CHASKIELBERG, Alejandro - Otsuchi. Future Memories

Background information

Otsuchi - Future memories' is part of a series of photo books that not only reflect the direct impact of catastrophes (9.11., hurricane Katrina, tsunami, the attacks in Paris in November 2015), but also the role of photography. The aftermath of the Japanese tsunami disaster of 2011 ('Higashi Nihon Daishinsai') most recently moved Munemasa TAKAHASHI to his photo book 'Laying stones'; Bettina LOCKEMANN processed the events of Paris still in November in 'Etat D'Urgent'. Further examples for the processing of the Tsunami are 'TSUKUBA-NARITA' by Jens LIEBCHEN, 'Tohoku' by Hans-Christian SCHINK', as well as 'Unimachi 1997' by Koji ONAKA or also 'The first day of good weather' by Vittorio MORTAROTTI.

Content

"This book, 'Otsuchi' by Alejandro CHASKIELBERG, documents the effects of the powerful earthquake that struck Japan's northeastern coast in March 2011 and, followed by the tsunami disaster, overwhelmed the town of Otsuchi, located in Iwate Prefecture. This community of 15,000 people, made up mainly of fishermen, was among the towns hit by subsequent waves up to 18 meters high, damaging nearly 60% of the city. The book collects family photographs of Otsuchi residents found after the disaster and places them in dialogue with images showing survivors in the ruins of their homes. By recoloring the found photos, some of which were badly washed out and had lost their original color, the editing photographer Alejandro Chaskielberg attempts to create a bridge to the current images of the survivors. This seems somewhat artistic in parts, but is an often-chosen tool in recent Asian fortography to reflect a dynamic relationship between family photographs and our memories in the wake of such disasters.  The 2011 tsunami wiped out many lives, destroyed entire communities, and caused immeasurable property damage, but most importantly, it caused intangible loss and robbed survivors of their own identities and memories, in which family images play a fundamental role." (free translation of publisher's text, © Editorial RM, 2016)

Additional information

Argentine photojournalist Alejandro CHASKIELBERG's foro series, 'Otsuchi - Future memories', won the '5th RM Iberoamerican Photobook Competition 2014', selected by a jury composed of: Christopher ANDERSON, Iata CANNABRAVA, Claudi CARRERAS, Inaki DOMINGO, Alexis FABRY, Horacio FERNANDEZ, Julien FRYDMAN, Alonso MORALES, Daido MORIYAMA - who wrote books' essay, Pablo Ortiz MONASTERIO, Martin PARR and Alec SOTH.

About the Argentine photographer Alejandro CHASKIELBERG

Photo books by Alejandro CHASKIELBERG