Art Festivals & Events

KYOTOGRAPHIE, held in the spring in the ancient city of Kyoto, is one of the few truly international artistic events taking place in Japan. While honoring its millennium of history and tradition, Kyoto is at the same time a leading light of culture on an international scale.

Valuable collections of photography and works by internationally renowned artists are exhibited in elegant, historic buildings as well as modern architectural spaces. Some shows feature the work of traditional artisans, while others highlight collaborations with the most modern technology. The exhibitions are presented outside the traditional galley format and work in harmony with the spaces in which they reside. Our goal is to present a multifaceted photography festival that cannot be found anywhere else but Kyoto.

Main works

Yuriko Takagi “PARALLEL WORLD”

Yuriko Takagi's “PARALLEL WORLD” was displayed at the Daidokoro Kitchen and Okiyodokoro Kitchen of Nijo-jo Castle Ninomaru Palace in Kyoto, a designated Important Cultural Property. The exhibition was designed by world-renowned architect Tsuyoshi Tane.
“PARALLEL WORLD” refers to two worlds existing simultaneously. As the title suggests, two series were displayed in parallel in the Daidokoro Kitchen and Okiyodokoro Kitchen. One focused on the "Threads of Beauty" project, which captures people in 12 countries wearing their traditional ethnic costumes as part of their daily lives. The other series featured fashion photography from the 1980s to the present, with creations by Paul Smith, Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto and John Galliano, as well as a new work shot for DIOR.
Takagi recounts how a nomad she met in Iran cherished the clothes she loved, owning only as many as she could carry, and adorning herself with all of them while traveling. The DIOR pieces on display, on the other hand, were all haute couture. Takagi expresses that the beauty of these garments, woven from the passion of the clients who order them and the sincere craftsmanship of the creators, was extraordinary.
The exhibition featured not only original prints, but also oversized digital prints. Takagi personally colored some of them, and others were displayed on various materials such as photographic paper, Japanese paper, cotton paper and plaster, delving into the profound depths of photographic expression. Visitors to “PARALLEL WORLD” navigated between these two displays, and when the boundaries of these worlds began to merge and dissolve, they were confronted with questions that usually stay hidden away in daily life: What are clothes? What is photography? And what is happiness?
(From KYOTOGRAPHIE 2023)

Mabel Poblet “WHERE OCEANS MEET”

“WHERE OCEANS MEET”, an exhibition by Cuban artist Mabel Poblet, was hosted in the Annex of The Museum of Kyoto, a designated Important Cultural Property. The venue was designed by graphic designer Osamu Ouchi.
Mabel Poblet, a young artist thriving in Cuba's contemporary art scene, engages in a wide range of creative activities using various techniques such as photography, mixed media, video art, kinetic art, and performance art.
Poblet's work reflects her own experiences, particularly her identity and connections to the world as a young woman raised under Fidel Castro's regime in Cuba. Through her art, she expresses her views of Cuban society and the world today, raising questions in the viewer's mind.
This exhibition focused on "water" and the "sea," themes that are close to Mabel Poblet's heart, and offered an experience of these themes through different expressions. "Water" symbolizes the cultural uniqueness of island nations coexisting with the "sea,” a commonality between Cuba and Japan.
The exhibition space featured a series of blue three-dimensional panels that enhanced the classical architectural elements, amid which Poblet's
beautiful, artisanal works were arranged. (From KYOTOGRAPHIE 2023)