10th March 2026 〜10th April 23:59 Deadline ※Japan Time
NEW AIR 2026 is an artist-in-residence program organized by Art Center NEW.
The program primarily invites applications from artists based in Asia. Selected artists will undertake a two-month residency in Koganecho , during which they will develop their work. Following the residency, they will be given the opportunity to present their work at “NEW PLATFORM,” an art fair held in September at Art Center NEW.
NEW AIR is a residency program set in the multilayered urban landscape of Yokohama.
It provides opportunities for art activity, residency, and presentation to artists who are actively practicing within Asia.
In many countries and regions across Asia, making it challenging for artists to secure sustained art-activity’s support and opportunities to present their work internationally. In response to this context, the program conducts an open call focused on artists working across Asia.
The main venue is Art Center NEW, newly established in the Minato Mirai district in Yokohama.
Artists will stay at the residency facilities of the Koganecho Area Management Center, located in the Hinodecho–Koganecho area, a neighborhood deeply rooted in local culture and history.
By moving between these two contrasting environments—an open urban district and a community grounded in local area—artists engage with Yokohama’s multiple features, gaining access not only to its surface geography but also to its cultural and historical dynamics.
Last year, we presented NEW PLATFORM – Alternative ASIA –, an art fair bringing together alternative spaces and collectives from Southeast and East Asia including Japan.
This year, we will host NEW PLATFORM – Alternative JAPAN –, convening art spaces from across Japan to reconsider alternative artistic practices within the context of the art market and scene in Japan.
Artist from NEW AIR will present open studio before NEW PLATFORM, and it will be held by a final presentation of the residency outcomes as an exhibition during the fair period.
We warmly welcome lots of applications from diverse artists practicing across Asia.
10th March 2026 〜10th April 23:59 Deadline
※Japan Time
20th July 2026～20th September 2026
※The selected artist is required to stay for at least two-thirds of the above-mentioned period.
※The period from September 3 to September 13 is designated for the open studio and the final presentation show, therefore, artists must be present during these dates.
・Accommodation
・Artist Studio
・Round-trip travel expenses（Up to JPY ¥200,000）
・Visa application fee（UP to JPY ¥10,000）
・Daily allowance（JPY ¥5,000 per day）
・Production budget（Up to JPY ¥150,000）
※Any expenses other than those listed above must be covered by the participant.
※Only one artist will be selected for each residency period. Applications from two or more artists as a group are not accepted.
※It is mandatory for participants to obtain insurance coverage for accidents such as injury, illness, or theft during the residency. Please arrange and purchase the necessary insurance individually prior to departure from your home country.
①Artist in Residence in Yokohama July 20（Mon）〜September 20 (Sun)
The artist will spend two months in Yokohama, undertaking a residency at Koganecho Area Management Center and engaging in production activities at Art Center NEW.
②Open Studio: September 3 (Thu) – September 9 (Wed)
Prior to the final presentation, artists will have an open studio at the exhibition venue area.
③Final Presentation Show: September 10 (Thu) – September 13 (Sun)
Artists will present the outcomes of their residency as part of the satellite program of NEW PLATFORM, an art fair of alternative spaces organized by Art Center NEW.
④Building a Network in Yokohama
Artists will have opportunities to build professional networks in Yokohama through a welcome party, regular meetings, and presentations of their activities. They will also be invited to participate in collaborative events organized by Art Center NEW with educational institutions and corporate partners.
The selection will be conducted by a panel of three curators and researchers and two artists will be nominated.
※If more than 50 applications are received, the Art Center NEW staff will conduct a preliminary review and carefully shortlist applications before sharing them with the jurors.
Artistic Director of the exhibitions of the Maison de la Culture du Japon in Paris 2014-2020 and Director of the International Affaires Department of the Committee for “Ueno, a Global Capital of Culture” since 2018-2021. Aomi Okabe was a professor at the Musashino Art University for 12 years, after working as Chief Curator at the Mercien Karuizawa Museum for 5 years. She was also a lecturer and Visiting Professor at the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts for two years and spent a year as the Visiting Researcher at the New York University. Her main achievements include being co-commissioner of “le Japon des avant-gardes 1910-70”exhibition in Pompidou Center(1986), primary judge of the biennale of Art films ( 1990, 92, Pompidou Center ), curator of “Georges Rousse, Hanshin ArtＡ Project” (1995), curator of “Georges Rousse in Miyagi”(2013), and since 2016 at the Maison de la Culture du Japon à Paris, curator of exhibitions “Daito Manabe and Motoi Ishibashi”, “Rei Naito” and “Tomoko Yoneda” etc.. She graduated from the International Christian University in Tokyo, has a master degree from the Sorbonne University and a Diplôme de recherche approfondie from the Ecole du Louvre. She realized the documentary film of “Atsuko Tanaka, another Gutai” and her publications include “Art, Women and Images-Glocal Women” which is a feminist analysis of international women artists in photography and video and also ”Curiosity on Arts- Real Muséologie “, the initiation of the contemporary Japanese arts, etc.. She founded the interview web site for the Japanese Art’s scene; http://apm.musabi.ac.jp/imsc/cp/.
