Kokura Castle: Jun*Juane's Origin - First Solo Exhibition

Kokura Castle Tower

Jun*Juane's Origin: First Solo Exhibition at Kokura Castle (2023.4.29 - 5.9)

The "Goldfish Photo Art Exhibition" held at Kokura Castle Tower, the symbol of Kitakyushu, in the spring of 2023, became the catalyst for the birth of a single artist named "Jun*Juane".

Goldfish photographer Jun Iwasaki and artist Tae Morikawa, who had been active individually until then. This first solo exhibition took the form of their determination to melt their sensibilities into one and step forward as "one artist" while being two.

Fusion of History and Innovation

In the traditional space of Kokura Castle, the serene vitality of goldfish captured by Jun Iwasaki and the original worldview constructed by Tae Morikawa resonated. In this first solo exhibition, we held a "Metaverse Venue" that transcended the constraints of place simultaneously with the "Real Venue" of Kokura Castle. Giving birth on both axes of a real castle and a virtual space demonstrated that Jun*Juane's activities would not fit into existing frameworks.

Conviction as One Artist

During the 11-day exhibition period, the castle tower, which was open until 20:00 at night, was visited by many people, from locals to tourists. In this special place called a castle, the goldfish into which the souls of the two were breathed swam leisurely in the hearts of the viewers... Through that scene, the two deepened their conviction as "one" artist.

The Story Starts Here

This exhibition at Kokura Castle is the first chapter of the story of Jun*Juane. The "expression melting the boundary between photography and art" that started here continues to evolve even now. Everything started from Kokura Castle in the spring of 2023.