Work by CLAIR Gallery artist Eikoh Hosoe was included in an extraordinary exhibition at the Weltkunstzimmer that explored the complex beauty and art of Butoh dance.

The Butoh Photography exhibition at the Weltkunstzimmer contemporary art centre in Düsseldorf, Germany ran from February 11, 2016 to March 12, 2016.

Butoh is a style of Japanese dance theatre founded by Hijikata Tatsumi in the late 1950s. As described in the catalogue, the Butoh Photography exhibition “shines light on an important issue for the photography of Butoh dance: the relation between model and photographer, between documentation and staging. What is the significance of the photographer’s relationship with the dancer for the specific aesthetic of the photographs, which exceed pure documentation of the performances? Would a survival of Butoh be at all possible without a photographic heritage?”

Eikoh Hosoe (b. 1933, Yonezawa, Japan) is an experimental artist who has spent more than 50 years demonstrating his unique mastery of the photographic medium. He became involved in several celebrated Butoh dance projects in the 1960s. More information about the work of Eikoh Hose can be found on his artist page.

The Weltkunstzimmer is an interdisciplinary arts centre with a focus on visual arts, music, and performance. It opened in Düsseldorf in 2012 in conjunction with the Hans Peter Zimmer Foundation. More information here.

Purchase Information: The featured image is from Eikoh Hosoe’s Kamaitachi series. Silver gelatin print, 29.9 x 45.4 cm. © Eikoh Hosoe, 1965. Courtesy of CLAIR Gallery. Purchase inquiries are welcome via email at anna@clair.me