Exhibitions

KEN NAKAHASHI is pleased to present Most likely, the flames will destroy themselves, a solo exhibition by Swedish-born, Tokyo-based artist Jörgen Axelvall, from Friday, September 13 to Saturday, October 12, 2024.

This exhibition marks Axelvall’s fourth solo show at the gallery in two years and will feature new works combining his photography with poetry by esteemed poet Mutsuo Takahashi.

Axelvall is widely recognized for his series of Polaroid photographs, often featuring friends and flowers, with a tranquil sense of time and serene solitude permeating his work. His preferred medium, peel-apart Polaroid film, is notable for the way temperature, humidity, and the force used when peeling the film can subtly influence the final image. After scanning the Polaroid, Axelvall examines the image in minute detail and enlarges it significantly. This process reveals the film's fine grains and noise, which blur the contours and soften the overall image. The hazy contours of the figures that emerge from the gradients of color, symbolizing a blend of emotions, evoke a sense of silence, introspection, and a connection to the deeper layers of human emotional landscape.

For the first time, Axelvall prints his works on traditional washi paper, mounting them on wooden panels. This method enhances the softness and warmth inherent in washi paper, bringing a quiet presence to the blurred outlines and soft tones characteristic of his work.

In recent years, Axelvall has been inspired by the complex life of Fritz Haber, who was involved in the development of gas used during the Nazi Holocaust, and has undertaken research on Ōkunoshima, the site where Japan developed secret chemical weapons during World War II. Moreover, Axelvall has visited Mutsuo Takahashi, who in 2017 dedicated his poetry to Axelvall’s photographs in his photo book Go to become. Through their ongoing dialogue, they have delved into the traces of human actions, their consequences, and the wars that still persist today. Responding once again to Axelvall's work, Takahashi has written a new poem titled Flames, Me, Memory. Axelvall quoted a line from Takahashi's poem for the title of the solo exhibition, and thus, their works to resonate with each other once more.

Born in Sweden in 1972, Jörgen Axelvall spent 15 years working in New York before relocating to Tokyo in 2011. In 2013, he won the International Winner prize for the “NEW EXPOSURE Award,” organized by American Vogue and Bottega Veneta. In 2014, he released a photo book titled I was looking for Park Hyatt Tokyo, a collection of photographs taken over seven years in Tokyo, which was selected as a Jury Recommended Work at the 18th Japan Media Arts Festival and exhibited at The National Art Center, Tokyo. In 2017, Axelvall released his first collaborative photo book with Mutsuo Takahashi, titled Go to become (roshin books, 2017).

[Exhibition outline]

Jörgen Axelvall Most likely, the flames will destroy themselves

• September 13 (Fri) – October 12 (Sat), 2024
• Open Hours: Tue–Sat 13:00-20:00
• Closed: Sun, Mon
• Opening: September 13 (Fri) 18:00–20:00

The poem by Mutsuo Takahashi has been translated into English by Jeffrey Angles, Professor of Japanese Literature and Translation at Western Michigan University.

Additionally, German artist Arigto composed a soundscape inspired by the photographs and the poem. The soundscape can be heard at the gallery, and it is scheduled to be released as a limited-edition cassette by the Osaka-based label Depth of Decay.