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Exhibition Report: Tokyo Photographic Art Museum "TOP Collection: What Can You See? A Genealogy of the 'Peeping' Gaze"

2023年9月25日 21:06

[Approx. 3,000 characters, approx. 40 photos]
I went to the collection exhibition at the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum (hereinafter referred to as TOP) titled "A Genealogy of the 'Peeping' Gaze." Here are my thoughts.

To conclude, in addition to examining photography from an unexpected perspective, the exhibition methods included features like touching and peeping, and because the genres of exhibits were diverse, including not just photographs but also three-dimensional objects, practical items, and installations, I enjoyed it without getting bored. I think it is an exhibition that even people who don't go to museums often can enjoy.

Exhibition Title: TOP Collection: What Can You See? A Genealogy of the "Peeping" Gaze
Venue: Tokyo Photographic Art Museum
Recommendation Rating: ★★★★☆
Conversational Level: ★★★★☆
Stroller: -
Dates: 2023.7.19 (Wed) — 10.15 (Sun)
Closed: Mondays
Address: Yebisu Garden Place, 1-13-3 Mita, Meguro-ku, Tokyo
Access: Approx. 10-minute walk from Ebisu Station
Admission (General): 700 yen
Advance Reservation: Not required
Time Required: Approx. 1 hour
Crowd Level: No stress
Photography: All allowed
URL: https://topmuseum.jp/contents/exhibition/index-4536.html

▶︎ "TOP Collection: What Can You See? A Genealogy of the 'Peeping' Gaze"

Photography was allowed throughout the exhibition room.

The flow of the exhibition, which consisted of five chapters, was interesting. I had expected an exhibition that started with the camera obscura and quietly displayed the structural and functional mechanisms and history of cameras, but the actual exhibition was from a different perspective.

Example of what I expected: "Yokohama City Camera and Photography Collection Exhibition" ↓

This exhibition's structure
1) The Joy of Peeping: Starts with "peeping" as toys and entertainment 2) The Observing Eye: "Peeping" evolves
scientifically through microscopes, telescopes, and continuous photography 3) Seeing in Three Dimensions: How we see evolves from flat to
three-dimensional 4) Images in Motion: Evolves into video
by sequencing photographs 5) Beyond the "Peeping" Gaze: The possibilities of contemporary
"peeping"

This exhibition was not just about looking at photographs. There were many interactive features such as peeping, touching, and turning on light switches. There were also practical items, three-dimensional works, videos, and installations other than photographs.

In addition, it showed the influence that the progress of photography had on fields beyond art, such as science. Therefore, I think the structure was one that would pique the interest of people who don't usually go to museums.

Also, I was grateful for the many chairs (since children get bored quickly). However, since my child was not tall enough for any of the interactive exhibits, I thought it would be more accessible if platforms were provided.

1) The Joy of Peeping

It starts with "peeping" as entertainment.

Camera Obscura: A mechanism where you stick your face into a cloth and the scenery is projected onto a canvas. The attendant was kind enough to wave their hand for us.

A person performing a peep show and someone surprised by it. Their facial expressions are funny.

A "peep show" is a device with one or more peepholes that allows you to look into a closed space, such as a box, to see the pictures inside in three dimensions.

A folding peep show. They were called paper peep shows or tunnel books.

This is what it looks like when you peep. It has depth, and the scenery changes depending on the angle you look from.

Carlo Ponti "Megalethoscope": A device that allows you to enjoy day and night landscapes by shining light on photographs

A display I'm seeing for the first time (?) at TOP

Unknown Artist "Shadow Mechanism Uki-e (Floating Picture)": This is ↓

A mechanism where parts of the picture light up due to electricity from behind

It reminded me of a camera-like toy from the old days. You would click a button and the screen would change. The principle of enjoyment is the same as the above.

It seems to be called a "Pokemon Movie" (Source)

2) The Observing Eye

From entertainment to microscopes, telescopes, and continuous photography, "peeping" has developed and evolved scientifically. For example, by taking continuous photographs of a horse walking, it became possible to draw pictures correctly and understand the movement of joints accurately. Also, I thought Harold Eugene's work was wonderful as it fuses science and art.

Brisson's "Dictionary of Physics", Ernst Leitz Wetzlar's "Microscope"

NASA "Moon Shadow": A work that looks just like David Hockney's "Walking in the Ryoan-ji Temple Rock Garden"

Les Documents Cinématographiques "Marey's Collection: The First Moving Images"

With scientific backing on how a horse's four legs and joints move, paintings also become more convincing

Harold Eugene Edgerton "Jump Rope Motion": A cool work where science and art fuse, which I considered using as the top image for my note article

Harold Eugene Edgerton "Bullet Through Apple": Looks like it could be a CD jacket photo

3) Seeing in Three Dimensions

We want to see photographs that we viewed in two dimensions three-dimensionally. It's the same concept as the "3D glasses" used in movies and the like. People who discovered this back then must have been surprised.

Stereoscope replica: Honestly, it doesn't look very three-dimensional

If you look through it with your left and right eyes, it looks three-dimensional (I think)

Universal Photo Association, "Stereoscope"

*Click* There is a switch mechanism here too

4) Images in Motion

By sequencing photographs, they evolve into moving images.

"Replica of Zoetrope and Heliocinégraphe"

Artist Unknown, "Kinophone Gramophone Cinema": A commercial product from that time

"Kinora": Turning the lever makes the flipbook move. It is an elaborate device, but I wonder if it was groundbreaking at the time.

5) Beyond the "Peeping" Gaze

Contemporarypossibilities of peeping are explored.

Ikko Narahara, "Inner Flower: Rose, Tineke": Shot using X-ray photography with his own hands following an illness. A challenging work.

Yuki Onodera, "No. 1", "No. 4", "No. 5": Photographing a camera with a camera.

Ryusuke Ito, "Odessa Steps": An installation occupying an entire room. A baby carriage runs endlessly with a clattering sound.

Works from the TOP collection. They collect various things beyond just photographs, showing a wide range of research.

▶︎ Summary

What did you think? I expected TOP to solemnly exhibit the history of photography, but the content was surprisingly bold. In addition to digging deep into photography from TOP's unique perspective, I felt many ingenious touches in the exhibition methods, similar to the "Serendipity" exhibition, which highlights TOP's ambition. Since there is also museum-like learning, I thought it was an exhibition that even those who rarely go to art museums could enjoy.

▶︎ Bonus ("After Landscape Theory")

Upon entering the gallery, the individual-focused exhibits begin immediately. I didn't quite understand the purpose of this exhibition (perhaps there was an explanation in the space before entering the gallery).I think a detailed and easy-to-understand explanation of 'Landscape Theory' is necessary.

Even if the individual works are good, if you cannot understand the macroscopic message behind why the works were collected, it doesn't feel satisfying.

I feel like the underground gallery at TOP often hosts mysterious exhibitions. There were many visitors. Since my child got bored quickly, we left in a hurry.