WHERE WE ARE

Ishigaki, an island of the Yaeyama Islands in the southern Ryukyu, is about 440 kilometres southwest

of Okinawa and 240 kilometres east of Taiwan. Ishigaki and the seven islands composing the Yaeyama archipelago, situated on the far southern edge of Okinawa prefecture. Famous for its clear emerald-green water and beautiful white sandy beaches, the archipelago is also promoting a positive ecological footprint adapted to the bio-cultural uniqueness of the place.

LOCATIONS

MA UMI RESIDENCIES is located in Ishigaki, an island southwest of Okinawa Prefecture, near Taiwan and the Philippines. It consists of three interconnected branches across the Ibaruma Peninsula in the north: Green Rabbit, Pink Turtle, and later, Emma's Blue Seahorse.

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GREEN RABBIT || PINK TURTLE

MA UMI’s base, a creative home and permacultural project space nested in the forest. In 2022, an additional living workshop and multiple terraces were annexed to the main building to accommodate new, land-related activities. An edible forest and permaculture garden, for instance, were developed to provide a space for critical observation of the project, conceptually and technically. The garden is enhanced with herbs and medicinal plants that are locally renowned to improve one’s health and diet. Green Rabbit is thus particularly impactful for artists who seek tangible exposure to their lifework.

Immersed in a primary forest, mangrove, beach, and coral reef, Pink Turtle is located across the road from Green Rabbit. The mangrove-seagrass-coral reef seascape offers a unique opportinity to observe and collect

fragments of the marine island biodiversity. During Winter and Spring, a wide range of seaweeds, clams and oysters are foraged to revisit traditional Ryukyu recipes. The incredible surrounding environment are providing marine biologists, free divers, and artists with serene conditions to build a collective knowledge about our interdependence with the Ocean.