Opened in December of 2001 on the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the municipal organization of Aomori City, Aomori Contemporary Art Centre holds exhibitions based on their Artist-In-Residence program, and offers the opportunity for visitors to appreciate a variety of artistic creations. It also aims to create a new art culture for Aomori through bringing together artists and citizens.
Aomori Contemporary Art Centre also holds workshops where the citizens can actually experience creative activities, and attend seminars by artists and specialists. Their enthusiastic attitude towards contemporary art is demonstrated by their invitation to Goji Hamada to take the role of superintendent. Hamada is well known inside and outside the country for his avant-garde performance activities.
The impressive architecture of the building, surrounded by the forest of Mt. Hakkoda, was designed by internationally famous architect, Tadao Ando. It was created using the concept "invisible construction", which incorporates geographical features, such as the abundant ups and downs of the terrain, into the design, thus making the building exist as part the whole forest.