Exhibitions archive
Exhibition “Jūra – Yura. Photography by Kodo Chijiiwa”
28 May – 4 August 2024
The title is a homophonic combination of the dialogue between the sea (jūra in Lithuanian) and the trembling (yura in Japanese). The photographer conveys the tension of the ocean surfaces, the energy of the wind, the immutability of the transformation – all of this is conveyed using a double exposure technique. The silent images of Chijiiwa’s photographs interact with the work of Lithuanian composer and artist M. K. Čiurlionis, in which the theme of the sea occupies a special place.
Most of Chijiiwa’s photographs have been taken over the last two decades on the UNESCO-protected Yakushima Island, where he lives.
Against the backdrop of today’s complex world, global crises, war and climate change, this exhibition of photographs invites you to connect with nature – to feel its strength and breath. The photographs on display are a reminder of the threats of the turbulent nature that surrounds us, and of the helplessness of man in its greatness. The sense of constant transformation in the artists’ work is echoed in important Japanese literary texts, some of which are presented in the exhibition.
“Nature in the photographer’s work is a unique pulse in which we connect with the universe, testifying to the interconnectedness of all that is united by the multifaceted diversity of life. Chijiiwa’s photography highlights the existence of the four elements – earth, water, air and fire. The absence of man forces the viewer to focus on the other beings inhabiting the landscape. These incessant games of natural energies and movements are captured in the artist’s photographs of matter, such as the world of vegetation, which is oscillating, absorbed by gusts, and transformed into flexible matter.” (curator Yolita René-Šegždaitė)
