ARAKI

Fondazione Bisazza celebrates Nobuyoshi Araki, one of the most internationally acclaimed photographers and contemporary artists, with a solo exhibit – ARAKI – curated by Filippo Maggia.

On show from September 21st to December 3rd 2017 at the foundation’s galleries, the exhibit explores the world of the Japanese master photographer; from female nudes and almost sensual floral compositions, to urban still lifes and Tokyo skyscapes, portrayed in an explosion of light. The exhibit showcases seventy photographs, encouraging visitors to reflect on the poignant topics of femininity, eros and death.

The exhibited works belong to several of Araki’s famous photographic series, including Sentimental Journey, Painting Flowers, Suicide in Tokyo, Hana Kinbaku, Erotos, Bondages, 67 Shooting Back, offering a curated retrospective of key experiences of his life over the years. The exhibition also includes the artist’s most recent works from the "Love on the Left Eye" collection: the printed photographs – all deliberately obscured on the right side of the image - reflect Araki’s loss of vision in the right eye.

Kinbaku, the ancient Japanese art of bondage, is a provocative theme that has often recurred in his works. Scenes of nude women bound in ropes come to mind, evoking a sense of pleasure and pain simultaneously. By portraying the beauty of the body that reacts to the rope, Araki escorts the observer through a unique, intense emotional experience.

The ability to translate kinbaku art into photography can also be seen in the advertising campaign, created by Araki for BISAZZA in 2009. Thirteen previously unpublished prints belonging to that series demonstrate Araki’s talent for balancing art, tradition, design and the mysterious allure of Japanese culture.

Complementing the exhibition itinerary are two films: the one unveiling the behind-the-scenes of Araki’s creative process and involvement in the Bisazza advertising campaign, the other featuring an interview to the Japanese master photographer.

The artworks on show are borrowed from Taka Ishii Gallery and Fondazione CASSA RISPARMIO of Modena, in addition to a series belonging to Fondazione BISAZZA.