ON VIEW

IACK is delighted to present “Landscape Manual,” a solo exhibition by Japanese photographer Yukihito Kono.

This exhibition will feature Kono's latest body of work, which includes a print from the series “When You Look At The Landscape (2024)" and 18 previously unpublished photographs taken in Yamanaka Onsen (hot springs) between 2021 and 2024.

Kono produced the work "When You Look At The Landscape" in 2024 under the request of Hanamurasaki, a ryokan situated in Yamanaka Onsen, which is located in Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture. At first, Kono planned to show selected photographs from his own archives. However, upon visiting the exhibition space, where the nuances of the light beautifully changed with the time of day and season, he decided to specifically tailor a work to the unique features of the venue.

At first glance, the large-format mountain photographs appear to be classic landscapes, but Kono printed the photographs once they were taken and then affixed them to the walls of the exhibition room where the works would actually be installed, re-shooting the prints under natural light. As a result, the photographs are not only a record of the majestic mountains, but also of the light illuminating the exhibition room on a particular day, causing the viewer's gaze to waver between different places and times and the multilayered light recorded in the photographs. This solo exhibition reconstructs the relationship between the two by shifting the location from Yamanaka to Kanazawa.

In “Landscape Manual,” the artist endeavours to evoke the visual representation of the Yamanaka landscape by skillfully blending new photographs with the existing series. The artist achieves this by seamlessly transitioning between fragments and the entirety of the landscape. A print from "When You Look At The Landscape" and five prints of varying sizes, which depict local flora and details of the walls and other surfaces, occupy the blank space on the wall, while a low table in the exhibition room hosts a variety of photographs that respond to the minimalist rhythm of the wall. The wall invites visitors to gaze at the pictures like they're gazing at a landscape, while the tables, arranged with photographs in various orientations, beckon them to peek through.

Kono has created numerous artworks that enable viewers to establish a connection between fragmented images and their own selves. Kono bases this on the idea that the true potential of photography today lies not in the act of creating images but rather in unravelling the entanglement of accepted fixed images. Through this work, photography deconstructs the conventional perception of Yamanaka as a typical hot spring resort and instead delves into a fresh perspective of Yamanaka and its potential.

This will be the artist's first solo exhibition in four years. We hope you will take this opportunity to view the exhibition.

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Landscape Manual
Yukihito Kono
Dates: April 27 - May 12, 2024. Open on Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, and Tuesday and Wednesday during the last week of the exhibition.
Opening hours: 11:00-14:00/15:00-18:00
Venue: IACK

Yukihito Kono／河野幸人
Yukihito Kono was born in 1989 in Kanazawa, Japan. He studied fine art photography at the London College of Communication, and his artist book "Raster" was selected as one of the best books of the year by Photo-eye, an American photography gallery, in 2014. Kono explores the possibilities of storytelling through photography in our time, and the effects of images on society through artists’ books and installations. In 2017, he opened his own studio/gallery/bookshop, “IACK“ in Kanazawa Japan.

www.yukihitokono.com
@yukihitokono

All prints are available for sale. Please check the price list for details.