Shinji Otani

Photos

The identities of places can be understood by the activities which are found there. I strive to define these identities by observing and documenting the ambiguous relationships objects have with places. My work focuses on the residual information which people and history imprint on environments. The information I photograph is often open-ended which is most of the time the way I encounter it. The photographs which result are a means of analyzing space by observing the composition of objects juxtaposed alongside their functional and aesthetic properties in order to better understand the notion of human activity upon any given location.

  • Portfolio
  • Activities
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    • The Country of the Rising Sun

    Project

    • 01-10-2006 t/m 28-02-2013
    • In collaboration with: Gerrit Rietveld Academy, FOAM
    • Location: Stockholm, Stockholm
    • The Country of the Rising Sun is my first mature photographic body of work, made during three winter visits to Stockholm. The focus lies on strong lighting situations during a Scandinavian winter. The black and white photographs are taken in Swedish suburban neighborhoods resonating strikingly with suburbs found elsewhere. Suburbia, for all its site-specific peculiarities, is paradoxically a zone of universal déjà vu. The publication was the winner of the first Unseen Amsterdam Dummy Award
    • https://shinjiotani.com/the-country-of-the-rising-sun

    Mexican train

    Exhibition / presentation

    Amsterdam irregulars

    Exhibition / presentation

    • 01-02-2014 t/m 28-02-2017
    • In collaboration with: Amsterdam Fund for the Arts/ Weekender/ Raadraaier/ friend of bavink
    • Location: Pacific Place, Amsterdam
    • This blog project has an opportunity to make a publication and a spin-off exhibition, combine a series of off-the-wall installations, impromptu poetry readings and selected panel discussions.
    • https://vimeo.com/108031260

    The Weekender trailer show

    Exhibition / presentation

    • 01-09-2014 t/m 30-09-2014
    • In collaboration with: Unseen/ Weekender/ Amsterdam Fund for the Arts
    • Location: Westergasfabriek, Amsterdam
    • The Weekender trailer show presents nine international artists at Unseen photo fair Amsterdam
    • https://vimeo.com/105015815

    The Country of the Rising Sun

    Exhibition / presentation

    Books x Foam

    Exhibition / presentation

    • 01-02-2012 t/m 31-05-2021
    • In collaboration with: FOAM Amsterdam
    • Location: FOAM, Amsterdam
    • Book presentation and exhibition of Dummy Book Award winner.

    Parabolic Duties

    Residencies / exchange

    • 01-02-2010 t/m 30-06-2021
    • In collaboration with: Vrije Ruimten Zuidas, FOAM
    • Location: Free Spaces Zuidas Artist in residence, Amsterdam
    • Ex-pats living in the Netherlands often live in transitory circumstances. private belongings end up in office environments while apartments remain minimally furnished. the boundaries between work and domicile are blurred. The series supported by Free Spaces AIR / The Virtual Museum Zuidas foundation Amsterdam The catalog was published by Onomatopee Collection of Virtual Zoom / FOAM photography museum Amsterdam Shortlisted in the Raymond Weil photography competition 2010, Geneva
    • https://shinjiotani.com/parabolic-duties

    OTANI NEWENHOUSE

    Project

    • 01-02-2016
    • In collaboration with: Mondriaan Fund/ Dutch Culture/ Embassy of the Netherlands in Japan/ Dazaifu Temmangu Shrine, Ukiha City
    • Location: Japan, Ukiha etc
    • As an artist duo, Shinji Otani and Johan Nieuwenhuize have been collaborating since 2015. Building up a common memory about the overlap of the Japanese and Dutch culture is key to their work.
    • https://www.otaninieuwenhuize.com/

    OTANI NEWENHUIZE show tour

    Exhibition / presentation

    • 01-04-2016 t/m 30-04-2017
    • In collaboration with: Dazaifu Tenmangu Museum, POST Tokyo, Ibasho, Mondriaan Fund, Dutch Culture, Dutch Embassy in Japan, Off Print Paris
    • Location: Various,
    • Solo show tour of our first results with 5 publications in: Dazaifu Tenmangu Museum POST Tokyo Ibasho Antwerp Off Print Paris
    • https://www.otaninieuwenhuize.com/

