The fantasy of Japan

The Japanese Fantasy layout is designed to, at least, give us some idea of what we are missing from over there.

By BARRY DAVIS
JAPANESE FANTASY’ by Alex Landsberg (photo credit: Courtesy)
JAPANESE FANTASY’ by Alex Landsberg
(photo credit: Courtesy)
Ever fancied popping over to Japan? To the Land of the Rising Sun, with its glorious cherry tree blossoms, kabuki theater, sumo wrestling and fastidiously manicured gardens, to mention but a few of the delights awaiting you there.
Well, if you quite have the wherewithal, or time, to make the 9,000-odd km. journey over there, you can get a sense of the Japanese street vibe at Sarona, in Tel Aviv, where the annual Photo Is:rael international photography festival is currently up and running. The exhibition in question features prints by Alex Landsberg, and goes by the name of Japanese Fantasy, curated by Daria Kaufmann.
The display incorporates enlarged prints of photographs Landsberg took of urban houses on a visit to Japan six years ago. The works are arranged in a boulevard format measuring 13 meters long, 3 meters high and 3 meters wide.
“I show the fronts of Japanese houses, in particular traditionally designed houses,” Landsberg explains. “They are low wooden houses, and it is interesting that, despite the traditional design, you don’t find two identical houses. Each has a different curtain, or different style of wall.”
We only get to get see the exterior of the houses.
“I suppose you could go into the houses really easily, but no one dares do that,” he says. “That doesn’t seem to be possible.”
The Japanese Fantasy layout is designed to, at least, give us some idea of what we are missing from over there.
“I tried to convey a sense of what it feels like to walk and travel around Japan,” Landsberg says. “Also, you normally see frontal shots, and I wanted to give people the feeling that they are walking through the picture.”
The exhibition runs to December 7. For more information: https://www.photoisrael.org/en/