MIE INADA’S ARTIST BOOK “INCOMING MESSAGE” NOW AVAILABLE FOR ORDER

07/06/2023

We are now accepting orders for Mie Inada’s artist book “INCOMING MESSAGE”.
This artist book is going to be launched upon the occasion of Inada’s exhibition “INCOMING MESSAGE” 8/5-8/20.

Mie Inada participated in the “Photobook as Object” photography book production workshop held by Reminders Photography Stronghold in 2019, where she started working on this project in earnest.

There is still a U.S. military site called “Camp Asaka” in Wako City in Saitama prefecture, Japan. However, no one is vociferously calling for the return of the land, and the residents are not particularly concerned about the 11.8 hectares of land that is nothing but antennas. Mie Inada herself, who lives nearby, had no interest in the area and was unaware of what had happened to the land.

However, one day, when she first noticed the crumbling shack on the U.S. military site, the post-World War Ⅱ occupation of the past suddenly loomed out before her. Since then, she has conducted research on “Camp Asaka (formerly known as Camp Drake)” while photographing the hut and the few remains of the former U.S. military base in the neighborhood. After four years of work, she has compiled them into a book.
The photo exhibition “INCOMING MESSAGE by Mie Inada” related to this book, will be held from August 5th to 20th, 2023. She will be present in the gallery during the exhibition period and will be working on the production of the photo book at the venue. We look forward to seeing you there.

“INCOMING MESSAGE”

When I first saw the rickety hut No.1153, I heard the voices of many people saying something. The small wooden hut, No. 1153, speaks eloquently and voiceless through time. I was fascinated by its charm and started to research the local history in libraries. While doing my research, I began to imagine the stories of the people who actually lived here which the historical documents did not reveal.

Who was here?
What were they doing here?
What were they looking at?
What were they thinking about?

Through social networking sites and websites, I started contacting people who were living in the area at that time.

This hut was a mysterious device which opened a door to the days when people lived here after World War II. The days when people resided in the American military family housing near this hut. The days when Japanese people lived near the American-occupied territory. The days when wounded soldiers from the Vietnam War stayed at the field hospital at Camp Drake. I received messages from individuals from those days about their precious and unforgettable memories.

In April 2020, a state of emergency was declared due the COVID pandemic, and I was forced to work from home for a while. When I finally came back to the office in July, I was surprised to see that the hut had disappeared. Evidence of the past was mercilessly destroyed, and I fear that people will forget the fact that Camp Drake existed here.

The land that I am stepping upon now has most certainly been stepped upon by someone else in the past. However, the cityscape of everyday life is constantly being replaced with new buildings, so I feel as if there is no history.

The only remnants of the U.S military family housing called “Momote Village” are antennas and green lawns. We cannot see it clearly, but I know that this place where I am standing is connected to someone’s precious and unforgettable memories and experiences.

Mie Inada

Mie Inada 「INCOMING MESSAGE」
188 pages
Size: 203mm x 254mm x 26mm
Weight: app. 800g
Edition: 49 (Signed)
Language: English
Photography, editing, printing, binding design: Mie Inada
Concept, storyline, art direction: Yumi Goto, Reminders Photography Stronghold
This project was developed after participating in the 2019 Photobook as Object Workshop by Yumi Goto and Jan Rosseel in collaboration with Reminders Photography Stronghold.

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We will ship the book once the production is completed.
Please allow 1 to 2 months for the production period. Thank you in advance for your understanding.
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From the photobook “INCOMING MESSAGE” spread page