The foundation of Masashi Echigo’s work are intermittent interactions with other individuals and groups of society. His artistic practice is based on travelling in particular, as well as on the temporary sharing or borrowing of things as an attempt to open up to others and simultaneously participate in their lives.

In 2013 Echigo lived mainly on Shodoshima, a Japanese island. There the artist encountered an almost exclusively indigenous community and found that a number of Japanese ‘emigrants’ lived on the island – entire families who had left behind their old lives and sometimes promising careers in face of the devastating earthquake of March 2011, their only aim being to live in security, far away from any danger. In his work All is fish that comes to the net Echigo places a series of photos that he took on Shodoshima in direct reference to scenes from Yasujiro Ozu’s film Tokyo Story dating from 1953. The film tells the story of an older married couple visiting their children who have emigrated to the city, and sheds a new light on concepts such as family and notions of happiness and satisfaction before the background of the post-war era in Japan with its economic boom, flight from the countryside and growing individualism. In addition, Echigo presents a large-format installation, which refers to the theme of fishing.

All is fish that comes to the net was realised in collaboration with the artist and designer Osamu Inami (*1980).

Masashi Echigo is currently participating in the International Studio Programme at Künstlerhaus Bethanien.  www.masashiechigo.com