Space Cadet ¹ is at it again; after last year’s “Actual Exhibition #1,” ² they’re following up with “Actual Exhibition #2.” Once again the exhibit will be held at Turner Gallery ³. Dates are 5/24 – 6/2.

Naohiro Utagawa’s work was part of the Space Cadet show a few weeks ago. ¹ I’d seen his snapshots before, but he’d completely changed his approach this time. The work is still in its early stages—it doesn’t even have a title yet!

All images by Naohiro Utagawa

Yumiko Utsu

The Space Cadet ¹ opening was last night, and it was a pleasant surprise to see lots of people showing up on a rainy night to look at photographs. I don’t have anything comprehensive to say about the show right now, but after being kind of apprehensive ² about the whole thing in my last post, I do want to say that it is worth seeing if you can. It’s only up until this Friday, and the location ³ is objectively inconvenient (although I can ride my bike there). Still it’s a chance to see what Tokyo’s young photographers are trying.

The flyer for Space Cadet's "Actual Exhibition." See you there.

Generally speaking, it’s a good time for photography exhibits in Tokyo. Araki, ¹ Kawauchi, ² Yasuhiro Ishimoto ³ and Thomas Demand ⁴ all have museums shows up, while the first three of that group also have gallery exhibits. Still, I’m looking forward to a group show which will run from June 6 – 15, put on by the website Space Cadet ⁵ at Turner Gallery (map here ⁶). It’s called “Actual Exhibition,” and it will include the work of 18 of the photographers featured on the Space Cadet.

Expectations should be set higher than usual. For better or worse, Space Cadet has very consciously selected a group of photographers that represent something like “the scene” as it stands in 2012, and putting 18 people in one show is making quite a statement. So, there will be a lot of talent in the room, but is it going to add up to anything? The reason (or lack of it) for producing this show will be more important than the relative quality of the photographs themselves. I can always feel things happening in Tokyo, but it’s all a bit fragmented, and this exhibit could break through all that.

Update (6/10/12): you should see the show. ⁷

The amount of work that remains trapped in Japan is the primary motivation for writing this blog. Lack of internet usage is one reason that photographs don’t leave the country, but what about when someone makes a nice website, uses readable English, but doesn’t promote it to foreign audiences? This is the case with spacecadet.jp, a very good Tinyvices clone for Japan. It’s being updated with some regularlity, but seems to have no recognition outside of Japan—and maybe not even that much inside, either. This post is only saying: visit spacecadet.jp, bookmark it, and come back again later.