JAPAN. Bodies, memories, visions

From 14 February to 7 June 2026, Magazzino delle Idee in Trieste presents the exhibition JAPAN. Bodies, memories, visions, produced and organized by ERPAC – Regional Authority for Cultural Heritage of Friuli Venezia Giulia, and curated by Filippo Maggia and Guido Comis. 

The exhibition is structured around three thematic axes – Memory and Identity, Body and Bodies, Reality and Vision – a core selection of works by contemporary Japanese artists who, through the use of images, offer a wide-ranging overview of today’s Japanese photographic and video scene, from dialogue with established masters to the research of new generations engaged in rereading Japan’s recent history, questioning gender issues, exploring everyday life, and at times using the body as a political medium. 

While twentieth-century Japanese photography was long characterized by a strongly identity-driven and self-referential language, today we are witnessing a significant shift: many young and already established artists take as their point of reference not only the complexity of their own country, but also global transformations, constructing an intense dialogue with themes of Western origin such as gender issues, collective memory, social relations, the environment, and the perception of images.