Steffen Kloster POULSEN

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Steffen Kloster POULSEN

Participating Program	Research Residency Program
Activity Based	Aarhus (Denmark)
City	Tokyo
Period	2023.1 - 2023.3

Purpose of the residency

I am joining the TOKAS residency to develop and finish a project I began in 2018 about the Shinjuku Station in Tokyo. I will photograph, sound record, and scan the station area and seek out knowledgeable people on the subject. I plan to do some historic and cultural research about the station and how it has developed since its opening in 1885. Additionally, I will trace the station's current and historical physical scope by walking and drawing maps, inspired by the Street Observation Society of the 1980s.

Plan during the residency

• Document Shinjuku Station and surroundings through photographs, sound, etc.
• Interview people (architects, researchers, artists, etc.)
• Visit local libraries, museums, etc.
• Walk the streets and tunnels of Shinjuku
• Draw maps

Activities during the residency

At TOKAS I set out to finish a photography project I began in 2018 about Shinjuku train station. During the residency I photographed the entrances of the station during several nights of night time sessions when the station is closed. In order to get a deeper understanding of the development of the Shinjuku area, I undertook historical research at the archives of three Tokyo institutions: National Diet Library, National Archive of Modern Architecture and Shinjuku Historical Museum. I looked at old maps, architectural blueprints, and microfilmed magazines and talked to archivists and researchers who contextualized the information I gathered. I also got a lot of input from visitors who approached me at the Open Studio, where I had printed 157 pictures of entrances as well as a map of the Shinjuku Station surrounding area.

Outcome of the residency

After the TOKAS residency the project is ready to be sent around to galleries in Denmark and Japan. I have been approached by an art exhibition on public transportation in Copenhagen, who would like to show it. I also have plans of turning the project into a photobook at some point in the future. The most impressive episode was the curious questions and interest visitors showed the project at the Open Studio. I was taken aback by the warm reception.

Creator Information