is this utopia? rumi ando strips down tokyo's bustling life

tokyo nude, a faceless city

tokyo-based artist and photographer rumi ando, created a photo series dubbed ‘tokyo nude’, capturing the mild and mute beauty of the cityscapes, adding a melancholic touch. behind her lens, we see a city without its bustling life that normally characterizes it; devoid of people, advertisements, entrances, and exits, the neighborhoods emerge as an ensemble of pastel-tinted box-like structures, intruding the city.all images courtesy of rumi ando

a dream-like city? 

rumi ando (see more here) has edited and simplified the original shots to create a nude fictional city, a fusion of utopic and dystopic characteristics; a wonderful pastel pure city, lacking any traces of human life. multiple shapes and forms and a spotless blue sky reveal her nostalgia and optimism. 

‘tokyo has been continuously renewing with the times. the buildings that were built crowded together almost seem like a life form deeply rooted in the city.’ she said. ‘living in tokyo, I live in symbiosis with this rigid life form. on the other hand, the sense of community between people seems to be shifting to the internet. a distant virtual connection may be much more important than a relationship with a neighbor across the wall. virtual became real, and real is becoming virtual. now the outlines of the city of tokyo are becoming blurred.’

‘discarding the garment of civilization’ 

‘I wonder what will tokyo look like when we no longer need material functions. there are no entrances and no exits, only box-like structures spreading out. all activities are completed in the box, and photos, text, and traces of human consumption activities disappear from the city. is that a dystopia for us? is it a utopia for tokyo?’ rumi ando mentioned.

a sense of mystery

pastel facades

faceless cityscape

1/7

devoid of decoration

nude city

pastel roofs are stacked on top of each other

 

 

 

 

project info:

name: nude tokyo

by: rumi ando