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HARIBAN AWARD 2015 Exhibition
4/23/2016－5/22/2016/＠SferaExhibition



KYOTOGRAPHIE international Photo festival 2016　Main program
HARIBAN AWARD2015　Grand prrize Exhibition
Antony Cairns
Collotype exhibition 　‘LA-LV / LDN_Process’

◆

KYOTOGARPHIE international photo competition started in 2013, and it’s 4th edition this year.
Now it’s becoming famous as a big event in spring in Kyoto. Benrido has been involved with Kyotographie
since the first edition. And from 2014, we have been hosting an international photo competition “HARIBAN AWARD”
which aims to spread collotype technique.

The winner of the award receives two weeks of artist-in-residence in Kyoto to create
collotype prints with master artisans of Benrido atelier and the right to exhibit their own work at Kyotographie as an associated program.

The winner of the first edition Awoiska van der Molen (Netherland) exhibited her winning photographs at the Kosei-in (Traditional Japanese “Sukiya” style townhouse in Kyoto).
This is the photo from the last year.




We received as much as 234 applications for the HARIBAN AWARD 2015, the second edition. From all those applicants, Antony Cairns from London won the grand prize. Antony applied the first edition in 2014 and received Jury’s special prize. In 2015, it was his second challenge, and YES he did win!
→We will write an outline of HARIBAN AWARD2015 later.




This exhibition is to show result of HARIBAN AWARD 2015 and also this exhibition became one of the main programs because the work of Antony matches the theme of KYOTOGRAPHIE 2016 “Circle of Life” (I’ll explain it later). This is his first exhibition in Japan. So was Awoiska’s last year. We feel pleasure this Award is being good opportunities to introduce young foreign photographers to audience Japan.



The venue: SferaExhibition

Born in London in 1980, Cairns is a traditionally-trained photographer who learnt his trade at the London College of Printing, before studying the forgotten and discarded photographic methods that later became instrumental to his artistic style. AMC Books published his three-volume “LDN” series of photographs, which take the city of London as their main motif, and which received the 2013 Fotobookfestival Photo Book Award in Kassel, Germany.





At KYOTOGRAPHIE in addition to “LDN” series, he will be showing images from his series, “LA-LV” (Los Angeles/Las Vegas). mainly printed with Benrido artisans last Autumn, as well as collotype prints created from the tablet images with (Electronic Ink=EI) and printed on aluminum plates.



「LA-LV」 series Collotype ver.

Antony’s photograph production starts with shooting the night views of a city with a film camera named Minox made in Germany. He releases the shutter when he sees construction sites, interesting buildings etc while he wonders around city. And he develops them in a darkroom by himself. At that step, he often pursues imperfection by using experimental trials. City scenes in his developed images are abstracted and sometimes it’s hard to tell what the actual object was. Monochrome abstract images make it difficult to find where the scenes are taken. Maybe I could say this is part of globalization.


Punching Metal and mounted with thread, done by himself.
“Kyoto Benrido” is embossed.

As the title includes “Process”, he thinks that the whole process of production is photography. This exhibition exactly expresses how he thinks of “photography”.

Above works are printed in aluminum plates. Hard and cold touch of aluminum plates which match his world.



The works above represents the theme of this exhibition the most. More recently, he has been exhibiting images made with electronic ink on tablet computers that are then dismantled. EI in「LDN EI」means electoric Ink. He tries to represent reincarnation of photographic technology by reprinting the works used state-of-the-art technology, this time by collotype which is 150year old classic technique. This exactly matches the theme of Kyotographie this year “Circle of life”.



(from the left) LDN EI, Collotype plate the image printed on, Collotype work printed from the plate in the middle.


Besides above works, his hand made photo book and slides works are exhibited. You can take them in your hands and feel them.





〈OSC〉Punched card works

These pictures were taken in Osaka while his artist-in-residence last year. The newest photo book「OSC」(=Osaka Station City). The night views taken around Umeda station in Osaka were inkjet printed on punch cards which used be used for computer programs. Antony plans to collotype those photographs by himself and exhibits them in London near future.



A Talk session with Mr.Simon Baker (right)

On April 24th, a talk session of Simon Baker ( senior curator, photograph section, Tate modern) and Antony was held. Antony explained his own works and talked how he started taking pictures at the age of 15 and then how he reached the current style in relaxed atmosphere.

One guest asked him “Today you can make images abstract using something lik Photoshop. But is there any reason why you stick to darkroom process?”
Antony answered “The photography has developed with techniques in each period. Therefore now there are varieties of selections from classic to state of art digital techniques.
I feel happy I get to choose what I think good from those”.


