors, journalists, and independent curators eager to connect with the audience and share what inspired their work.has pushed me to keep writing about art and culture in Kyoto.

Although geographically isolated, Villa Kujoyama’s influence extends well beyond its setting. Thanks to the support of the Institut français du Japon, one of six key establishments to which the Villa belongs,it is possible to see the work of the laureates beyond the Villa’s walls. Indeed, their work is regularly exhibited in France, Japan, and internationally, and seamlessly connects with the contemporary art scene through exhibitions, performances, lectures, and innovative formats that connect them with audiences worldwide. For example, the work of painter, sculptor, and engraver François-Xavier Richard, a 2017 Villa Kujoyama resident who explored the sound and texture of washi (traditional Japanese paper), is currently on display at the Hôtel des Arts in Toulon, France. His Dutch-style chandelier, Heliopsis, is being exhibited there until November 3, 2024.

This far-reaching influence is also evident in the numerous cultural events the Villa participates in, such as Nuit Blanche Kyoto. The contemporary art festival, organized by the Institut français du Kansai and the City of Kyoto and inspired by the original Nuit Blanche in Paris, lights up the former Japanese capital every autumn. This year, from September 28 to October 26, the city comes alive under the theme “Transmission,” bringing art out of museums and galleries, and offering the public free access to experience contemporary works across Kyoto, with the goal of fostering cultural exchange between France and Japan. The 2024 edition also celebrates the 30th anniversary of the “Maître d’art – Élève” program, a French initiative aimed at preserving and promoting rare artisanal skills, inspired by Japan’s “Living National Treasures.”

Through its call for applications, the “NBK Sélection,” Nuit Blanche Kyoto offers artists, galleries, independent cultural spaces, and associations with an artistic project based in France or Japan the opportunity to be part of the festival’s program. On the program: Monomi by Disconoma (Thomas Vauthier & Fanny Terno), a sensory performance that mixes sight, sound, and movement, in collaboration with JN Mellor Club and Villa Kujoyama artists. Designer Flavien Delbergue, teaming up with Kyoto artisan Shuji Nakagawa, will present Italic Vases. Villa Kujoyama 2024 laureate Lauren Tortil, will present Please, listen to this, reimagining Sony’s 1979 Walkman launch through a live sound performance using modern technology.

This year, Nuit Blanche at Villa Kujoyama marks the 10th anniversary of welcoming artisans in the craft sector. Visitors were invited to explore a special exhibition featuring works by artists and artisans who have resided at the Villa over the past decade, as well as to engage directly with current residents and discover their ongoing research and projects.