Vitality.Swiss | Vitality Through Your Eyes Photo Contest and Exhibition

The Vitality Through Your Eyes Photo Contest and exhibition, held at SHIBAURA HOUSE from October 9 to 24, 2024, celebrates the 160th anniversary of Swiss-Japanese diplomatic relations. Organized by the Embassy of Switzerland in Japan and SHIBAURA HOUSE, with support from FREITAG, the contest invited photography lovers to capture the essence of vitality through various lenses, thus fostering a platform for dialogue and co-creation during the Swiss Vitality Days.

The competition and exhibition aimed to deepen the cultural connections between Switzerland and Japan by promoting a shared understanding of vitality. Out of almost 100 submissions, seven outstanding photographs were selected, capturing diverse expressions of vitality in nature, everyday moments, and extraordinary settings. These winning images reflect resilience, beauty, and the dynamic energy of life in both Japan and Switzerland.

Vitality Through Your Eyes Photo Contest and Exhibition image — © Forward Stroke Inc.

Alongside these, a special selection of photographs by photographer and Vitality Ambassador Basil Kräher was also showcased, extending our exploration of vitality beyond Swiss and Japanese borders, while still reflecting his profound understanding of both cultures’ aesthetics.

In the context of vitality, this series reflects a transformative period in my life when I sought escape from the overwhelming density of Tokyo. Ever since my childhood, remote places in the mountains have exerted a mysterious attraction on me. This fascination led me to the Kyrgyz highlands, where I lived with nomadic communities for multiple weeks alongside a close friend who grew up there. Together, we explored their hidden landscapes, capturing the endless expanse and untouched beauty of this environment. Through documenting the lives of these communities nestled among majestic mountains, I aimed to shed light on their unique experiences while also rediscovering what it means to feel alive and connected. The expansive horizons provided a profound sense of renewal, allowing me to reflect on my own revitalization and future amidst the distant sky of Kyrgyzstan.
Basil Kräher

The highlight of the exhibition was the award ceremony held on October 11, which brought together the winners, their families, friends, and photography enthusiasts. Ambassador-Designate Roger Dubach, alongside jury members Masaru Ito (SHIBAURA HOUSE), Ingrid Dubach-Lemainque, Sawako Fukai (TOKYO PHOTOGRAPHIC RESEARCH), and Basil Kräher, honored the participants for their creative contributions. Although jury member Taisuke Koyama could not attend, his influence was felt through the selected works. The winners in attendance, Syozo Hamano (Ito Prize) and René Hauser (Public Vote Prize), were presented with gifts, including a contribution from FREITAG, a nod to the contest’s emphasis on sustainability.

The contest not only highlighted artistic talent but also contributed to the broader conversation surrounding vitality as a driving force for building a more sustainable and prosperous future. The exhibition offered visitors a chance to view these inspiring works, in the hope of sparking meaningful discussions during the Swiss Vitality Days about how art, innovation, and collaboration can foster more vital and sustainable societies.

Winning photographs

Grand Prize: Inheritance by Daigo Hasegawa
Embassy Prize : Living in a Marginalized Community, Ochoya by Ryuto Ito (selected by jury member Ingrid Dubach-Lemainque)
Jury Prizes: AWAI by Kaima Sakata (Koyama Prize), ΑΩ (Alpha Omega) by Domu (Kräher Prize), Vitality’s Repose, Twannbach Gorge, Switzerland by Jan Albert Eckert (Fukai Prize), To “A Bright Future“ by Syozo Hamano (Ito Prize)
Public Vote Award: “Buddha’s Wings: A Reflection on Vitality” by René Hauser

Jury members

Ingrid Dubach - Lemainque | Art critic

After graduating in art history (Paris-Sorbonne), Ingrid Dubach-Lemainque (*1976) worked for several years as a curator for public and private art collections in France and Switzerland - among others at the Swiss Federal Art Collection (Bern). She currently works as a freelance art critic for French- and German-speaking art magazines and lives in Tokyo with her husband Ambassador-Designate of Switzerland to Japan, Roger Dubach.

Sawako Fukai | Director, Producer, Editor

Sawako Fukai is an independent creative producer and art project coordinator based in Tokyo. After working as a director of contemporary photography gallery/an art book publisher for over ten years, she became independent. After 5 years of working in Europe including London and Amsterdam since 2014, now she is based in Tokyo, working in various branding and editorial projects mainly in the field of art and design, together with international clients. She is also engaged in many independent art project such as Tokyo Photographic Research.

Masaru Ito | President of SHIBAURA HOUSE (Minato-ku, Tokyo)

In 2011, he rebuilt the company building of the prepress company he took over from his father and renovated it as SHIBAURA HOUSE. Part of the building, designed by architect Kazuyo Sejima(SANAA), is open to the public and used as a community space for local people. In recent years, the company has been focusing on projects that combine social issues with creativity.

Taisuke Koyama | Photographer

Born in 1978, Lives and works in Tokyo. Based on his experience of studying biology and the natural environment, he has been presenting photographic works and video works with an experimental approach. Especially in recent years, he has been exploring the possibilities of extended photographic expression by focusing on contemporary photographic technology in terms of “sensing.” He stayed in London for two years from 2014 under the “Japanese Government Overseas Study Program for Artists” by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, and later based himself in Amsterdam. Since 2018, he has been leading the collective “TOKYO PHOTOGRAPHIC RESEARCH,” with a mission focused on “Multifaceted Urban Research” and “Pragmatic Exploration of Contemporary Photography”. He committed to the development of a cultural, social, and economic platform for contemporary photography expression in Japan.

www.tiskkym.com
www.tokyophotographicresearch.jp

Basil Kräher | Graphic Designer, Photographer, and Fashion Model currently based in Tokyo

Born on the 3rd of June 2000 in Zurich, Switzerland, Basil Kräher’s journey into the world of design began with an apprenticeship at HAVAS Switzerland, an international advertising agency, followed by a consequential internship at ARTSNEXT, an innovation agency, where he encountered the intricacies of Japanese design, finding himself instantly captivated by its profound aesthetic principles, such as Mono No Aware. Since his arrival in Tokyo in 2020, Basil Kräher has collaborated on a diverse array of projects, assuming pivotal roles in creative and art direction at the intersection of Fashion, Music, and art-related clients. Kräher’s core competency resides in his ability to conceive and grasp interdisciplinary concepts and processes. He firmly believes that the trajectory of the future hinges on fostering a multidisciplinary approach to both work and thought, surpassing the constraints inherent in specialized domains.

Website: basilkraeher.com
Instagram: @basil.kraeher

This event is part of the Swiss Vitality Days 2024, celebrating the 160th anniversary of bilateral relations between Switzerland and Japan, and takes place in the framework of Vitality.Swiss, Switzerland’s public diplomacy program on the road to Expo 2025 Osaka – Kansai.

SPONSORSHIP SWISS VITALITY DAYS I