Sapporo International Art Festival (SIAF 2027) – Japan

• January 16, 2027
  Event date:
• February 21, 2027
  Event end:

What to expect

Sapporo International Art Festival is international art festival held every three years in Sapporo, with innovative works like fog sculpture and paper mountain experience meshing with new media, installed at several off-beat satellite venues, all lending SIAF international art festival status. The festival was first held with Ryuichi Sakamoto leaving his mark on Sapporo as first festival guest director, with two main venues being Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art and Sapporo Art Museum.

Expect SIAF2027 to be held under theme PLANET SNOW—upas mintar / upas nociw, imagining Sapporo as single planet, Planet Snow, prompting reflection on planet’s ways of life as well as history, culture, and future as whole. The theme can be expressed with two phrases in Ainu language, for those who live in Sapporo, Planet Snow is upas mintar snow garden, and for those visiting from afar, it is upas nociw snow star. Covered in white snow, SIAF2027 will become stage for grand narrative that surrounds future of humanity and cosmos.

The festival will feature about 80 artists from over 10 countries showcasing creations across multiple mediums, including painting, sculpture, light installations and video, exploring future society and relationship with snow. To bring perspective of space science into narrative, SIAF has created new role of SIAF2027 Advisor and appointed YAMAZAKI Naoko, astronaut and Honorary Director of Sapporo Science Center.

Event dates

Event Dates: January 16 to Feb 21, 2027

Theme: PLANET SNOW—upas mintar / upas nociw

Official Site: https://siaf.jp/

Contact: +81 11-211-2314, info@siaf.jp

Sapporo International Art Festival 2027 is to be held Jan-Feb 2027 under theme PLANET SNOW, with announcement of two new venues and program outlines, and announcement of three participating artists for SIAF2027 Moerenuma Park Venue as first lineup.

Visiting this event? Don’t miss out on these amazing activities and local experiences while you’re here.

Venue & exhibition site

Primary Venues: Future Theater Higashi 1-chome Theater, Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art, Sapporo Art Museum, Sapporo Cultural Arts Community Center SCARTS, Moerenuma Park, Sapporo Snow Festival Odori Site, and more. Satellite Venue Shiryokan Former Sapporo Court of Appeals and more.

For SIAF2027, two new venues announced: Sapporo Science Center and Sapporo Citizens Gallery. The Sapporo Science Center will be curated by NISHI Tsubasa, curator at Yamaguchi Center for Arts and Media YCAM, who served as project manager for Moerenuma Park venue during SIAF2024, overseeing programs and works held outdoors or in snow storage spaces.

Main Venues Details:
Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art: Operated by Hokkaido Board of Education, featuring museum collection artists.
Sapporo Art Museum: Operated by Sapporo Cultural Arts Foundation, featuring Forest of Media Arts.
Moerenuma Park: Operated by Sapporo Parks and Greenery Association, featuring Snow Park for the Future, outdoor works in snow storage spaces.
SCARTS: Sapporo Cultural Arts Community Center, Kita 1-jo Nishi 1-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, serving as Visitor Center.
Sapporo Science Center: Located 5 Chome-2-20 Atsubetsuchuo 1 Jo, Atsubetsu Ward, Sapporo, with interactive science exhibits, state-of-the-art planetarium, and snow-themed displays.
Sapporo Snow Festival Odori Site: Odori 2-chome Site, Odori 6-chome Site west side, collaboration with snow festival.

Satellite Venues: Underground pedestrian walkways near JR Sapporo station, Chi-Ka-Ho Sapporo Ekimaedori Underground Walkway, and streetcar venue.

Full exhibition programme

The programme is designed as grand narrative that surrounds future of humanity and cosmos, with multitude of images and ideas intersecting on Planet Snow.

Main Exhibition Programme:
PLANET SNOW Exhibition: Imagining Sapporo as single planet, reflecting on ways of life, history, culture, future, with science and technology sparked.

Moerenuma Park Programme: Announcement of three participating artists for Moerenuma Park Venue as first lineup, with projects held outdoors or in snow storage spaces, Snow Park for the Future artists Jussi Ängeslevä plus Aatb, Sapporo Future Undokai.

Science Center Programme: Exhibition at Sapporo Science Center curated by NISHI Tsubasa, bringing perspective of space science.

