Photographer and filmmaker Shigeo Arikawa (Tokyo 1982) creates a total concept for each presentation. He researches and directs his material mainly from different sensory experiences. Experience is also usually associated with personal memories and preferences from one's own culture. Arikawa says that reality only fulfils a personal truth. With this he wants to confront us with our own perception and bias.
His source material consists of landscapes and elements of nature such as trees, flowers, water, the impressions of his travels. Arikawa influences our perception through image manipulation. He also researches what words or sound reflect in different languages. Ultimately, the viewer plays the leading role in his work.
In his latest work, Arikawa also relies on the Austrian scientist Ernst Mach (1838 - 1916). If you close your right eye, you look through the left eye to the outside world. This field of view covers the area from the top right of the rim of the nose and through to the bottom of the eye socket and on back to the top. The relationship between what we see - the object - and who we are - the subject - seems neutral, like inside and outside, but is that the case? Arikawa constantly questions that in his work. Everything has a context and is in motion, nothing remains itself without references.
The exhibition "Parade of Pumpkins" shows two series of works, one with a static image, the other combined with moving images.
In the "Self-portraits" Arikawa makes the depth of field of his objects into subject. In these static images, he elaborates the terms focusing and framing, just as Mach asserts above regarding perception. Arikawa calls these photo works "Self-portraits" because his own hand, although invisible, is in fact part of the image.
In the series "Voice-over" Arikawa adds moving images on a small screen. Soundless lip movements evoke even more associations here about the static image above.
"Parade of Pumpkins", acronym "POP" refers to the homophonous Japanese word, which literally means "the figure of a person" as a metaphor for perception or association. Thus, this presentation can be seen as a new mirror and explanation of how the current visual culture can continue to rage in our being.