Ph.D., Faculty of Letters, Université Paris IV (Paris-Sorbonne). Professor at the Institute of Urban Innovation, Yokohama National University. Specializes in early 20th-century French literature. In recent years, his research has focused on the relationship between Le Corbusier and literary figures, exploring questions of the city and literature. His publications include “Louis-Ferdinand Céline’s Engineering Écriture: Céline and Le Corbusier’s America,” Limitrophe, no. 7 (2025), among others.
Curator. After completing a Master’s degree in Architecture at Waseda University, he worked for approximately ten years in artist-in-residence programs, including at Aomori Contemporary Art Centre (ACAC). After working independently as a freelance curator, he has been involved in arts education at Akita University of Art and Tokyo University of the Arts, among others.
Since around 2010, he has continued to engage with practitioners across Asia, developing collaborative, process-oriented projects. Major curated projects include Media / Art Kitchen (Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Bangkok, Aomori); the Japan Pavilion at the 58th Venice Biennale, Cosmo-Eggs (2019); Cultivating Successive Wisdoms at Akita City Cultural Creation Center (2021); and Art Site Nagoya Castle, Found Perspectives for Tasty Sightseeing (2024), etc.
1, Interest in and Commitment to the Local Community in Yokohama
Showed motivation and a clear perspective toward developing artistic practice through communication and engagement with the local community during the residency period.
2, Originality and Conceptual Strength of the Work / Practice
The ability to present a critically engaged practice with new ways of thinking or working that go beyond existing frameworks
3, Potential to develop and present a clear exhibition plan.
Potential to present a clear proposal including an open studio and a final presentation after the residency.
※Please note : The above criteria serve as general guidelines. Final decisions will be made through a comprehensive evaluation of all submitted materials.
・Applicants must be based in Asia (excluding Japan). Place of birth and nationality are not restricted.
For eligible Asian regions, please see from the official site of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan :
https://www.mofa.go.jp/region/asia-paci/index.html
・The selected artist must reside in Yokohama for at least two-thirds of the residency period: July 20, 2026 – September 20, 2026.
・The artist must be present in Japan and participate during the Open Studio period (September 3–9, 2026) and the Final Presentation period (September 10–13, 2026).
・The artist must be able to participate in collaborative events and workshops organized by Art Center NEW with companies and organizations located in the Yokohama / Minato Mirai area.
・The artist should be willing to actively engage with the local community.
・The artist must be able to carry out the project responsibly, from preparation and implementation through to deinstallation.
・The applicant must have basic communication skills in either English or Japanese.
・The studio must be used in accordance with its rules and regulations.
・The studio is to be used as a base for artistic activities only and may not be used for storage purposes.
Please prepare all of the following information ①〜④ and submit all of them by application form.
※The maximum total file size (including text and attachments) must not exceed 10MB.
※Please note that applications with significantly distorted formatting or missing required documents will not be considered for selecting
①Application Paper （PDF file within 10MB）＊Please use our format down below
②Application Information（artist name, age, address, email address, phone number, etc）
③Portfolio（Portfolio and/or published articles with Documentation of Past Activities; PDF file within 10MB）
④Recommendation Letters at least 2 letters （PDF file within 10MB）
The residency accommodation is located at the Koganecho Residence, approximately 15 minutes from Art Center NEW by Keikyu Line from Yokohama Station.
Facilities : Kitchen, refrigerator, bathroom, toilet, futon bedding, desk, and internet access.
※We will decide which residence room participants will be staying.
NEW PLATFORM is an art fair of alternative spaces organized by Art Center NEW.
Last year, it was presented as NEW PLATFORM – Alternative ASIA –, a gathering that brought together alternative spaces and collectives active across Southeast and East Asia including Japan.
This year, turning our focus to our own country, Japan, we aim to reexamine the current state of alternative spaces nationwide. Emphasizing the art fair’s market-oriented framework, the program will create opportunities for artwork sales while also sharing the significance, sustainability, and operational knowledge of alternative spaces from across Japan.
In addition to expanding participation beyond the Kanto region, we will invite alternative spaces working both within and outside the region. By reconsidering models of alternative practice with the outside from center “periphery,” rather than simply through centralized narratives, we seek to reconsider the role and value of alternative spaces in Japan today.
Schedule ：10th September （Thu）〜13th September （Sun）12:00-20:00
※Any other information will be released later
Organizer：Ongoing Association
Co-organizer：Sports, Culture and Dynamic City Development Bureau, City of Yokohama Nominal
Cooperation：Koganecho Area Management Center
Main Visual：Kousuke Harada
Ongoing Association （Art Center NEW）
B1F, Shin-Takashima Station, 5-1 Minatomirai, Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 220-0012, Japan
TEL : 0454145300
Web : https://artcenter-new.jp
Email : info@artcenter-new.jp（Nao Kiyota, Art Center NEW）