Recently, it seems like the number of photographers who adopt classic printing techniques is increasing. From the point of view of Hariban Award host, I feel collotype is attracting attention as one of classic printing techniques from overseas, especially in Europe.



Hariban Award is now the 3rd edition. Now, calling for entry.
We look forward to receiving wonderful photographs from all over the world.
Do not miss this rare chance. And we look forward to make collotype prints of your photographs with master artisans of Benrido atelier in Kyoto, this Autumn!

www.haribanaward.org





Hariban Award 2015 Official Catalogue （Limited 80 copies）　$42.50
purchase here


「LDN EI」collotype prints can be purchased here


Exhibited photo books can be purchased from here:
LDN, LDN2, LDN3, LPT
http://www.antony-cairns.co.uk/books

LDN EI, OSC
http://twelve-books.com/shop/



www.haribanaward.org

It’s not exaggeration to say that the gelatin plate is the life of collotype. How prints appear changes depending on how to blend gelatin sensitizer. There used to be a lot of collotype printing companies, and the same numbers of recipes existed.

Following is the current blending recipe of Benrido Collotype Atelier.

Gelatin1 　　　　　　　 720g
Gelatin2　　　　　　　　 720g
Water　　　　　　　 　　　　 15000ml
Ammonium Dichromate　　 180g
Potassium Dichromate　　　 180g
Lead nitrate　　　　 　　　　　 30g
Benzoin　tincture　　 　　　　 180ml
ethanol　　　 　　 　 180ml


Blending of gelatin sensitizer 1 : chemicals
Above chemicals are broadly separated into three categories.
Ａ） Gelatin
Ｂ）Sensitizing materials: Ammonium Dichromate, Potassium Dichromate
Ｃ）Assistants: Lead nitrate, benzoin tincture, ethanol



Two kinds of gelatin :720g each



Main ingredient of sensitizer is gelatin. Gelatin for collotype once existed but has been discontinued as decline of collotype. And then we used photographic gelatin. But today, it’s not easy to purchase photographic gelatin anymore because of digitalization.
So now, we uses gelatin for food of Nitta Gelatin inc.

We did various tests when we were changing photographic gelatin to edible one. We judged gelatin’s aptitude for collotype by stiffness/softness, viscosity, strength of gel, tones, and printing-resistance. As a result of tests, now we decided to blend the same amount of two kinds of gelatin: 1)high-viscosity, soft gelatin 2)Low-viscosity, tough gelatin.






Ammonium Dichromate (NH4)2Cr2O7

180g

　Potassium Dichromate K2Cr2O7


180g

Potassium Dichromate, itself is resistant to light. However, it responds to light quickly when it combined with organic matter. Two kinds of Potassium Dichromate are necessary for collotype.
Each of them has different characteristics. Ammonium Dichromate is more photosensitive than Potassium Dichromate. On the other hand, Potassium Dichromate has better preservability because it has milder photosensitivity compared to Ammonium Dichromate. When collotype was invented, only Potassium Dichromate was used. Later, recipe of blend same amount of two kinds became popular. Benrido follows it. However, the record in 1981 shows there was a company which mixed two kinds of Dichromate 10:69 but not 50:50.




Lead(Ⅱ)Nitrate Pb(NO3)2

30g

When mixing Nitrate with dichromate, it forms yellow lead chromate. Unclear Yellow color helps to see picture when exposure and ink when prints. It is said that using Nitrate was started in Japan. In Europe, Nitrate is not used. So, plates are clear.






Benzoin Tincture 180ml

Use of Benzoin Tincture was also devised in Japan. When gelatin sensitizer is put and dried, small spots appear on the surface of sensitizer. If spots are left, spots will appear in images.
Benzoin Tincture prevents spots from appearing. We mix it with ethyl alcohol in gelatin solution.





Blending of gelatin sensitizer 2: mixing chemicals





Gelatin (center) two kinds of dichromate (left) Nitrate(right)




Bathe two kinds of gelatin, 720g each in 12L of purified water, and let it swell. Dissolve the gelatin by putting the bowl in hot water for one hour.
Add 1L purified water each to two kinds of dichromate and nitrate. And dissolve them by putting the bowl in hot water as gelatin.
If you bathe gelatin in water too long, gelatin starts to melt, intensity of jelly decreases, and becomes no longer useful.



Add Ammonium Dichromate into gelatin solution.


