Do you know Pedro Costa? The Portuguese master will hold a solo exhibition at the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography.

From the film "Horse Money" 2014

We live in an age in which anyone, regardless of age or technology, can create and transmit video works, and in which they can be viewed without limit.

That is why I want to listen carefully to the voices of those who make their living with images. What will they do now that they have to face technological advances whether they want to or not? This exhibition, which opens today, August 28 (Thu.) at the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, will provide an opportunity to think about such questions.

Film director Pedro Costa will hold the largest solo exhibition in Japan and the first in Tokyo at a museum.

For those who do not know, Pedro Costa is a leading Portuguese filmmaker whose 1989 feature debut, "Blood," drew attention at the Venice International Film Festival and was followed by "Bones" (1997) and "Vanda's Room" (2000), which established his international reputation.

His remarkable recent work includes "Horse Money" (2014), which won the Locarno International Film Festival's Best Director Award; "Vitalina" (2019), which won the festival's Golden Leopard Award; and the short musical film "Daughters of Fire" (2023), which was screened as a Special Screening at the 76th Cannes International Film Festival. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Japan Foundation.

His films use a strong cinematic technique to capture the atmosphere of inadequacy in his country's capital, Lisbon, and the surrounding slums, as well as the despair that lies close by in the lives of the residents. The strong contrast between darkness and light and the meticulous composition of the screen seem to correct our way of looking at the subject matter. He has produced many films that are unparalleled anywhere in the world.

From the film "Horse Money" 2014

Costa has received international acclaim not only for his films, but also in the form of exhibitions. For example, the "Companhia" exhibition held at the Serralves Museum in Porto in 2018 and the "The Song of Pedro Costa" exhibition that traveled around Spain from 2022 to 2023.

And now he is coming to Japan. Pedro Costa Innervisions" shares its title with Stevie Wonder's album "Innervisions" (1973), which deeply influenced Costa when he was a teenager. The spirit of this album, which attempts to explore the relationship between society and the individual through music, also resonates deeply with his filmmaking methodology.

Pedro Costa, A Man Called Boy, A Woman Called Girl, 2005, 2-channel video projection, Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography

From "The Lives of the People of the Other Half" by Jacob Rees, 1880-1889, gelatin silver print, Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography

Pedro Costa〈Lava People〉, 2015, inkjet print, artist's collection

Pedro Costa, Daughters of Fire, 2019, 5-channel video projection, artist's collection.

The End of a Love Affair, 2003, single-channel video projection, artist's collection

The exhibition will include video works of his friend Ventura, who plays an important role in Costa's works, and other characters, as well as video works related to the places where they live, and the collection of the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography.

Noteworthy is the exhibition method. Usually, works are arranged on a white wall and divided into several chapters, but for this exhibition, the wall is painted black, and the only lighting in the venue is emergency lighting. The light from the images guides the viewer. The exhibition is like a maze. The viewer has to navigate through the maze with a sense of urgency.

This exhibition leaves all interpretation to the audience. Those who have seen Costa's work at least once will feel as if they themselves have been submerged in the work, and even those who have not seen his work before will be drawn in by the artist's character.

Pedro Costa, Alto Cuetero, 2012, 2-channel video projection, artist's collection

Pedro Costa, Lava House Scrapbook, 2010, slide show, artist's collection

Pedro Costa, Daughters of Fire (2022), 2022, 3-channel video projection, artist's collection

In addition to the exhibition, there will also be a series of must-see events. In addition to the screening of 11 films (planned) that Costa has freely selected and composed from his own perspective, there will also be screenings of Costa's own films, artist talks by the exhibiting artists and guests, gallery talks by the curator in charge, and more. For more information, please see the information page.

This exhibition will be open from tomorrow, Thursday, August 28, through Sunday, December 7. This is a unique opportunity. Please enjoy the world of Pedro Costa at this exhibition.