Shiho Yoshida, Han Ishu, Komori Haruka + Seo Natsumi, Ikeda Hiroshi, Yamamoto Ayaka
In 2002, the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum launched Contemporary Japanese Photography in order to support creative spirits as they explore the potential of photography and the moving image, discover promising artists, and serve as a venue for new artistic endeavors. Based on the theme, “memories penetrate the ground and permeate the wind,” this exhibition, the 18th in the series, introduces photographs and moving images by four individuals and one duo of artists who take diverse approaches to the relationship between the body, earth, landscapes, and memory.
In our society, which is marked by constant changes in the state of globalization and borderlessness, history, customs, traditions, and memories that are peculiar to a given region or area exist in a variety of forms alongside a wide range of values. On the other hand, our ideas can sometimes cross myriad borders with the ease of the wind, helping us discover ways of dealing with others. At this point in human history, a series of efforts to settle and move, how can we engage in a dialogue with the area and landscape, and relate to other people? Yoshida Shiho creates multiple layers of landscapes and images using a hybrid of digital and analogue technology. Han Ishu explores the relationship between landscapes and the individual through moving images based on his own performances. Komori Haruka and Seo Natsumi create works dealing with traditions and stories related to natural disasters and people’s way of living. Ikeda Hiroshi has shot Ainu people for over ten years, and raised questions about racial stereotyping. Yamamoto Ayaka has examined unconscious physical relationships that transcend language in unfamiliar regions. The expressions made by this artists promise to provide us with hints in considering the current era in which we live.
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