TOKYO STREET PHOTOGRAPHY FESTIVAL
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I found a catalog of an exhibition "Photography Exhibition - NEW YORK" at a used bookstore one day.
This exhibition was held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum in November 1985 as one of the events commemorating the 25th anniversary of the sister city affiliation between Tokyo and New York.
The catalog of the exhibition includes the following text as a greeting from the Governor of Tokyo.
“I am sure that these 120 photographs showing the phenomenal growth and change of New York from the 1890s to the 1970s, viewed from wide variety of angles, will fascinate all those who visit the exhibition.
It is my fervent hope that exhibition will provide a glimpse of the historical currents of the City of New York for all those who visit, and serve, at the same time, to deepen our understanding and feelings for our old friend, New York."
Alongside this, the following statement from the Mayor of New York City was in the book, which states as follows.
“During 1985 we have enjoyed many celebrations in Tokyo & New York City to mark the 25th Anniversary of our Sister City relationship. Governor Suzuki honored us by visiting New York in early June for the first "Tokyo Week Festival" in our City. This occasion was highlighted by many wonderful events, all of which contributed to the growing awareness, understanding, and appreciation by New Yorkers for Japanese culture through our Sister City of Tokyo.
Now, almost six months later, I have come to Japan with others from our City to celebrate a "New York Week Festival in Tokyo." We hope Tokyoites will gain a greater appreciation for our lifestyle in New York City through this festival and we also hope to learn more about our Sister City by being in its midst.”
When I read those, I was very convinced that these words perfectly encapsulate the answer to the question, "What is the power of street photography?"
The exhibition catalog led me to research other sister cities, and I found that Berlin also established a sister city affiliation with Tokyo in May 1994.
Is it a mere coincidence that we have established friendly relations with NYC SPC and Berlin SPC, street photography collectives based in those cities?
When you think about it, it is quite a significant thing that we were able to create this event with 2 of the sister cities. I also am truly grateful that this creative activity has also turned into a unique opportunity for us to understand each other's culture and way of thinking. I hope you will be left with a variety of impressions and feelings after you visit this special exhibition, which unintentionally coincided with the history, and all the photographic works displayed at the festival.
We hope you will enjoy the exhibition.
TOKYO STREET PHOTOGRAPHY FESTIVAL
Organizer
Takeshi Ishikawa / FRAME TOKYO
Over 100 works from Japan and abroad will be exhibited
Over 100 works from Tokyo, Japan, and around the world will be exhibited at one time.
Visitors can enjoy the perspectives of various people living in the same era.
In addition, the NYC SPC, a street photography collective based in New York City, and the Berlin SPC, a street photography collective based in Berlin, will exhibit works selected specifically for this event.
Various contents
A variety of contents will be available, including video content, a library corner where visitors can freely browse through photo books and books on street photography, and a flea market. We hope you will join us and enjoy this event as much as you like.
Event Information
Date：Wednesday, May 3 - Friday, May 5, 2023 12:00〜20:00（last day 17:00）
Venue：TERRANOVA HOUSE
36-6 Oyama-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 151-0065, Japan
Free admission
TSPF Concept
The concept of TSPF is “to maximize the appeal and value of street photography by soliciting a wide range of work, and create a dialogue among photographers and with visitors to create a sustainable cultural community.”
With the aim to convey the diverse and unique esthetic of street photography, TSPF will host a wide variety of street photographers across borders reflecting diverse perspectives and cultural backgrounds, as well as unique works from all over Japan.
We also believe that photography is not only about the photographer, but also about the viewer and the people being photographed. To embody this philosophy, we will make TSPF a place which functions as a cultural community, where photographers and visitors enjoy communicating through the medium of photographs. To make the festival a sustainable cultural community, we will also enrich the content of the festival beyond the photographic exhibits with a focus on “seeing”, “listening”, “talking”, and “having fun”, and are planning to update the program little by little every year.