RAR: Hana Yamamoto in Wrocław

As part of the Retreat Art Routes residency programme, Japanese photographer Hana Yamamoto will be staying in Poland in August and September to regenerate and work – to develop her research practice and art project at W788 in Kozielec and at our institution in Wrocław.  

Hana Yamamoto’s residency in Poland has a densely written calendar. At its first point is the experience of the residency itself in places previously unknown to her: Kozielec and Wrocław, but also in an area culturally distant from her native Japan.

Next, the artist, whose practice also involves a research component, wants to look at the media visual language depicting the influx of refugees from Ukraine after the outbreak of war. Among other things, she is interested in the differences in the media narrative between Western and Eastern Poland. She will also use the opportunity to develop her project ‘Comfort Zone’ (2023 – ) exploring the relationship between space and spectator in museums and public institutions. In it, the artist focuses on what interferes with objects and entire exhibitions – air-conditioning systems and other amenities – and their impact on the reception of art.

Hana Yamamoto’s residency takes place from 10.08-20.09.2023 and the curator supporting the development of the artist’s project is Łukasz Rusznica.

Hana Yamamoto is an artist and researcher who is interested in the role of images and photography in social interactions. Her experience of living in the suburbs of the Kanto region has pushed her to create art that seeks to answer the question ‘How does an image work’. Yamamoto’s works address the phenomena of everyday life, focusing on various manifestations of the formation of society, such as the replication of urban landscapes, post-war memorials and contemporary logistics. 

As a member of the art collective TOKYO PHOTOGRAPHIC RESEARCH, she has participated in numerous projects, collaborating with many artists and creatives. She is a 2022 graduate of the art and media course at the University of the Arts in Tama. She currently lives and works in Tokyo, Japan. In 2019, she was a finalist for ‘IMA next #3’.

Łukasz Rusznica is a photographer and curator, in his artistic practice focusing mainly on the photography book. He runs the MpM14 gallery in Wrocław.

Route for female photographers