Before Meaning / original scenery

Before Meaning / original scenery

I chose the artists exhibiting this time because I wanted to reaffirm what "photography" means to me in this age of generative AI.
Kojima was the first to think of it. He has consistently created works that connect Kotobama and language with photography and AR expression. The relationship between language and image. And the idea that images exist not just as a two-dimensional experience, but as something dynamic like AR and video. That's what interests me.
Seguchi isn't a photographer. But through tanka poetry, he thinks about texture and editing. Tanka poetry has a form of sketching, but what he's doing is a little different. It's interesting how linguistic manipulation and photographic manipulation are bridged by the same keywords.
Both Saito and Fujie seem to be connected to both internet culture and street culture, but their approaches are opposite. Fujie is open to physical street culture like graffiti and skateboarding, while being relatively closed off when it comes to online presentations. Saito's work is an image that gives off a sense of "individuality" created by AI. On the other hand, he uses his TikTok feed as a platform to present his work, making him open to contemporary internet culture.
It's still unknown what kind of work Ika-chan will produce. But the mystical atmosphere in her work is very appealing, and I think that's a very important element of "photography."
I'm still not sure what my own expression will look like when I bring all of that together. However, I feel like crossing boundaries and dissolving those boundaries have always been a theme for me, both in my creative work and in my relationships. How can I apply the multidimensional sensibility I inherited from #smudge to my relationships?
In an age where AI generates an excessive amount of meaning, what should we do? Is it about manners, actions, or communication? I can't put a name to it yet, but I designed this exhibition with the belief that there might be some clues to that in these five people.

2026/07/08 Kenta Kobayashi