    Neko Project

    Exhibition / presentation

    • 01-05-2019 t/m 31-05-2019
    • In collaboration with: Ibasho Gallery
    • Location: Ibasho Gallery, Antwerp
    • after large group exhibition on the cat theme IBASHO will exhibit works by photographers already connected to IBASHO, such as Mika Horie, Hiromi Kakimoto, Yoshinori Mizutani, Naoyuki Ogino, Kumi Oguro and Shinji Otani. Also works by other - established or sometimes lesser-known - photographers, among others Koji Onaka, Takahiko Nakafuji, Toshiko Hashimoto and Yuko Fukagawa, will be presented. Lastly, IBASHO will include two works and a photo book by Masahisa Fukase of his beloved Sasuke and Nobuyo
    • https://ibashogallery.com/exhibitions/14-34-neko-project/overview/

    Neko. The cat in Japanese art

    Exhibition / presentation

    Making Matters

    Exhibition / presentation

    • 01-09-2020 t/m 16-10-2020
    • In collaboration with: Peters Valley School of Craft
    • Location: Peters Valley Gallery, Layton PA
    • Making Matters: Fresh Perspectives in Fine Craft is an annual exhibition showcasing the work of the season's visiting artist instructors and summer artistic staff. The variety of media, styles and techniques included reflect the diversity in the programming offered at Peters Valley. This year it features the work of artists who would have taught at Peters Valley we had been able to conduct our summer workshops.
    • https://petersvalley.org/exhibitions/making-matters-fresh-perspectives-in-fine-craft-4/

    IMA VISION

    Exhibition / presentation

    • 28-06-2018 t/m 13-07-2018
    • In collaboration with: IMA
    • Location: IMA Gallery, Tokyo
    • Embracing IMA ONLINE, the website of Japanese fine art photography magazine, IMA as a platform, IMA VISION has embarked on an endeavor to explore new possibilities of artistic expression better suited to the new digital era we are in.
    • https://imaonline.jp/en/exhibition/ima-vision

    EU2016 Amsterdam

    Exhibition / presentation

    • 10-03-2016 t/m 31-05-2016
    • In collaboration with: Ministry of Foreign Affairs the Netherlands
    • Location: Marineterrein, Amsterdam
    • Photo exhibition of influential people from Dutch history by selected Netherlands based artists.

    Photo festival Naarden

    Exhibition / presentation

    • 25-05-2019 t/m 30-06-2019
    • In collaboration with: Photo Festival Naarden
    • Location: Naarden, Naarden
    • An open-air solo exhibition from the series of "Statues in the Netherlands" with a photobook launch published by Lecturis
    • https://www.fotofestivalnaarden.nl/nl

    LONGLISTS RABO PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAIT PRIZE

    Other

    • 24-09-2020 t/m 08-11-2020
    • In collaboration with: Rabo Bank, Dutch national portrait gallery
    • Location: Dutch national portrait gallery,
    • The Rabo Photographic Portrait Prize is awarded annually to the maker of the best photo portrait of the past year. The Rabo Photographic Portrait Talent has been awarded to the maker of the best portrait series of the past year. The prizes are awarded by the Dutch National Portrait Gallery in collaboration with Rabobank and the Pictoright Fund.
    • https://dutchnationalportrait.gallery/nl/shinji-otani/

    Book Launch STATUES IN THE NETHERLANDS

    Exhibition / presentation

    UKIHA AIR

    Residencies / exchange

    Mono Japan

    Workshop

    DDK#35

    Exhibition / presentation

    • 26-04-2018 t/m 26-04-2018
    • In collaboration with: The Dark Room, Du Pho
    • Location: Pakhuis de Zwijger, Amsterdam
    • Moderators: Marc Prüst and Sterre Sprengers Guests: Koos Breukel, Remco Breuker, Leonie van den Ende, Marijn de Jong, Marlike Marks, Minzayar Oo, Shinji Otani, Otto Snoeks and Ruben Terlou Production: Lotti Pronk
    • https://ddk-live.com/37-ddk-35-een-paukenslag-van-spetterend-oranje

    GVB x Foam

    Task

    • 21-09-2015
    • In collaboration with: FOAM, GVB
    • Location: Amsterdam Central Station, Amsterdam
    • GVB and Foam Photography Museum Amsterdam unveiled a prominent wall in the metro hall of Amsterdam Central Station. With a width of 19,5 meters, it is one of the largest and most striking visuals. The wall shows a photo by award-winning photographer Shinji Otani (JP)
    • https://www.foam.org/nl/over-ons/press-office/gvb

    Unseen Dummy Arard

    Other

    An Exhibition of Utsuwa-Shoken's Selection

    Task

    Amsterdam canals panorama strips in the image bank of city archives

    Other

    • 14-05-2020
    • In collaboration with: The Amsterdam City Archives
    • Location: The Amsterdam City Archives, Amsterdam
    • 189 strips of my Amsterdam canals panorama images are now online at Amsterdam City Archives
    • https://shinjiotani.com/news

