Provoke: Between Protest and Performance – Photography in Japan 1960–1975
Although largely ignored in its day, the short-lived magazine Provoke (1968–1969) was one of the most important photographic publications of the 20th century. In existence for just three issues, it crystallized the best in Japanese photography from the 1960s. This major exhibition is the first to explore the full context and influence of the magazine as a collective project. It situates Provoke between the political movements of the 1960s and the flourishing of photography in relation to Japanese performance art during the early 1970s. In a lively installation that features works by Nobuyoshi Araki, Eikō Hosoe, Kazuo Kitai, Daidō Moriyama, Takuma Nakahira, Shōmei Tōmatsu and many more, the exhibition explores the magazine’s work of provocation, reflecting both the spirit of protest and the performative aspects of Japanese camera work.
The exhibition is curated by Fotomuseum in collaboration with Albertina, Vienna; LE BAL, Paris; and The Art Institute of Chicago.
The exhibition at Fotomuseum is supported by Swiss Re. Additional funding by the Volkart Foundation and the International Music and Art Foundation.