Image: Aomori Museum of Art
Aomori Museum of Art is recruiting support staff for the production of installation work for its forthcoming autumn and winter exhibition, '15 Years After the Great East Japan Earthquake: Rieko Shiga, Namu Mo Kanu Mo.' The museum said volunteers will assist with preparation for the show before it opens, working directly with photographer and artist Rieko Shiga and her production team.
According to the museum’s notice, the recruitment period runs from July 31 to August 19, 2026. The support work itself is scheduled in two phases: September 7-11 and October 3-30, 2026, at Aomori Museum of Art in Aomori, Japan. The museum said activity times will generally be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, though partial participation can be discussed.
The call for helpers is framed as both practical and educational. The museum said participants will have an opportunity to get close to the making of a work by a leading contemporary Japanese artist and to experience the process behind Shiga’s practice. It also said that those who take part will be able to view the exhibition preview, the exhibition itself, and the collection exhibition running during the same period.
The museum’s announcement gives a few clear conditions for applicants. Participants must be 15 or older, and anyone hoping to join on consecutive days must be able to arrange their own accommodation. The museum plans to consult with applicants after August 19 based on the days they indicate they are available. There will be no payment for labor or travel costs, but the museum said it will provide a thank-you gift from Shiga for those who join.
A briefing session is scheduled for August 8 from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the entrance gallery area beside the first-floor information desk. Attendance at that session is not required, but the museum said it would help participants better understand the work involved. The session will also be streamed on Zoom for those who want to join remotely.
The museum identified the project as a special opportunity to take part in preparation for a major exhibition linked to the 15th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake. Shiga, a photographer and artist born in Aichi in 1980, moved to Miyagi in 2008 and is now based in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture. The recruitment notice places the work in the museum’s workshop area and exhibition space, where the volunteers will help prepare the installation before the exhibition period begins in September and continues through October 30, 2026.
