前橋国際芸術祭2026で石川は日本スキー界の草分け・猪谷六合雄の足跡を、石倉は山の神「十二様（じゅうにさま）」の信仰を辿って赤城山に分け入り、それぞれ新作を制作・発表しました。中世から山岳信仰や武士団の拠点として栄え、国定忠治、暁の家、徳川埋蔵金伝説など、そのアジール性（権力者の手が及ばない聖域・避難所・自由領域）で、今も昔も人々を惹きつける赤城山の魅力に、人類学の知見とアートを融合させる二人が迫る、スペシャル対談。

For Maebashi Biennale 2026, Ishikawa traced the footsteps of the pioneering Japanese skier Kunio Igaya, while Ishikura investigated the beliefs associated with the mountain deity Junisama. They later created and presented new works based on their respective journeys. From the medieval period onward, Mount Akagi has thrived as a base for mountain worshipers and warrior clans. Today, it continues to captivate people as a place of ‘asyl,’ the German word for a space beyond the reach of authority, a sanctuary or zone of freedom. This character is highlighted in stories about Kunisada Chuji, the Japanese “Robin Hood”; the famous sanctuary Akatsuki no Ie; and the legend of buried treasure from the Tokugawa Shogunate. In this special dialogue, the two speakers fuse anthropological insight with art to examine the timeless appeal of Mount Akagi.

石川直樹
写真家。1977年東京都生まれ。東京芸術大学大学院美術研究科博士後期課程修了。辺境から都市まであらゆる場所を旅しながら、作品を発表し続けている。2008年『NEW DIMENSION』（赤々舎）、『POLAR』（リトルモア）により日本写真協会賞新人賞、講談社出版文化賞。2011年『CORONA』（青土社）により土門拳賞。2020年『EVEREST』（CCCメディアハウス）、『まれびと』（小学館）により日本写真協会賞作家賞。2023年東川賞特別作家賞を受賞した。著書に、開高健ノンフィクション賞を受賞した『最後の冒険家』（集英社）ほか多数。最新刊に『シシャパンマ』（平凡社）、『最後の山』（新潮社）などがある。

石倉敏明
秋田公立美術大学美術学部アーツ＆ルーツ専攻准教授。インド各地や日本の東北地方などで聖者や山岳信仰、神話調査を重ね、環太平洋圏における比較神話学の研究を進めるとともに、多様なアーティストと旅やフィールドワークをともにしながら、アーティストの創造と自身の神話研究を交差させている。主な展覧会に第58回ヴェネチア・ビエンナーレ国際美術展日本館展示「Cosmo-Eggs｜宇宙の卵」（2019年）など。

Naoki Ishikawa
Photographer. Born in Tokyo in 1977, Naoki Ishikawa received a Ph.D from the Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts. He travels to all kinds of places—from remote regions to major cities—and is continuously presenting new photographic work. In 2008, he received the Newcomer’s Award from the Japan Photographic Society and the Kodansha Publishing Culture Award for his books NEW DIMENSION (Akaaka Art Publishing) and POLAR (Little More). In 2011, he won the Domon Ken Award for CORONA (Seidosha). In 2020, he received the Japan Photographic Society’s Distinguished Photographer Award for EVEREST (CCC Media House) and Marebito (Shogakukan). In 2023, he was presented with the Higashikawa Special Photographer Award. His many books include The Last Adventurer (Shueisha), which won the Kaiko Takeshi Nonfiction Award. His recent publications include Shishapangma (Heibonsha) and The Last Mountain (Shinchosha).

Toshiaki Ishikura (Art Anthropologist)
Associate Professor in the Arts & Roots Program at Akita University of Art, Toshiaki Ishikura has conducted extensive research on saints, mountain worship, and mythology in regions across India and in northeastern Japan, and has pursued comparative mythology studies focusing on the Pacific Rim. He also travels and conducts fieldwork with a wide range of artists, to create opportunities for artistic practices to intersect with his own mythological research. His major exhibitions include the Japan Pavilion presentation Cosmo-Eggs at the 58th International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale (2019).