ENTRY DESCRIPTION
When describing Japanese city planning, French author Roland Barthes writes: "In this manner, we are told, the system of the imaginary is spread circularly, by detours and returns the length of an empty subject."
I can intimately relate to this description, since my stay in Japan was mainly one of detours and returns. There was no specific subject to hunt, except for maybe taking in the surroundings as truthfully as they would allow. Most times it felt as though I didn't even know what I was looking for, but somehow it was always there, right under my nose, a shutter away. I took each photo with the utmost fascination. This country, with its density, stillness and beauty, is - as described per the title of Barthes' book - an empire of signs.

The trip was carefully organised, with an extensive schedule. The visit lead through the regions of Kanto, Chubu, Kansai, Chugoku and Shikoku over a span of a little under two months in 2018. It was North of the Teshima Art island that I shot this specific photo. Alone in a little cabin by the sea, this man was the sole person responsible for the Karato port. The Karato port was the only port that offered later returns to Naoshima, where I was staying. As opposed to the Benesse Art Site transportation services (which mainly carry tourists), this port is most frequented by the locals.

AUTHOR
Chinese-German photographer and filmmaker who grew up in France, Felicitas Yang graduated with a BFA in filmmaking at the New York Film Academy in 2016. She subsequently directed a handful of short documentaries, as well as a couple of narrative short films. In 2018, she moved to Berlin where she developed a keen interest for analog photography, leading her to direct "Box of Memories" (2019), an experimental movie that marries filmmaking and photography techniques. To this day, Felicitas shoots exclusively on film.

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