MISAKO & ROSEN is pleased to announce “Beyond Beyond”, artist Ayako Mogi’s debut solo exhibition with the gallery. Ayako Mogi was born in Hokkaido, Japan, in 1969. She was awarded photographer Nobuyoshi Araki’s prize, New Cosmos of Photography in 1992. In 1997, Mogi moved to Munich and in 2006 helped to establish the artist cooperative project, Laboratoire Village Nomade, in La Corbiere, Switzerland. Since the winter of 2009, Mogi and the Laboratoire project have been based on Awaji Island in the Hyogo prefecture of Japan; the project presently named Nomade Mura (Nomade Village).

For the past several years, Mogi has been working on documentary films projects. In 2002, Mogi’s film, “” Kazeni kiku ” (Kaze ni Kiku ) was screened at the Swiss Neon International Documentary Film Festival where the film received the Special Award. The film was also presented at the International Documentary film festival in both Germany and Taiwan.
In 2009, Mogi’s feature-length film, “Silent Color Silent Voice” was screened throughout cinemas within Japan. The film was also included as part of the 21st Tokyo International Film Festival, natural TIFF (2007).

Ayako Mogi’s work does not appear to focus on elements of daily life; rather, her imagery of everyday objects and events presents a more abstract atmosphere. The photographs suggest a hidden yet tangible reality which is not representable within the medium of language. While a first impression of Mogi’s photographs may prompt a viewer to consider their poetry, Mogi is dealing with more fundamental issues related to the practice of photograph. The beauty in her images is derived simply from that which is seen by the photographer, with her particular point of view, through the camera viewfinder. This unique vision is also clearly evident in Mogi’s most recent documentary film, “Silent Color Silent Voice”. Mogi’s methodology is directly related to her everyday lifestyle; capturing images as they are where they are with no need for embellishment.

At present, photography has secured a position within the field of contemporary art. Within contemporary photographic practice there is a widely varying range of forms of expression. WIthin Japan, in the 1990’s a number of photographer’s debuted through recognition following their receipt of the Cannon New Cosmos of Photography prize. While Mogi is one such photographer, her insistence upon the direct importance of a nomadic lifestyle – having lived in Germany, Switzerland and now on the island of Awaji – as part of her practice distinguishes her work from that of other artists whose sole focus is photography. Mogi does not produce documentation of her everyday life ; rather, taking photos is a part of this life yet this does not cause her to attempt to live an extreme lifestyle – her practice is not voyeuristic.

The exhibition, Mogi’s first proper solo presentation of photography within Japan, will include approx. 20 new color photographs.