    Collectivism

    Exhibition / presentation

    • 21-04-2017 t/m 18-06-2017
    • In collaboration with: FOAM, De Fotocopie
    • Location: FOAM, Amsterdam
    • Collectivism, an exhibition about how artist collectives come together to attach value and meaning to images.
    • https://www.foam.org/museum/programme/collectivism

    Lumix meets beyond 2020

    Other

    • 01-09-2016 t/m 30-09-2019
    • In collaboration with: Panasonic Lumix, Amana, Unseen Amsterdam
    • Location: Westergasfabriek, Amsterdam
    • Coordinating Japanese talent exhibition in Unseen photo fair for 4 editions. Worked also as a moderator discussing Japanese photography in each edition.
    • http://beyond2020.jp/index.html

    PS Camera

    Project

    • 01-03-2018 t/m 30-04-2018
    • In collaboration with: PS camera, Shinkichi Tajiri Estate
    • Location: Scottish Highlands, Inverness
    • PS Camera is an organization that temporarily gives cameras once owned by photographers such as Lee Miller and Ed van der Elsken to a new generation of photographers, connecting generations by using the camera as a relay baton. The PS camera project supported me, and the camera generously gave me a loan from the Shinkichi Tajiri Estate.
    • https://shinjiotani.com/ness

    Curfew-Westland

    Performance

    • 01-02-2021
    • In collaboration with: Dave Kutz
    • Location: Westland,
    • A collaboration with tubist Dave Kutz in the time of Covid 19 at Westland greenhouses
    • https://youtu.be/PSTT7IWTtXg

    Acknowledgments

      Scholarship

    • Amsterdam Fund for the Arts

    • 2014
      Scholarship

    • Kwaraad Fund

    • 2016
      Scholarship

    • Mondriaan Fund

    • 2016
      Scholarship

    • Dutch culture

    • 2016
      Scholarship

    • Dutch Embassy in Japan

    • 2016
      Scholarship

    • Dutch Embassy in Japan

    • 2019
      Scholarship

    • Mondriaan Fund

    • 2019
      Scholarship

    • City of Ukiha

    • 2019
      Scholarship

    • Mondriaan Fund

    • 2020
      Scholarship

    • Peters Valley School of Craft

    • 2020
      Scholarship

    • Panasonic / LUMIX

    • 2019
      Pricing

    • Finalist of Raymond Weil Photography Award, Geneva, Switzerland

    • 2010
      Pricing

    • Winner of Unseen Dummy Book Award, Unseen photo fair Amsterdam

    • 2012
      Pricing

    • The Best Dutch Book Designs (The canals of Amsterdam), The Best Dutch Book Designs organizations

    • 2013
      Pricing

    • Best 15 Dutch photo books (Amsterdam Irregurars), De Volkskrant Amsterdam

    • 2014
      Pricing

    • Shortlisted Lucy art residency award, Greece

    • 2017
      Pricing

    • Long list Rabo Photographic Portrait Prize

    • 2020
      Collection

    • Collection Neuflize OBC

    • 2019, Paris
      Collection

    • The Green Collection

    • 2019, Arnhem
      Collection

    • Collection Reyn van der Lugt

    • 2018, Rotterdam
      Collection

    • Dazaifu Tenmangu Museum

    • 2016, Dazaifu Japan
      Collection

    • Photo Department

    • 2014, St Petersburg
      Collection

    • FOAM

    • 2010, Amsterdam
      Publication

    • The Country of the Rising Sun

    • 2013
    • Photobook
    • Literature - Shinji Otani
      Publication

    • The Canals of Amsterdam

    • 2013
    • Book
    • THOTH - Shinji Otani, Koen Kleijn, Ernest Kurpershoek
      Publication

    • Amsterdam irregulars

    • 2014
    • Photo Book with Texts
    • Self published - Shinji Otani, Cassander Eeftinck Treasure Church, Christopher McIntosh
      Publication

    • OTANI NEWENHOUSE

    • 2016
    • Photobook
    • Tique art publications - Shinji Otani, Johan Nieuwenhuize
      Publication

    • Statues in the Netherlands

    • 2019
    • Photo Book with texts
    • Literature - Shinji Otani
      Publication

    • Intimate Stories on Absence

    • 2010
    • Book
    • Onomatopoeia - Lieven de Boeck, Frank Havermans, Sachi Miyachi, Shinji Otani, Tom Tlalim