Spider’s Strategy – A publisher’s eye on Japan

Opening on Friday, 5th September 2025 at 19:00
With an introduction by Markus Schaden, The PhotoBookMuseum

The works on display are from the Roland Angst Collection and will be auctioned at Lempertz in the autumn season. The Japanese photographs will be offered in an online auction, while other works from the Roland Angst Collection will be offered in the regular photography auction on 3rd December.

Referring to the highly acclaimed publication ‘Spider's Strategy’ by photographer Kanemura Osamu, the exhibition provided by Lempertz offers an insight into the recent history of Japanese photography. The works come from the collection of Roland Angst (1944-2022), a trained graphic designer who ran a publishing house and gallery for photography and photobooks in Berlin under the name ONLY PHOTOGRAPHY since 2008. In addition to the more than 60 photographs, several photobooks are also on display.

The exhibition focuses on works created in the 1970s, 1990s and 2000s. Representative of this early phase are works by Suda Issei, who began working as a photographer for the groundbreaking experimental theatre group Tenjô Sajiki in 1967. After leaving the troupe, Suda later travelled throughout Japan and created outstanding series in which he captured views of everyday life, festivals and city life with great precision.

The 1990s focus on works from the series ‘Spider's Strategy’ by Kanemura Osamu. Published in 2001 and accompanied by an essay by architect Isozaki Arata, the illustrated book presents 80 black-and-white photographs of Tokyo's urban landscape, which is criss-crossed by an endless network of wires, objects and infrastructure. The photographs show forms and structures that condense like a spider's web, conveying what was then a new visual experience of the ultra-modern metropolis. 

The 2000s section of the exhibition focuses on the works of Okahara Kôsuke, who began his career as a photographer after studying education. Okahara often engages in long-term projects dealing with stories of marginalised social groups, including migrant workers and girls who exhibit self-harming behaviour. For his projects, he has travelled to Sudan, Burma and Colombia, among other places. 

The show features works by the following photographers:
ANRAKUJI Emi (*1963), HAMAYA Hiroshi (1915-1999), HIBI Yûichi (*1964), HOSOE Kenji (*1963), ICHIMURA Tetsuya (*1930), ISHIMOTO Yasuhiro (1921-2012), KANEMURA Osamu (*1964), KAWAUCHI Rinko (*1972), MIYAMOTO Ryûji (*1947), NAGANO Yôichi (*1968), OKAHARA Kôsuke (*1980), ONAKA Kôji (*1960), ORIMOTO Tatsumi (1946-2025), SHIBATA Toshio (*1949), SUDA Issei (1940-2019), TAKANASHI Yutaka (*1935), TÔMATSU Shômei (1930-2012), YAHAGI Kôichirô (1930-2010), YANAGISAWA Shin (1936-2008).

The exhibition is being held in cooperation with the Japanese Cultural Institute Cologne and The Photobookmuseum.

Jan Bykowski
Press and Public Relations
info@lempertz.com
Tel. 0221 925729 -57