And then, add Potassium Dichromate K2Cr2O7


Alcohol (upper), Benzoin Tincture (lower)


At last, add Nitrate.


Adding nitrate changes solution into bright yellow.


The first filtering with a funnel and a cloth


This recipe makes gelatin sensitizer solution for a couple of days.



Let it cool off and leave it for one night to make it mature. More than 10 hours is necessary for maturing process. By maturing, plates gain strong printing resistance.



Shitahiki treatment

Let the gelatin sensitizer sleep for one night, and at the next day, making of gelatin plate is done. Shitabiki is done as a pretreatment of gelatin plate making. It works as middle layer to connect glass surface and gelatin sensitizer surface. Without this pretreatment surface of gelatin layer falls off.
Main material is water glass. As an additive, we use beer. Some uses gelatin or the white of eggs but beer is the most stable.
Brand of beer doesn’t matter. But no low malt beer (we tested).



Sodium Silicate Na2Si4O9











Solution of beer and water glass. 3ml of Water Glass+ water 30ml and beer 30ml



Applying Shitabiki solution

Place shitabiki finished glass plates in dryer machine horizontally.


There is another way of shitabiki, but Benrido does a cloth wiping style “Shitabiki”. After Shitabiki treatment, put plates inside a dryer adjusting to make it horizontal.














completing Gelatin Plate


Leave gelatin for one night. Melt it again.



Saponin 13g＋Water180ml（For three days）


Dissolve gelatin in hot water, again.
Filter it (Second time). Adding Saponin to it just before putting it on the glass plate. Saponin activates surfaces. It prevents gelatin from lathering.



Put Gelatin sensitizer solution on pre-treatment (Shitabiki) finished glass plate.



Make it even.



Delete bubble by picking if there is any.


Require two people to treat the biggest sized glass plate.



Place the glass plates in dryer machine horizontally.




Dry for 1hour and half at 55℃.



When it becomes normal temperature, drying process is done.
Put them in dark for exposure process on the next day.

@ art fair "artgenève"
29/Jan - 01/Feb/2015 in Geneva, Switzerland


artgenève 2014

We started Collotype workshop in 2012. And now it’s going abroad! Benrido will participate in an art fair called “artgenève” which will be held in Geneva, Switzerland starting from 29th of this month. We will hold collotype workshops during the fair. Our booth will be at publishers space.



This participation is coming true through introduction of the great French photo book publisher “Editions Xavier Barral”. Mr. Xavier Barral curated exhibition “Mars, a photographic exploration” at the Kyotography 2014. He has visited our collotype atelier at the time. We are currently preparing collaboration project with him for Kyotography 2015.


■What is artgenève?

artgenève is an art exhibition whose aim is to establish an artistic platform in the Suisse Romande. The fourth edition will be held from January 29th till February 1st 2015. artgenève welcomes international galleries and also devotes a large area to public and private collections, as well as independent spaces and curators, acknowledging the dynamism created through dialogue between institutions and dealers. The exhibition’s architecture and layout draw upon this diversity as their inspiration. The compact nature of artgenève makes it easy to visit, and helps promote the exchange of ideas between exhibitors and art-lovers.
For more about artgenève >> http://artgeneve.ch/en/about-artgeneve


■What is collotype workshop?



At this workshop, everybody can try collotype hand printing so easily. Just stop by our booth. You don’t have to prepare anything. Even children can enjoy printing.


1) Put on a plastic apron and plastic gloves.






2) Put ink on a roller, and do inking on a gelatin plate prepared in advance.


3) Mask around the picture.


4) Choose a favorite kind of paper from a few kinds. Put paper on the plate.


5) Do pressing using a pressing machine.


6) Remove the paper from the plate. Now a collotype print is done.




7) Parfect!

■artgenève Workshop Schedules

Thursday, January 29 * 4:00 pm / 6:30 pm
Friday, January 30 * 4:00 pm / 6:30 pm
Saturday, January 31 * 2:00 pm / 4:00 pm / 7:00 pm
Sunday, February 1 * 1:00 pm / 3:00 pm / 6:00 pm

Each workshop for about one hour

Please visit artgenève and enjoy experiencing collotype!

Reporting fulfilling 2weeks stay of Awoiska, the grand-prize winner.



Although it’s evening of her last day in Kyoto, Still checking prints!


