Reviving What Has Once Vanished Is No Easy Feat

"Impossible" is a project that began in Austria in 2008, following Polaroid's cessation of film production, to preserve the culture and technology of instant film for future generations. When I was invited to exhibit works made with their instant film and learned about its production background, "Impossible"'s instant film felt akin to the handcrafted objects I have around me.

The production facility is solely a film factory in the Netherlands, which was also originally a Polaroid factory. With limited raw materials, they started from scratch, developing new chemicals. Their production, involving repeated improvements to create better products, shows clear differences in chemical reactions depending on the period. Comparisons reveal evident evolution.

With earlier films, colors might not appear, or the developing solution might not spread evenly, leaving image defects. Selling such products might seem unusual in today's society, where industrial goods are expected to be flawless. However, if the technology of this sole factory, with over 30 years of experience, is not passed on to the next generation, the history of this film will cease to exist and be forgotten. This situation feels remarkably similar to the world surrounding traditional Japanese crafts.

Precisely Because We Are Now Accustomed to Digital Cameras

Reviving what has once vanished is not easy. In my own experience, it often takes decades to reproduce or restore traditional crafts and their techniques. I often feel that such time would not have been necessary if even one person were still passing down the skills. If this film disappears, Polaroid cameras, still cherished worldwide, will become unusable. Some may use it while recalling nostalgic memories, while others, accustomed to the digital world, might find it refreshingly new. The passion of "Impossible" for this film, which can evoke a sense of analog experience, felt deeply comforting to me. It reminded me of artisans of my generation, who inherit traditional techniques and strive in contemporary society.

Japan has many traditional crafts on the verge of disappearing. And the people who strive to preserve them are, I believe, keenly attuned to the signals that their existence is needed in this era. It's not simply about whether the objects or tools fit into modern life; their traditional appearance, their dignity, and their production background offer new avenues of thought to contemporary society. Viewed this way, "Impossible" also feels like an entity that poses various questions to our times.





Instant film continues to fascinate and be used by renowned photographers even today. Perhaps it is precisely because we are now accustomed to digital cameras that it is needed once again. This is similar to how we have recently been hearing the terms "mingei" (folk craft) and "handicraft" frequently. It is perhaps because we have entered a new era that we can look back at the past and see the merits of that time. This is how we may be balancing various aspects of the world.

The works in this exhibition are not photographs taken with instant film, but rather my own engagement with "Impossible" and the instant film it continues to create.


Hiroko Takahashi Exhibition "ON PURPOSE"
Dates: July 20 (Friday) - August 5 (Sunday), 2012
Venue: Impossible Project Space
1-20-5 Aobadai, Meguro-ku, Tokyo OAK BLD 2F
Hours: 12:00 - 18:00 (Tues, Thurs, Sun)
12:00 - 20:00 (Wed, Fri, Sat)
Closed Mondays

Inquiries
Impossible Tokyo
Tel. 03-5459-5093
http://www.the-impossible-project.jp

TAKAHASHI HIROKO
http://www.takahashihiroko.com/