Citizens Gallery Programme: Exhibition at Sapporo Citizens Gallery curated by additional curators.

Snow Festival Collaboration: Special program focused on art exhibitions at Sapporo Snow Festival Odori 6-chome Site west side, period February 4 Wed to 11 Wed, holiday, 10 to 20 hours.

Winter Pre-Events: Let’s Upaste 2026 Sapporo Winter Arts Tour, program that brings together Sapporo’s winter art events, and SIAF School Education Cafe, plus pre-events at Odori site.

Special Projects: Underground Park somewhere in Sapporo to reflect on city, SIAF Streetcar project with ad-covered streetcar running every day during festival as venue for programs, with workshop with elementary school students designing streetcar.

Featured artists & designers

SIAF features about 80 artists from over 10 countries.

Featured Artists from SIAF2024 as reference for scale: ABE Hiroshi, Amy KARLE, AOKI Mika, CHOE U-Ram, ENESS, Fujimori, Giovanni BETTI plus Katharina FLECK, GOTO Akinori, HASEGAWA Ai, HIRAKAWA Norimichi, HIRANO Yoshikuni, h.o, ISHIHARA Ko, ISHII Hiroshi plus Tangible Media Group MIT Media Lab, Maywa Denki, Lausbub, Snow Miku Crypton Future Media, Yukikaze Technology, KUNIMATSU Noboru, MIYATA Sayaka, YUKUTAKE Harumi, ABE Hiroshi, KUNIMATSU Kineta, SIAF Humanoid Project KEISUUGIKEN Hokkaido Performing Arts Foundation Mayunkiki SIAF Ainu Culture Coordinator, ENESS Airship Orchestra, Panoramatiks SAITO Seiichi JIKU 006 MindTrail2020, Boris Maximowitz Sebastian Blanz treibgut Munich Germany, OKA Miyuki Sapporo, OGAWA Hideaki SIAF2024 Director, ODAI Mami Sapporo Tenjinyama Art Studio AIR Director, Xin LIU China UK, LEE Ufan, Léonard FOUJITA, Amy KARLE USA.

SIAF2027 Artists: First lineup for Moerenuma Park Venue announced, with more artists to be announced, plus advisor YAMAZAKI Naoko astronaut.

Designers: Logo Design Shirai Hiroaki, Website Illustration Kawanari Yu SIAF Lab, and SIAF Design Project collaborators.

Curators: NISHI Tsubasa for Sapporo Science Center, curators for Citizens Gallery, and OGAWA Hideaki as Director.

Galleries & exhibitors

Galleries and exhibitors include museums and community centers.

Museum Galleries:
Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art: Exhibition venue with works from museum collections.
Sapporo Art Museum: Forest of Media Arts exhibition with media art.

Community Galleries:
SCARTS: Sapporo Cultural Arts Community Center, SCARTS Studio, Kita 1-jo Nishi 1-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, serving as Visitor Center and screening venue for Ars Electronica Day compilation of five outstanding animations.

Citizens Gallery: Sapporo Citizens Gallery with exhibition curated by additional curators.

Science Galleries:
Sapporo Science Center: Interactive science exhibits, planetarium, snow-themed displays.

Outdoor Galleries:
Moerenuma Park: Outdoor galleries and snow storage spaces galleries, with SPACE MOERE project manager Hosokawa Asami, curators Miyai Kazumi, Hosokawa Hideki, Miyaoka Hiroshi, Kamo Hirohito.

Satellite Galleries: Shiryokan Former Sapporo Court of Appeals, Hokkaido University of Science Central Building HUS PLAZA, Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art, Sapporo Snow Festival Odori Site.

Exhibition halls & sections

Halls and Sections:
Future Theater Higashi 1-chome Theater: Main theater for performances and live theater.
Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art Halls: Museum collection and contemporary art sections.
Sapporo Art Museum Halls: Forest of Media Arts sections.
SCARTS Halls: Visitor Center, SCARTS Studio for screenings and talks.
Moerenuma Park Sections: Snow Park for the Future, outdoor installations, snow storage space exhibitions.
Sapporo Science Center Sections: Technology Town 3F with hands-on science and subway train simulation, planetarium, snow-themed displays.
Sapporo Citizens Gallery Sections: Curated exhibition sections.
Underground Sections: Sapporo Ekimaedori Underground Walkway Chi-Ka-Ho for talk events and booth exhibitions exploring relationship between art, universal design, and universal services.
Streetcar Section: Ad-covered streetcar running every day during festival as mobile venue.

