Since 2013, IMA Media Project has been organizing the exhibition annually in special collaboration with Panasonic Corporation and its brand, LUMIX, to support and develop young talented artists who will lead the way for the future of Japanese fine art photography. This is going to be our sixth exhibit with venues in Amsterdam, Paris and Tokyo as in the last year. LUMIX MEETS BEYOND 2020 BY JAPANESE PHOTOGRAPHERS #6 will also collaborate with international photography festivals. In line with this year’s theme, “how best to understand the world of uncertainty,” we set out to explore photographic works that need to be seen and appreciated now.

Today, the world faces more daunting challenges than ever before, and many issues remain unresolved. On the other hand, technological innovations have given us a wealth of opportunities, transforming our lives every second. It is said that we are crossing to an unprecedented new era of the posthuman. Millennials grew up in a time of marked advances in technology and amid a lot of uncertainty. This exhibition will feature how this generation of young people thinks and views the world. Modern communications have led to the rise of new types of creativity and innovation coming from somewhere between two seemingly contrasting worlds, such as the fiction and the reality, the analogue and the digital, or journalism and art. It is increasingly important to recognize and understand what the new generation has to offer.

This year, six emerging photographers selected by IMA Media Project will participate in the exhibition. Takeshi Mita creates compelling visual experiences where reality and fiction subtly mingle. Taro Karibe addresses issues prevalent in the world today from a journalistic perspective. Riyo Nemeth calmly observes the encounter between still and moving images. These three artists are going to show their new work shoot especially for the exhibition with LUMIX G9. Other three artists are Sayuri Ichida, Yoko Kusano and Kenta Nakamura. We are absolutely thrilled to showcase what they see and communicate in society which has become ever more complicated. It is fascinating to watch how millennials use photography as a medium to cope with uncertainty in today’s world. This year’s BEYOND 2020 is set to shed light on their dedication to the art of photography as well as their bold and unique creations.