HARBAN AWARD 2014　Booklet: Outline of Award results

Hi. I’m Fujioka, the manager of the collotype gallery.
As we have been reporting, Benrido collotype atelier held “Hariban Award, the first”. We had received as much as 131 applicants from all over the Asia and the west. From those, Ms. Awoiska van der Molen from Netherlands was selected for the Grand prize winner. → past article about her here. Awoiska stayed in Kyoto for two weeks (September 29th to October 10th) to collotype her works together with artisans. Let me report about her stay today.


"Awoiska van der Molen was a strong choice for the Grand Prize of the Hariban Award 2014" -- Simon Baker


Awoiska in front of the large monochrome print by herself ＠Purdy Hicks Gallery, PARIS PHOTO

Awoiska van der Molen was a strong choice for the Grand Prize of the Hariban Award 2014, and richly deserves the exciting opportunity to work with the skilled technicians at Benrido. Her work is among the finest contemporary black and white photography being produced in Europe at the moment, and her own print-making of an exceptionally high quality. But it is also true to say that in her exquisite images of nature especially, through her close attention to the play of light and shadow have much in common with some of the historic masterpieces produced as collotypes at Benrido. As such her work, with its subtle gradation and tone and sensitivity to the details of natural forms is perfectly suited to the potential offered through the collotype process. Van der Molen, who has just published her first monograph, is at an exciting and promising moment in her career, and the jury was extremely happy to have the chance to offer her the Grand Prize.

Simon Baker
On behalf of the jury, Hariban Award 2014

⇒ Please also look at “HARIBAN AWARD 2014 Summary” here


Her first picture book published just before her departure to Japan. Sequester - Awoiska van del Molen €40,00

Her first book《Sequester》was nominated for the short list of the first book category of Paris Photo–Aperture Foundation PhotoBook Awards. With great response, 750copies of the first edition were gone so quickly.


Photo book award booth at Paris photo. Attention to her book was high.


Awoiska’s arrival in Japan

On September 29th, Netherlands to Kansai international airport, then to Kyoto station, and she finally arrived at Benrido. I met her with nervousness. First of all, we took her an atelier tour, and then she experienced printing collotype her own photograph by herself. We would like her to know outline of collotype. Because of big time lag between Netherlands and Japan, she must have been very tired but I was thinking her stay started in warm mood. But there were already lots of difficulties on site.



Awoiska’s photographs! They have strong shadow parts such as Deep Deep forests, ridgeline of mountains and rough rocks. They also have soft light, mist, white lines like lightning. High contrast or not? Her unique sense of near and far makes unique atmosphere on her pictures. Can we collotype such works? On the contrary, that’s why her works are the best “materials” to challenge to pursue collotype’s potential.




At first, we checked digital files of her works together, and asked details of her wishes about all eight pictures. Based on her wishes, plate making engineer Mr. Matsuzaki added retouch imagining finished prints. This start is the most important. Having some problems of resolutions etc, but Matsuzaki worked very patiently to make them close to Awoiska’s images in her mind.



Print size 20×24 inches (about 51×61cm). This is the largest size normal collotype machine can print. Especially printing museum quality “works” is beyond the word “difficult”. But we took a trick to let people know how incomparably wonderful collotype is.



After testing several papers including Kozo and Torinoko, Awoiska decided to use Ganpi Paper. Ganpi is the most suitable to express smooth gradations which is the best part of collotype. But Ganpi is delicate and thin. We worried if it can resist Awoiska works with thick ink necessary especially in shadow parts.



Awoiska is Dutch. She speaks English. But we don’t much. So we asked Currie Mariko(far left) her interpreter for Awoiska. She did it all day for two weeks.
She had just got to know collotype herself. But she studied about it very hard and interpreted Awoiska and artisans’ ideas and feelings very well. She also supported Awoiska who stayed Japan for the first time. Thank you very much.



Matsuzaki and Katsuo Takeuchi (Printing specialist) worked for Awoiska’s photographs all day long. Usually calm Awoiska was so serious in front of one test piece after another and told severe comments.



Artisans Matsuoka and Takeuchi explained intentions of expression to her, and tried so hard to understand her wishes as much as possible. That kind of conversation was done repeatedly many times for all 8 works. When finally getting OKs, it was already the second half of the second week. This “Battle” had continued until the very last time of the last day, and finally heart shapes were given to all eight works.




See you again!

So the good-bye has come. Awoiska and artisans Takeuchi, Matsuzaki did the best for each other, so their good-bye was …..like Japanese TV show “Ururun Taizaiki”
It was the first HARIBAN AWARD and the first artist stay. To tell the truth, I was worried quite a bit to accept a foreign artist photographer for as long as two weeks before it started. But as I was impressed by getting to know Awoiska’s cheerful, friendly warm and sincere personality, my anxiety was relieved. We somehow achieved the goal we set at first. The days were fulfilling. See you next spring.



