SIGMA and KYOTOGRAPHIE present : Kikuji Kawada: Endless Map
Exhibited as part of the “Arles Associé” sequence of the Rencontres d’Arles
Event
Les Rencontres d’Arles 2025
KIKUJI KAWADA: Endless Map - Invisible
Curator: Sayaka Takahashi (PGI)
Co-productie: Sigma × KYOTOGRAPHIE
SIGMA and KYOTOGRAPHIE(Kyoto International Photography Festival）are
honored to be part of the Associated Program at Les Rencontres d’Arles 2025,
following our successful participation in 2024. This year, we are proud to present
Kikuji Kawada: Endless Map – Invisible under the curatorial direction of Sayaka
Takahashi (PGI) at VAGUE, Arles. This exhibition builds upon KYOTOGRAPHIE 2024, bringing together key works by Kikuji Kawada from his iconic series --The Map, The Last Cosmology, Los Caprichos and Voltex. It offers international audiences a rare and immersive encounter with one of Japan’s most influential photographic voices.
At SIGMA, we believe in elevating engineering to an art form—and in devoting
that engineering to the service of creative expression. Guided by the philosophy
”The Art of engineering. Engineering for Art.”, we have long supported and
initiated cultural and artistic endeavors that advance photography and the visual
arts.
Our enduring partnership with KYOTOGRAPHIE lies at the heart of this
commitment. It is a true pleasure to once again participate as co-producers in the Arles Associé program of Les Rencontres d’Arles. This summer, we are honored to present Kikuji Kawada: Endless Map – Invisible, a project that deepens our collaboration with KYOTOGRAPHIE 2024 while celebrating the visionary legacy of Kikuji Kawada. We warmly invite audiences from around the world to experience this singular and evocative exhibition
About the Exhibition
Endless Map – Invisible is the first major exhibition in France of Japanese photographer Kikuji Kawada, co-founder of the VIVO collective and a key figure in post-war Japanese photography. Curated by Sayaka Takahashi of PGI, a gallery in Tokyo representing the artist, this exhibition expands upon the presentation first shown at the 2024 edition of the KYOTOGRAPHIE International Photography Festival. In this year marking the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Endless Map – Invisible brings together, for the first time, photographs from four of Kawada’s most iconic series. It traces six decades of Japanese post-war history through the photographer’s uncompromising gaze, where layers of time and memory intertwine to form a theater of the world. Through the four series featured in Endless Map – Invisible, Kikuji Kawada offers a deeply poetic and committed vision.
The Map (1959–1965) en Endless Map (2021)
The Map, a fully formed book-object later revisited in Endless Map, is a powerful visual response to the trauma of Japan’s defeat. It marked a real turning point in photographic storytelling, breaking away from traditional documentary photography of the time.
The Last Cosmology (1995)
Een poëtische meditatie op de overgang van het Shōwa-tijdperk naar het nieuwe millennium, waarin Kawada’s fascinatie voor het heelal centraal staat. Hij gebruikt de hemel als toneel voor lot, ramp en reflectie.
Los Caprichos (1972–heden)
Conceived as a poetic meditation on Japan’s transition from the Shōwa era to the end of the millennium, this series reveals Kawada’s fascination with the cosmos and explores the sky as a stage for fate and disaster.
Vortex (2022)
Continuing his dive into abstraction and vertigo, Vortex expresses a form of inner collapse and cosmic exploration. Kawada further develops an aesthetic of
the fragment, disturbance, and trace, making photography an instrument of thought in the face of the world’s instability.
Kikuji Kawada: A Life in Books
At the conclusion of the exhibition, visitors can discover a selection of Kawada’s publications, including several first editions, accompanied by a filmed interview with the photographer.
