Julien Rocheblave's '36 Clics du mont Fuji' reimagines Hokusai's iconic prints through contemporary photography
French photographer Julien Rocheblave has unveiled '36 Clics du mont Fuji,' a project that revisits the perspectives found in Katsushika Hokusai's 'Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji,' created between 1831 and 1833. This work showcases Japan's evolving landscape, merging traditional imagery with contemporary scenes, like Mount Fuji set against roller coasters and sports fields. Employing techniques such as camera tilting, Rocheblave mirrors Hokusai's style, while close-up shots of foam droplets reinterpret 'The Great Wave off Kanagawa.' A prominent piece, 'Red Fuji,' was showcased at the Maison européenne de la photographie in Paris. An 80-page book will be released in May 2026 for 50 euros, accompanied by a presentation at the Rencontres d'Arles festival and a documentary airing in late May 2026.
Key facts
- Julien Rocheblave created '36 Clics du mont Fuji,' a photographic series reimagining Hokusai's 'Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji.'
- The series revisits exact viewpoints from Hokusai's 1831–1833 woodblock prints, documenting landscape changes.
- Photographs show Mount Fuji with modern elements like roller coasters, factories, and the Shinkansen bullet train.
- Some images depict traditional Japanese scenes like fishermen, shrines with torii gates, and flowering fields.
- The 'Red Fuji' image was projected onto the Maison européenne de la photographie in Paris.
- An 80-page self-published book of the series costs 50 euros and delivers starting early May 2026.
- The series will be presented at the Rencontres d'Arles in July as part of the Fisheye gallery's selection.
- A documentary about the series' creation will air in late May 2026.
Entities
Artists
- Julien Rocheblave
- Katsushika Hokusai
- Henri Matisse
- Eisen
- Hiroshige
- Kuniyoshi
- Toshio Shibata
- Turner
- Constable
Institutions
- Beaux Arts Magazine
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Maison européenne de la photographie
- Fisheye gallery
- Rencontres d'Arles
- Fuji-Q Highland
Locations
- Japan
- Paris
- France
- New York
- United States
- Edo
- Kyōto
- Kisokaidō