First major touring exhibition and book on Provoke magazine highlight Japanese photography's golden age
Launched in 1968 by Takuma Nakahira, Yutaka Takanashi, Koji Taki, and Takahiko Okada, the groundbreaking magazine Provoke played a crucial role in shaping a significant period in Japanese photography. It ran for just two years and published three issues, becoming a hallmark of the postwar avant-garde with its Are-Bure-Boke aesthetic. In January, a traveling exhibition commenced in Vienna, paired with the release of 'Provoke: Between Protest and Performance,' which features reproductions from the magazine and provides historical insights. This publication is organized into three parts: 'Protest,' 'Provoke,' and 'Performance.' Daido Moriyama became part of the collective in the second issue, but the group dissolved after the third. Koji Taki remarked in 1993 that while Provoke was iconic, it was not the sole movement of its era, indicating a need for modern reevaluation.
Key facts
- Provoke magazine was launched in 1968 by Takuma Nakahira, Yutaka Takanashi, Koji Taki, and Takahiko Okada
- The magazine ran for only two years and three issues plus a compilation
- It defined the postwar avant-garde with Are-Bure-Boke style: blurry, grainy, out-of-focus black-and-white photography
- A major touring exhibition opened in Vienna in January, accompanied by the book 'Provoke: Between Protest and Performance'
- Daido Moriyama joined from the second issue
- The book includes reproductions from the magazine and spreads from photobooks like 'For a Language to Come' (1970), 'Farewell Photography' (1972), and 'Towards the City' (1974)
- Koji Taki noted in 1993 that Provoke was iconic but not the only movement during that period
- The late 1960s through 1970s are considered the golden age of Japanese photography
Entities
Artists
- Daido Moriyama
- Takuma Nakahira
- Yutaka Takanashi
- Koji Taki
- Takahiko Okada
Institutions
- ArtReview Asia
Locations
- Vienna
- Austria
- Japan