About Kikuji Kawada
Kikuji Kawada (born 1933 in Ibaraki, Japan) is a major figure in post-war Japanese photography. After graduating Kawada joined the publishing company Shinchosha as a photographer. He co-founded the legendary VIVO collective in 1959 alongside Akira Satō, Akira Tanno, Shōmei Tōmatsu, Ikko Narahara, and Eikoh Hosoe. Kawada belongs to a generation that profoundly renewed Japanese photographic language during a time of both socio-political and aesthetic upheaval. His book Chizu (The Map), published in 1965, is considered one of the greatest masterpieces in the history of photography. This visual meditation on Japan’s defeat and the nuclear catastrophe, rich in political metaphors and narrative experimentation, disrupted the conventions of the photobook. Kawada describes his work as capturing “the demons lurking in the era, fixed as shadows of astonishment,” adding that “memory itself could then become the mirror of the artist’s style.” At 92, he continues to renew his vision and revisit his work, maintaining a continuous connection with his audience by regularly sharing his photographic reflections on Instagram.(@kawada_kikuji)
Exhibition Details
KIKUJI KAWADA: Endless Map – Invisible
Curated by: Sayaka Takahashi (PGI)
Co-produced by: SIGMA × KYOTOGRAPHIE
Exhibition dates: July 7 – October 3, 2025 (The festival runs until Sunday, October 5)
Venue: VAGUE, 14 Rue de Grille, Arles
Sigma AIZU JAPAN | The Art of engineering. Engineering for Art
At the venue, SIGMA presents a simple but symbolic display centered on
the concept that drives its craft. Featuring the latest mirrorless camera, the
Sigma BF, the installation highlights the spirit of craftsmanship cultivated at
its sole production site in Aizu, Japan, and reflects its enduring philosophy:
a deep commitment to the art of photography. This same commitment forms
the foundation of SIGMA’s collaboration with KYOTOGRAPHIE and the
photographic works of Kikuji Kawada. Through this exhibition, visitors are invited to discover the shared values that connect its manufacturing ethos with the expressive power of photographic art
KYOTOGRAPHIE: A Kyoto Story | A Twelve-Year Cycle
To mark the twelve years anniversary of KYOTOGRAPHIE International
Photography Festival, a newly released publication celebrating the history of
the festival will be available at the exhibition venue VAGUE during the solo
presentation of Kikuji Kawada’s Endless Map – Invisible. KYOTOGRAPHIE:
A Kyoto Story | A Twelve-Year Cycle is a bilingual publication that captures the
essence of a festival that’s growth has been shaped by its shared making and
relationship with community, collaboration, and distinct sensitivity to place.
About Les Rencontres de la Photographie, Arles 2025
Founded in 1970 by photographer Lucien Clergue, Les Rencontres de la
photographie d’Arles (Les Rencontres d’Arles) is the world’s oldest and largest
photography festival, celebrating its 56th edition this year. Known for inspiring
KYOTOGRAPHIE, the festival features complex exhibitions using historical
landmarks from the Roman era. It attracts photographers, curators, journalists,
and fans from around the globe, serving as a major hub for discovering talents and fostering cross-disciplinary exchanges. “Arles Associé” is a sequence of the
Rencontres d’Arles
About KYOTOGRAPHIE
KYOTOGRAPHIE is an international photography festival based in Kyoto - a city that garners global attention as a centre of culture and the arts in Japan. Each spring the festival unfolds as an immersive celebration of photography. More than just an exhibition, KYOTOGRAPHIE offers unique experiences where traditional and contemporary expressions intersect. As a platform for encountering diverse worldviews, it fosters new forms of dialogue, and invites audiences to discover new perspectives on the city.
Unconstrained by conventional boundaries, KYOTOGRAPHIE is known for an
innovative approach to scenography and thoughtful installations. The experiences crafted by the festival reshape conventional formats, connecting audiences with new ways of perceiving both the work and the spaces around them. It is a multifaceted experience that could have only emerged in Kyoto.
At the heart of KYOTOGRAPHIE lies the Main Programme. Each year, the
festival’s co-directors, Lucille Reyboz and Yusuke Nakanishi, establish a distinctive theme, around which the programme is curated and artists are invited. Various venues across Kyoto city are transformed into special exhibition spaces through close collaboration between the KYOTOGRAPHIE team, participating artists, venue partners, and scenographers
About Sigma – MADE IN AIZU, JAPAN
Sigma a Japanese manufacturer of photographic lenses and cameras. Since
Sigma’s founding in 1961, we have continued to innovate and push the standards
of optical engineering out of a deep respect for the creative ways photographers
and filmmakers engage with the world. The exceptional quality of “Made in Aizu,
Japan” is made possible by SIGMA’s sole production base, the Aizu factory, and
our supply chain concentrated in the Tohoku region. This quality embodies the true essence of Sigma - an integration of local wisdom, craftsmanship, and technology.
“The Art of engineering. Engineering for Art.”
As a camera and lens manufacturer, we have always been deeply motivated
by the art of photography. We are inspired by the passion of photographers
and filmmakers everywhere and hope that our relentless pursuit of quality and
innovation will help artists realize their visions. Supporting the photographic and visual arts is a core tenet of our corporate mission. In addition to our ongoing sponsorships and partnerships with numerous festivals and cultural events, as well as maintaining, growing, and exhibiting our library of photobooks, we will continue to expand and deepen our support of the arts through new endeavors like this exhibition.
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