AILA
Rinko Kawauchi
September 22nd, 2006 – February 28th, 2007
RINKO KAWAUCHI, AILA
September 22, 2006 – February 28, 2007
As the curator of “Rencontres de la Photographie 2004” in Arles the photographer and collector Martin Parr presented Rinko Kawauchi’s work comprehensively in Europe for the first time, and consequently Rinko Kawauchi became internationally well-known. Therefore we are pleased that Martin Parr has agreed to give an introductory talk about Rinko Kawauchi’s work during the exhibition opening on 22 September.
On 24 September 2006 Martin Parr will receive the Dr.-Erich-Salomon Prize from the German Photographic Association (DGPh) for his photographic work. On the occasion of the award ceremony his work will be presented in the Visual Gallery of the Photokina trade fair in a solo exhibition titled “Assorted Cocktail”.
Matinee: Sunday, 1 October 2006, 11am – 4pm, with a talk by Ferdinand Brüggemann at 12pm:
“Rinko Kawauchi and Contemporary Japanese Photography”
Opening times during the “Photoszene” Cologne photography festival:
Friday, 29 September 2006, 1pm – 10pm, and Sunday, 1 October 2006, 11am – 2pm
In her native Japan the 34-year-old Japanese photographer Rinko Kawauchi has become one of the most important artists of her generation. After appearing in several museum exhibitions and festivals in Europe (among others “Rencontres de la Photographie”, Arles; Fondation Cartier, Paris; Huis Marseille, Amsterdam: Photographers’ Gallery, London) this exhibition will be the first extensive presentation of the photographer in Germany. Works from the series “Aila” (2004) as well as from the series “the eyes, the ears” (2005) and “Utatane” (2001) will be shown.
Rinko Kawauchi’s work focuses on ordinary things and everyday situations. Her photographs attain their specific quality through her use of cropping and choice of perspective as well as the subtle use of natural light in combination with often virtually transparent colours. Rinko Kawauchi works in series, which, in the form of open narratives, combine poetry and emotion with representations of mortality and occasional melancholy.
The subject of Rinko Kawauchi’s best-known work “Aila” (which means “family” in Turkish) is the depiction of the essence of life: animals, plants and people are shown in a sequence assembled by free association, which also includes both birth and death. Rinko Kawauchi’s fascination in fleeting beauty, the subjects of creation and destruction, and life and death are communicated in her images. “From the black ocean comes the appearance of light and waves. It helps you imagine birth. I want imagination in the photographs I take. It’s like a prologue. You wonder, ‘What’s going on?’ You feel something is going to happen.” (Rinko Kawauchi)
All the photographs are c-prints. They are available in 30.5 x 25.4 cm (12 x 10 inches) and 101 x 101 cm (39.75 x 39.75 inches). The edition contains – irrespective of the size of the photographs – 6 prints each.
Biographical Summary:
Rinko Kawauchi was born in Shiga in 1972 and became interested in photography while she was studying at Seian Junior College of Art and Design. As is customary with Japanese photographers she began her career as an artist by publishing her work in her own photography books. In the year 2001 she became famous over night in Japan after the simultaneous publication of the three photography books “Hanako” (named after a disabled girl), “Utatane” (siesta) and “Hanabi” (fireworks). In 2002 she received the prestigious “Kimuar Ihei Award” for two of the books. In 2004 she published “Aila” (family), in 2005 “the eyes, the ears” (a book about the senses) and “Cui Cui” (which observes the lives of her grandparents over a period of thirteen years). Further publications by Rinko Kawauchi, which should be mentioned, are the photography books “Every day as a child” accompanying the film “Nobody Knows” by director Kore-Eda, as well as “No War”, a collaboration with Yoshitomo Nara about Afghanistan and her recently published diary “Rinko Nikki.” To date Rinko Kawauchi has published nine photography books.
The exhibition is in cooperation with Antoine de Vilmorin, Paris
RINKO KAWAUCHI
September 22, 2006 – February 28, 2007
As the curator of “Rencontres de la Photographie 2004” in Arles the photographer and collector Martin Parr presented Rinko Kawauchi’s work comprehensively in Europe for the first time, and consequently Rinko Kawauchi became internationally well-known. Therefore we are pleased that Martin Parr has agreed to give an introductory talk about Rinko Kawauchi’s work during the exhibition opening on 22 September.
On 24 September 2006 Martin Parr will receive the Dr.-Erich-Salomon Prize from the German Photographic Association (DGPh) for his photographic work. On the occasion of the award ceremony his work will be presented in the Visual Gallery of the Photokina trade fair in a solo exhibition titled “Assorted Cocktail”.
Matinee: Sunday, 1 October 2006, 11am – 4pm, with a talk by Ferdinand Brüggemann at 12pm:
“Rinko Kawauchi and Contemporary Japanese Photography”
Opening times during the “Photoszene” Cologne photography festival:
Friday, 29 September 2006, 1pm – 10pm, and Sunday, 1 October 2006, 11am – 2pm
In her native Japan the 34-year-old Japanese photographer Rinko Kawauchi has become one of the most important artists of her generation. After appearing in several museum exhibitions and festivals in Europe (among others “Rencontres de la Photographie”, Arles; Fondation Cartier, Paris; Huis Marseille, Amsterdam: Photographers’ Gallery, London) this exhibition will be the first extensive presentation of the photographer in Germany. Works from the series “Aila” (2004) as well as from the series “the eyes, the ears” (2005) and “Utatane” (2001) will be shown.
Rinko Kawauchi’s work focuses on ordinary things and everyday situations. Her photographs attain their specific quality through her use of cropping and choice of perspective as well as the subtle use of natural light in combination with often virtually transparent colours. Rinko Kawauchi works in series, which, in the form of open narratives, combine poetry and emotion with representations of mortality and occasional melancholy.
The subject of Rinko Kawauchi’s best-known work “Aila” (which means “family” in Turkish) is the depiction of the essence of life: animals, plants and people are shown in a sequence assembled by free association, which also includes both birth and death. Rinko Kawauchi’s fascination in fleeting beauty, the subjects of creation and destruction, and life and death are communicated in her images. “From the black ocean comes the appearance of light and waves. It helps you imagine birth. I want imagination in the photographs I take. It’s like a prologue. You wonder, ‘What’s going on?’ You feel something is going to happen.” (Rinko Kawauchi)
All the photographs are c-prints. They are available in 30.5 x 25.4 cm (12 x 10 inches) and 101 x 101 cm (39.75 x 39.75 inches). The edition contains – irrespective of the size of the photographs – 6 prints each.
Biographical Summary:
Rinko Kawauchi was born in Shiga in 1972 and became interested in photography while she was studying at Seian Junior College of Art and Design. As is customary with Japanese photographers she began her career as an artist by publishing her work in her own photography books. In the year 2001 she became famous over night in Japan after the simultaneous publication of the three photography books “Hanako” (named after a disabled girl), “Utatane” (siesta) and “Hanabi” (fireworks). In 2002 she received the prestigious “Kimuar Ihei Award” for two of the books. In 2004 she published “Aila” (family), in 2005 “the eyes, the ears” (a book about the senses) and “Cui Cui” (which observes the lives of her grandparents over a period of thirteen years). Further publications by Rinko Kawauchi, which should be mentioned, are the photography books “Every day as a child” accompanying the film “Nobody Knows” by director Kore-Eda, as well as “No War”, a collaboration with Yoshitomo Nara about Afghanistan and her recently published diary “Rinko Nikki.” To date Rinko Kawauchi has published nine photography books.
The exhibition is in cooperation with Antoine de Vilmorin, Paris
