"LOST WORLD"
13 - 27. 08. 2011, Three Shadows Photograhy Art Centre (Beijin)

Organized by : Three Shadows Photograhy Art Centre
With the Support of : Japan Foundation, The Asahi Shimbun Foundation
With the Cooperation of : Canon Inc.
With the Assistance of : COLOR SCIENCE LABO inc.
Curated by : RongRong & Inri
Opening events : Lecture by Mariko Takeuchi (Photo Critic, Curator) × Junko Takahashi (Artist)

> Work "Lost World" "Reflector" "Untitled"

About the LOST WORLD Exhibition

When I first visited this area, it was like a huge air pocket of nothingness. Before the city takes over
land marked for redevelopment, like some ritual, the area becomes nameless and is abandoned for a
period of time.

Looking at the scenes unfolding before me, I felt a sense of déjà vu. As a child growing up in a redeveloped
area outside Tokyo, these scenes in Beijing recalled those memories imprinted deep inside me, from a
different time and country.

I wonder if there is some universal consciousness about issues of residence outside the city and the
transformation of localities. Can this be discovered by immersing yourself in that environment? And can
this something be felt specifically by someone who has left their country ?
While visiting Beijing, a city that embraces fluidity and change, many thoughts surface in my mind.

The subject of the photos is a vast area outside northeastern Beijing currently being redeveloped. It's also
an area on the border of agricultural lands and the city proper, about 7 or 8 km from Beijing Capital
International Airport. I stumbled upon a village while visiting the area that looked like it had been bombed.
There were traditional buildings with courtyards (Ch: siheyuan) that were in the process of being demolished.
I inserted myself into this unique environment and found myself interacting with the few residents that remained.
In spite of the brief sense of rapport, an idea for a new photo series was born like some chemical reaction.

2,100 km away in Tokyo, areas are also being built and destroyed. This is not the result of urban expansion,
but more of modernity forcing the upgrading of city centers. The residents found there have already adjusted
to the city, and perhaps my works may have some meaning to such areas that are supposed to be complete.
They eventually are scattered throughout the city.

In these two cities I saw a drama that unfolded between the city and the people. In this world, I wonder what
is born in everyday life and at the same time, what is being lost. As a keyword to this cycle of life and death,
I named this Beijing work and exhibition, LOST WORLD.

TAKAHASHI Junko　July 2011