Temporary exhibition at Nationalmuseet in Copenhagen, ends April 28th, free admission.
Photographs of geisha, samurai and cherry blossoms – the dream image of a timeless Japan created as industrialisation steamed ahead and modern cities shot up in Japan and Europe. In the late 1800s a new industry emerged in Japanese cities, producing photos of people, culture and landscapes for foreign visitors. Black and white photos of girls and parasols, taken in studios with a Mount Fuji backdrop, were hand-coloured with brushes and sold in albums.
The Japanese photo universe influenced perceptions of Japan in the West, where the country was a source of great fascination. At the Zoological garden in Copenhagen, in 1902, 22 Japanese performed and were photographed in landscapes apparently created with inspiration from the Japanese photo universe of 1870-1900. Today, young Japanese create visual narratives about themselves in small photo studios in game arcades and department stores. In the purikura photo booth, everything is possible.
’Girl with Parasol’ zooms in on these dream images and the meeting between photographic technology and visual creativity that has often shifted the boundaries of reality in Japan. And you are now invited inside the photo booth to play along.