Special Sections: Underground Park somewhere in Sapporo, Forest of Media Arts, Snow Park for the Future, and collaborative projects with Sapporo Snow Festival Odori 2-chome and 6-chome Sites.

Talks, workshops & special events

Talks, workshops, and special events unfold all over city at various venues.

Talks:
WIRED Podcast Public Recording Snow Festival Edition: Editor-in-Chief MATSUSHIMA Michiaki interviews festival director and participating artists discussing festival highlights and exploring potential of art as tool to expand future, venue SCARTS Studio 2nd Floor.
Artist Lectures: Special English language course Imagine the Future of Sapporo Through Art at Hokkaido University Hokkaido Summer Institute HSI, with leading researchers from around world, collaboration with SIAF School.
Talk Events at Chi-Ka-Ho: Exploring relationship between art, universal design, and universal services, with booth exhibition.

Workshops:
SIAF School: Hands-on program that creates learning opportunities and sparks curiosity, series of lectures by experts, program for SIAF2024 volunteers, and workshops for children.
Streetcar Workshop: Collaborative project between Streetcar Project and SIAF Design Project, workshop with fifth and sixth-year elementary school students designing ad-covered streetcar.
SIAF Lab Workshops: Workshops for children and volunteers, including IEIE Reflected Phase 4 Virtual Ground VR concert rehearsal in Kamome Island Esashi.

Special Events:
Ars Electronica Day: Screening program with compilation of five outstanding animations presented in Ars Electronica Festival, venue SCARTS Studio.
Snow Festival Collaboration: Special program focused on art exhibitions at Sapporo Snow Festival Odori Site, with ENESS Airship Orchestra and other installations.
Hokkaido Railroad Track x Media Arts Exhibition: Create Hokkaido’s Future from Sapporo, Art has Power to Create Future, open call program at Hokkaido University of Science Central Building HUS PLAZA.

Ticket types

General Admission: Ticket for main venues including Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art, Sapporo Art Museum, Moerenuma Park, and SCARTS. Pricing based on previous editions.

Museum Pass: Combined pass for Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art and Sapporo Art Museum.

Moerenuma Park Pass: Special pass for outdoor exhibitions and snow storage spaces.

SCARTS Free Access: Visitor Center and some SCARTS events free.

Snow Festival Site Free: Odori Site exhibitions free during snow festival.

Student and Group Discounts: Discounts for students, seniors, and groups.

Estimated Pricing from Previous Editions: General admission $10.00 USD to $15.00 USD for single museum, combined pass $25.00 USD, Moerenuma Park free or $8.00 USD for special exhibitions, based on SIAF2024 pricing. All prices converted to USD.

VIP & collector access

Collector Access: Official festival trailer with theme song Dancer in the Snow written by LAUSBUB new wave techno-pop band based in Sapporo, guidebooks and NFTs available, local artists, businesses and media collaborations.

VIP Tours: Guided tours with curators and directors, including OGAWA Hideaki Director’s Message and curator-led tours at Moerenuma Park and Science Center.

Design Aesthetic: Based on concept of Sapporo Now, with design aesthetic of Ainu art, upas mintar and upas nociw phrases.

Special Access: Access to SIAF Lab team projects, such as island search in Hokkaido for concert rehearsal VR footage.

Collaboration Access: Collaborators include Kawajiri Ryuichi, Mangekyo, Sapporo Municipal Library and Information Center, Siaf Lab, and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation Integrated Design Center plus Keio University Akira Wakita Laboratory.

Event rules

Admission: Follow venue rules for Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art, Sapporo Art Museum, SCARTS, Moerenuma Park, and Sapporo Science Center.

Hours: Exhibition hours typically 10:00 to 17:00, with some venues open later during snow festival 10 to 20 hours at Odori Site.

Conduct: No unauthorized commercial activities, respect artworks including fog sculpture and paper mountain experience, and no touching of sensitive installations.

