It exposes a reality of silence, stillness, tranquility, respect and sense of community facing the idea that we have of chaos, multitude and interference in the private space that we find in the city of Tokyo. He argues that this feeling should be present in any society.
The second project that he presents is a video-art that is also closely related to current events through the use of masks, reflecting on the concept and variability of the intimacy that it provides.
Description of project by César Ordónez
The Japanese capital has been for many decades a great source of inspiration for artists from all over the world. On this occasion, the Instituto Cervantes de Tokio presents in online format the work of the Barcelona photographer César Ordóñez entitled "Intimacy", which reveals unexplored aspects of this great city.
The exhibition of the "Intimacy" project, which opens its doors from June 30 to September 30 through the web platform of the Cervantes Institute in Tokyo, explores a more emotional and private side of Japanese society, as a reflection of the worship of mutual respect and civility. A job that ten years after its creation takes on a new meaning and connects us with the current moment.
“Surely some of the first images of Tokyo that come to mind are of apparently chaotic crowds, or of urban highways running between glittering and haughty skyscrapers. But there is another reality that passes almost unnoticed by the naked eye: where silence, stillness, respect for others and for the community are permanently present”, says César Ordóñez, international photographer and author of the work.
This project, created 10 years ago, shows 32 works of everyday scenes in urban areas of the city. These photographs, by way of visual metaphors, illustrate unwritten rules such as consideration for others, and invite us to reflect on the constant intrusions that our personal space experiences in the vast majority of societies.
“The idea for this series came up while working in the Japanese metropolis on two previous projects (Ashimoto and Kagami). During the whole time I was there, I experienced a degree of “intimacy” previously unimaginable for me. (…) My “private space” remained intact. No one went through it without my permission. Not a single day, not a single moment. A feeling of peace and serenity enveloped me day after day, motivating my return, to represent this lived feeling with images,” the author remarks on the inspiration that materialized his work.
- MASK
“MASK” is a piece of video-art halfway between reality and imagination, which challenges us about the concept of identity and its variability. A daydream to the rhythm of electronic music interspersed with ambient sound, in which two Japanese girls hide part of their faces, their identity, behind white masks.
