Photo exhibition documenting a "Fukushima" frozen in time | ART

ART | A Photo Exhibition Documenting a "Fukushima" Frozen in Time

Retrace our Steps – The Town Where People Vanished Overnight

A photo exhibition, "Retrace our Steps – The Town Where People Vanished Overnight," documenting the areas rendered uninhabitable by the Great East Japan Earthquake and subsequent Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, is being held at Chanel Nexus Hall. It offers a stark portrayal of the unending situation brought about by the accident.

Text by WASEDA Kosaku (OPENERS)

Where Documentary Meets Art

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, triggered by the Great East Japan Earthquake, led to the establishment of exclusion zones due to radioactive contamination. Even now, more than five years later, residents are still not permitted to return to their homes.

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Photographers Carlos Ayesta, from Venezuela, and Guillaume Bression, from France, have continued to document this region. As a collaborative project, they repeatedly visited the area, which became a "no man's land" immediately after the accident, to attempt to capture it on film. Through their work, they sought to convey the unending reality of the disaster, developing a unique artistic expression that fuses documentary and art.

The photo exhibition "Retrace our Steps – The Town Where People Vanished Overnight" is comprised of five series.

Light and Shadow
What Remains in a Town Where 80,000 People Disappeared Overnight

Nightmare
Coexisting with the Invisible Threat of Radiation

Unsettling Nature
What Overcomes Buildings as Time Passes

Pack Shot
Objects Left Behind, Like Relics of a Modern Pompeii

Recollection
The Longing to Return Home

The exhibition showcases numerous documentary photographs capturing the unimaginable horror of radiation, the abandoned villages, and the overwhelming power of nature, as experienced by the two photographers.

Their collaboration began in 2009, leading to the creation of many works. In 2011, they embarked on the joint project focusing on the Fukushima nuclear disaster, which forms the basis of this exhibition. In 2015, this body of work received an award at the 5th SOPHOT.com Contest and was recognized as a finalist for both the "Environmental Photographer of the Year" (UK) and the "European Publishers Award for Photography."

Carlos Ayesta
Photographer. Born in Caracas, Venezuela. Based in Paris, he specializes in architectural photography. In 2012, he gained attention for a project photographing skyscrapers from the outside, using only a safety rope. He received the SFR Young Talented Award the same year and has exhibited his work at the Paris City Hall.

Guillaume Bression
Photographer. Born in Paris, France. Specializing in documentary photography, he is based in Tokyo. He transitioned from engineering to photography in 2010 and moved to Tokyo two months before the Great East Japan Earthquake, marking a new beginning. He currently provides photographs to numerous French magazines and newspapers and works as a videographer for various television stations.

Retrace our Steps – The Town Where People Vanished Overnight
Dates: June 24 (Fri) – July 24 (Sun), 2016 (Open daily)
Hours: 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Venue: Chanel Nexus Hall
3-5-3 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Chanel Ginza Building 4F
Admission: Free

Inquiries

Chanel Nexus Hall Office

03-3779-4001

www.chanel-ginza.com