Residency / Arts Itoya
2023 / Takeo, Japan
At the center of the exhibition is a series of photographs of various buildings that are located throughout the Japanese town of Takao. The buildings were photographed based on the same clear principles, and were shot from the same angle and from the same distance. Each of the buildings was chosen due to the specific role it plays in the lively town life (a pharmacy, a barber’s shop, a bakery, a residential building, a public restroom, a grocery store, etc).
The buildings in the photographs appear to be abandoned and lifeless. In my mind, they look like enlarged, super-sized doll houses. These colorful yet flat spaces are reminiscent of film or theater sets that are waiting to serve as the backdrop of an imaginary plot.
Next to these images is an array of enigmatic natural scenes: A spider weaves its silken web; a solitary cloud hovers above the pastoral town, evoking a sense of wonder and doubt. Are these scenes real, or are they figments of my imagination? This ambiguity casts a mysterious spell over the already enigmatic city, infusing it with an aura of allure.
At the center of the project is a series of photographs of various buildings that are located throughout the Japanese town of Takao. The buildings were photographed based on the same clear ״principles״, the same angle and distance. Each building was chosen due to the specific role it plays in the lively town life - a pharmacy, a barber’s shop, a bakery, a residential building, a public restroom, a grocery store, etc.
The buildings in the photographs appear to be abandoned and lifeless. In my mind, they look like enlarged, super-sized doll houses. These colorful yet flat spaces are reminiscent of film or theater sets that are waiting to serve as the backdrop of an imaginary plot.
Next to these images is an array of enigmatic natural scenes: A spider weaves its silken web; a solitary cloud hovers above the pastoral town, evoking a sense of wonder and doubt. Are these scenes real, or are they figments of my imagination? This ambiguity casts a mysterious spell over the already enigmatic city, infusing it with an aura of allure.
