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1. Your work encompasses VJing, installations, live performances, and 3DCG animation, all aimed at exploring spatial expression through visuals. Could you elaborate on how you approach the concept of spatial expression in your projects?
I have been active as a VJ on dance floors. Having experienced many wonderful nights, I think that the most important thing is to create a story by harmonizing all the elements in the space, such as the music, lighting, and audience, while keeping the visuals at the core.
The most important thing is to be able to capture each moment and create an impact. Sometimes I lead with visuals, and sometimes I leave it to the lighting alone, judging from the music and the energy of the audience.
I think this also applies to installations and live performances, but I am always conscious of how to create a story and time axis for each work.
2. You’ve collaborated with various artists, such as Yuri Urano on the project “Metaract,” which delves into the interplay between analog and digital realms. How do these collaborations influence your creative process and the narratives you aim to convey?
As I mentioned in the previous question, stories are very important to me, and music is a key element in creating stories.
For example, the inclusion of “voice” allows for emotional expression, while “electronic music” allows for the expression of energy.
I think that by collaborating with musicians, we can expand music and images together. It is something that gives more meaning and a worldview, and is essential to me.
3. Your portfolio includes performances at renowned festivals like Awakenings in Amsterdam, Zouk Out in Singapore, and Fuji Rock Festival in Japan. How have these diverse cultural experiences shaped your artistic vision and execution?
My experiences at these festivals have greatly expanded my vision and ability as a video artist. The overwhelming scale of Awakenings, the elaborate production of Zouk Out, and the space that resonates with nature at Fuji Rock Festival in Japan – each of these festivals gave me the opportunity to experience first-hand the different cultural backgrounds and sensibilities of the audience, and to explore how video can be fused with music and space to move people’s emotions.
For me, who is particularly interested in the relationship between technology, nature, and human senses, creating in diverse environments is a valuable opportunity to experiment and expand the possibilities of visual expression. While making full use of large LED walls and projection mapping, I also learned the importance of expressing delicate emotions through minimalist lighting.
Additionally, by responding to the different technical restrictions and production requests for each festival, I was able to hone my creativity and adaptability. The process of creating the optimal visuals within a limited timeframe, while working with artists and technical teams, goes beyond mere video production and is closer to designing a space and creating a momentary experience. I hope to make use of this experience to create more immersive works.
About Rave Photography
4. In your opinion, what are the essential elements that photographers should focus on to authentically capture the atmosphere of a club or live performance?
For me, a good photograph is one that captures the heat of the moment.
There are many different ways to express a photograph, and each has its own merits, but for me, “the composition and the picture looking beautiful” is not that important. For example, even if it’s blurry, I think it’s a good photograph if it conveys the atmosphere.
What matters is whether you can capture and express that moment. By doing so, I think you can convey the space that the club or live event organizer or artist wants to express and reflect its essence.
5. How do you see the relationship between live visual performances (like VJing) and club photography? In what ways can they complement each other to enhance the audience’s experience?
For example, I don’t think it’s necessary for screens and LEDs to be beautifully and accurately framed. To enhance the experience, it might be possible to include a visual as one element in the moment captured, or if you want to capture a moment where the visual leads, it might be possible to do so with a close-up of just the video without showing the audience or musicians.
I think that by capturing the story of what the photographer felt at that moment and why they took that photo, it will further enhance the quality of the visual.
6. What do you think about the no photo/no video policies that are being implemented more and more?
Personally, I’m in favor of this policy, which prohibits audience members from taking photos. The reason is that people get so focused on their cameras or cell phones that they forget to enjoy the music and the party. I think that’s a real shame.
However, I think it’s good that professional photographers can capture those moments.
7. Considering the transient nature of live performances and club events, what do you believe is the significance of photography in preserving these fleeting moments?
I think the appeal of live performances and club events lies in their ephemerality. The momentary surge of music, images, lighting, and the energy of the crowd is something that only remains in the memories of those who were there. However, photography plays an important role in capturing these fragments and evoking the experience beyond time.
As a video artist, I place importance on visual immersion and emotional movement, but no matter how dynamic they are, they are destined to fade with time. That is why photographs have more significance than mere records. They function as “visual memories” that condense the arrangement of light and shadow, the reactions of the audience, and the atmosphere of the space, and they reproduce the atmosphere of that moment in a different form.
