Antoine d'Agata
Fukushima
Published by Super Labo, 2015
Book Size 18.3 x 12.3 cm
Pages 608 pages
600 images(b/w)
Hardcover : comes in a slipcase
Language Japanese and English
Limited edition of 500 with numbered and signed certificate
ISBN 978-4-905052-77-7
“The void surrounds me and eats my belly. Through the clear glass of the car window, everything is grey: slow descent into a warm and acrid cell nucleus, memory wearing off through scattered images whose logic is as atomized as the territories I go through. The method, because it takes the form of a diary whose structure is premeditated in order to challenge its own rules, ends up depending on resurgences that alter the physical space of the exclusion zone. I am being led by my own moves from fear into stillness, knowing every gesture traces an impossible path to be followed. Abandoned houses face the sea and the wind in the desert contaminated landscape. Being there, breathing cold air, memories of an outside world slowly dissolved into the crisp reality of boredom. Ghosts are like vanished gods of an extinct world. No company but fear, no hierarchy in horror, but the invisible process of alteration. Facts fulfil threatening promises, articulate a physical and mental journey that integrates the inconsistencies and aberrations of hazard: a step into the slow agony of consciousness, dark territory where verb and matter mingle into recurrent shapes. Each structure is like a dark omen, a sign of disasters to come, an unsolved enigma without a past or a future. Life fades out and leaves no space for will. Senses fall apart and break into mental ruin. The last possible form of language, obsessive sequence, manic inventory, distorted record of vain itineraries, erosion of all pretence of reason. Under the Moon, dust devours forgotten hopes, life resumes to statistics, stiff little figures face the void, armed only with ignorance. Shades of death swallowed by dawn, mould everywhere, a mouth sketches a soft embrace, in a frantic search for a past already lost. A pure sense of chaos, an obscene blend of physics and ecstasy, a vision of unleashed forces that crush civilisation into a mass of rubble and deadly lies. Silence does not make sense, instinct breathes life into the stillness of a surviving town, humanity insists on existing. The underlying principle of that frail movement is the broken desire of those who flee as far as strength allows. While the dead know in their flesh how far hell extends.” artist statement
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“Le vide m’entoure et me ronge le ventre. Through the transparent glass of the car window, everything is gray: slow descent into a hot and acrid cellular core, memory fades through scattered images whose logic is as atomized as the territories I cross. The method, because it takes the form of a diary whose structure is premeditated to challenge its own rules, ends up depending on resurgences that alter the physical space of the exclusion zone. I am driven by my own movements from fear to stillness, knowing that each gesture traces an impossible path to follow. Abandoned houses face the sea and the wind in a contaminated desert landscape. Being there, breathing the cold air, memories of an outside world slowly dissolve into the crisp reality of boredom. Ghosts are like the vanished gods of an extinct world. No company but fear, no hierarchy in horror, but the invisible process of alteration. Facts fulfill menacing promises, articulate a physical and mental journey that integrates the inconsistencies and aberrations of chance: a step into the slow agony of consciousness, a dark territory where word and matter mingle in recurring forms. Each structure is like a dark omen, a sign of disasters to come, an unresolved enigma without past or future. Life fades and leaves no room for will. The senses collapse and transform into mental ruin. Last possible form of language, obsessive sequence, manic inventory, distorted account of vain itineraries, erosion of any pretense of reason. Under the Moon, dust devours forgotten hopes, life returns to statistics, small stiff figures face the void, armed only with ignorance. Shades of death swallowed by dawn, mold everywhere, a mouth sketches a sweet embrace, in a frantic search for a past already lost. A pure sense of chaos, an obscene mixture of physicality and ecstasy, a vision of unleashed forces crushing civilization into a mass of rubble and deadly lies. Silence has no meaning, instinct breathes life into the stillness of a surviving city, humanity insists on existing. The underlying principle of this fragile movement is the broken desire of those who flee as far as strength allows. While the dead know in their flesh how far hell extends.” artist text