Photography: Photography allowed in most areas, but some installations may restrict due to copyright and artist requests.

Snow Safety: Moerenuma Park outdoor exhibitions require warm clothing and snow safety precautions.

Language: Japanese is primary, with English support at main venues and English language courses at Hokkaido University.

Children: Family friendly, with workshops for children and SIAF School programs.

How to get there

Sapporo is in Hokkaido, northern Japan.

By Air: New Chitose Airport to Sapporo via JR Rapid Airport service to Sapporo Station, then subway to venues. Haneda and Narita airports connect via domestic flights.

By Train: JR Hokkaido lines to Sapporo Station, then subway.

By Subway to Venues:
Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art: Tozai Line to Nishi 28-chome Station.
Sapporo Art Museum: Tozai Line to Miyanosawa Station, then bus.
Moerenuma Park: Toho Line to Sakaemachi Station, then bus to Moerenuma Park.
SCARTS: Tozai Line to Bus Center Mae or Odori Station, Kita 1-jo Nishi 1-chome.
Sapporo Science Center: Tozai Line to Shin-Sapporo Station, then bus.
Odori Site: Odori Station for Odori 2-chome and 6-chome Sites.

By Bus: Local buses from Sapporo Station to various venues.

By Streetcar: SIAF-go ad-covered streetcar running every day during festival as venue.

Public transport & parking

Public Transport:
Subway: Sapporo Municipal Subway Tozai, Namboku, and Toho Lines connecting all main venues.
Streetcar: Sapporo Streetcar Chuo Ward loop, with SIAF-go special streetcar.
Bus: Chuo Bus and JR Hokkaido Bus to Moerenuma Park and Sapporo Art Museum.

Parking:
Museum Parking: Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art and Sapporo Art Museum have parking, rate approximately $5.00 USD to $8.00 USD per day.
Moerenuma Park Parking: Large parking at Moerenuma Park, free or $3.00 USD.
SCARTS Parking: No dedicated parking, use public transport.
City Parking: Coin parking near Odori Site, rate $6.00 USD per hour.

Recommendation: Public transport and streetcar recommended due to snow conditions and limited parking at Moerenuma Park in winter.

Accessibility: Subway stations have elevators, and venues have barrier-free access, but snow may affect accessibility at Moerenuma Park outdoor areas.

Accommodation areas

Odori and Chuo-ku Area: Best for proximity to SCARTS and Odori Site. Hotels such as JR Tower Hotel Nikko Sapporo, Keio Plaza Hotel Sapporo, and Mercure Sapporo offer rates $80.00 USD to $160.00 USD per night. Walking distance to SCARTS and Chi-Ka-Ho.

Sapporo Station Area: Hotels near Sapporo Station for train access to all venues, rates $70.00 USD to $140.00 USD per night.

Moerenuma Park Area: Hotels near Sakaemachi and Shin-Sapporo for Moerenuma and Science Center, rates $60.00 USD to $110.00 USD per night.

Susukino and Nakajima Park Area: For nightlife and access to Sapporo Art Museum via bus, rates $65.00 USD to $125.00 USD per night.

Niseko and Furano Area: For those combining with ski resorts, but far from venues, rates $100.00 USD to $250.00 USD per night.

Early booking essential as festival overlaps with Sapporo Snow Festival from February 4 to 11, attracting large crowds.

Food & refreshments

Venue Cafes:
Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art Cafe: Light meals and coffee.
Sapporo Art Museum Cafe: Seasonal menu with local ingredients.
Moerenuma Park Cafe: Warm drinks and snacks for winter outdoor viewing.
SCARTS Cafe: Located in cultural arts community center with light refreshments.
Sapporo Science Center Cafe: Family friendly menu.

Local Specialties: Sapporo is famous for soup curry, miso ramen, and dairy products. Odori area offers many restaurants.

Snow Festival Food Stalls: During snow festival period, Odori Site has food stalls with Hokkaido specialties.

Collaboration Menus: Some venues may offer special menus themed to PLANET SNOW.

Nearby Restaurants: Chuo-ku and Odori area have wide range of restaurants from budget to fine dining, rates $8.00 USD to $30.00 USD per meal.

Accessibility

Organizers aim for inclusive access.

