Slightly Elsewhere

The exhibition "Slightly Elsewhere" at Polkagalerie, Paris, features the work of Kosuke Okahara. The series documents the presence of American military bases in Okinawa, an archipelago that has borne the weight of history and hosts numerous such installations since 1945. Okahara, born in Tokyo in 1980, explores the complex social and historical realities of Okinawa, over 80 years after the end of World War II and more than half a century after its retrocession from American to Japanese control.

The artist focuses on the landscapes of these military bases and their impact on the island's history and geography. Okahara uses large panoramic formats to emphasize the monumental and horizontal nature of these installations, which he describes as simultaneously visible and invisible, monumental yet overlooked. His photographic process involves applying emulsion to handmade washi paper, with each print being unique due to variations in texture, thickness, and experimental darkroom techniques, including toning and ink application akin to painting. This approach aims to create images that resist complete perception, mirroring the fragmented and abstract nature of human knowledge.