Venue Access: Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art, Sapporo Art Museum, SCARTS, and Sapporo Science Center have barrier-free entrances, accessible restrooms, elevators, and priority viewing areas.

Moerenuma Park Access: Outdoor exhibitions may have snow-covered paths, with some areas difficult for wheelchairs. Indoor facilities at Moerenuma Park are accessible.

Transport Access: Subway stations have elevators and accessible routes. SIAF-go streetcar accessibility varies, with some streetcars accessible.

Communication: Japanese and English signage, plus Ainu language phrases upas mintar and upas nociw, pictograms throughout venues. Information desk at SCARTS Visitor Center staffed with English-speaking volunteers.

Universal Design: Talk event at Chi-Ka-Ho exploring relationship between art, universal design, and universal services, with booth exhibition.

Service Animals: Service dogs permitted in outdoor areas and exhibition halls with prior notification, but may be restricted at some museum collection areas.

Must-see exhibitions

PLANET SNOW Main Exhibition: Grand narrative surrounding future of humanity and cosmos, with multitude of images and ideas intersecting.

Moerenuma Park Snow Park for the Future: Outdoor installations and snow storage space works, with three participating artists announced as first lineup, plus Sapporo Future Undokai.

Sapporo Science Center Exhibition: Curated by NISHI Tsubasa, bringing perspective of space science, with astronaut advisor YAMAZAKI Naoko.

Forest of Media Arts at Sapporo Art Museum: Featuring Ishi Hiroshi plus Tangible Media Group MIT Media Lab, Maywa Denki, Lausbub, Snow Miku, Yukikaze Technology.

Underground Park: Somewhere in Sapporo, reflecting on city, with artists including Mitsubishi Electric Corporation Integrated Design Center plus Keio University Akira Wakita Laboratory.

Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art Exhibition: Featuring MIYATA Sayaka MRI SM20110908, MATANO Daishiro Suburb of Dairen, KUNIMATSU Noboru, MIYATA Sayaka, YUKUTAKE Harumi, and museum collection.

SCARTS Exhibitions: Visitor Center and Ars Electronica Day screenings, WIRED Podcast public recording.

Odori Site Airship Orchestra: ENESS Airship Orchestra at Sapporo Snow Festival Odori Site.

Previous year’s highlights

Previous editions show evolution of festival.

SIAF2014 first edition with Ryuichi Sakamoto leaving his mark, two main venues Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art and Sapporo Art Museum, innovative works like Fujiko Nakaya fog sculpture and Takashi Kuribayashi paper mountain experience at off-beat satellite venues.

SIAF2024 Last Snow was held January 20 to February 25 2024, 37 days, with exhibition period at Sapporo Art Museum December 16 2023 to March 3 2024, and at Sapporo Snow Festival Odori 2-Chome Site February 4 to 11 2024. Venues included Future Theater Higashi 1-chome Theater, Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art, Sapporo Art Museum, SCARTS, Moerenuma Park, Sapporo Snow Festival Odori 2-chome Site, satellite venue Shiryokan Former Sapporo Court of Appeals and more. Theme Last Snow, sub-theme Where the Future Begins. Artists included ABE Hiroshi, Amy KARLE, AOKI Mika, CHOE U-Ram, ENESS, and many others. Highlights included Underground Park, Forest of Media Arts, Snow Park for the Future, and official trailer with theme song Dancer in the Snow by LAUSBUB.

Winter 2026 pre-events included Let’s Upaste 2026 Sapporo Winter Arts Tour and SIAF School Education Cafe, plus Sapporo Snow Festival Odori 6-chome Site collaboration.

Official tickets

All tickets via official channels.

Official Website: https://siaf.jp/ – Provides exhibition information, artist lineup, venue information, and program outlines.

Contact: +81 11-211-2314, info@siaf.jp, event@siaf.jp for SIAF Executive Committee Secretariat.

Press Information: Sapporo International Art Festival 2027 Announces Two New Venues and Program Outlines, Announcement of Three Participating Artists for Moerenuma Park Venue.

Important: Exhibition period varies by venue, with main period January 16 to Feb 21 2027, and snow festival site period February 4 Wed to 11 Wed. Check official site for exact hours and closed days.

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