HARIBAN AWARD doesn’t pay prize money. It’s not prestigious either so far. Nevertheless we had this many applicants. Not to gain money or fame, there is a true pleasure to pursue the potential of techniques and produce works, professional and professional working together.

The works produced at this time will be represented at Kyotographie 2015 at next spring as an official program. Call for entry HARIBAN AWARD 2015 will start at the same time. We look forward to seeing you, seeing wonderful works.

Awoiska van der molen from Netherlands won the Grand Prize!


Landscapes 2012-2013 #326-5 (c)Awoiska van der Molen

Hariban Award started this year as a new project of collotype atelier. Thank you for a lot of quality submissions beyond our expectation. Total applicants were 131 from all over Asia, Europe and the United States. Jurors were amazed at the quality of the wide variety of works.

Right after the submission period of July 30, the first audit was started. 51applicants were selected from 131 applicants and passed the first audit ⇒a list of 51 who passed here. Then, the second audit began. The jurors narrowed down the applicants to 26 at first. They, however, didn’t reach the final results from there because votes by jurors divided. It was hard to select the Grand-prize because those were all wonderful portfolios. Therefore, decided to narrow down the 26 to 10. ⇒finalists here

As a result of the stricter audit, eventually the grand prize was decided to go to Awoiska. Each juror also selected one artist whom he /she would like to introduce. That was how there jury’s special award recipients were selected.

Besides above prizes, “We want to collotype these” prize is being created. Artisans of our atelier are selecting from all the 131 applicants. Please look forward to the result.

Awoiska, the winner of Hariban Award, will come to Kyoto, probably at the beginning of October and stay for two weeks to create collotype prints with artisans. We will report her visits later. Collotype printings she will make with artisans during her stay will be exhibited at the Kyotographie as the official program next year.

We also plan to publish an official catalogue at the time of Kyotographie. Works of the Grand-prize winner and Jury’s special award recipients will appear in the catalogue. Works of finalists and “We want to collotype these by artisans” prize recipient will be introduced in the catalogue too.

Now, let me introduce recipients’ biographies and comments.

Grand- Prize
Awoiska van der Molen　　　⇒Homepage



Awoiska van der Molen was born 1972 in Groningen, the Netherlands.
Between 1994 and 2001, she studied architecture and photography at the Dutch Academy of fine Arts Minerva in Groningen
In 2000, she participated in the photography department of the City University of New York.
In 2003, she graduated at the Master Photography studies at the St. Joost Academy Breda (NL).
Van der Molen is known for her monochrome landscapes. She stands out as someone who remains rooted in the riches of analogue photography and printing. She plays out these roots in an extreme manner by creating monumental pieces that combine intentionality in choice of subject and photographic craftsmanship. She prints all the barytas herself in the darkroom.
In 2011 she was the finalist at the Hyères Photography Festival in France and
in the same year she has won the Alt. + 1000 prize at the Festival de la Photography de la Montagne,.
Currently based in Amsterdamand Umbria, Italy.
Awoiska van der Molen is represented by Kristof de Clercq Gallery, Ghent (BE) and Purdy Hicks Gallery, London (UK).
Detailed biography here⇒BIOGRAPHY


Landscapes 2009-2011 #312-11 (c)Awoiska van der Molen

“I am very excited and gratefull that I have been invited to meet Kyoto’s master artisan printers in the Benrido Collotype atelier and produce collotype prints with them. This is an amazing opportunity and I’m beyond words that I will have the chance to collaborate with the Benrido atelier on printing my photo works. Learning from the rich experience of the craftsmen on how to interpret images and how to translate these with the complex process of collotype printing will be an unforgettable experience. I have no doubt that this collaboration will have a significant influence on my work as a photo based artist. I can’t wait to meet the Benrido-team to start working together!
Lastly, I would like to thank all members of the jury for believing that my photo works merits the rare process of collotype printing. I am looking forward showing you the outcomes, hopefully in person!
Japan with your rich culture and nature, finally we’ll meet. A wish comes true.”


Jury’s special award
Antony Cairns 　　　　⇒Homepage


(c)Antony Cairns

Born in the east end of London, England, Antony Cairns has been taking photographs since the age of 15. A constant theme in his images has been the city of his birth. He has chosen his subject and is on a path to document his city, the place he calls home, a metropolis that is certainly the centre of his universe. A traditionally trained photographer who learnt his trade at the London College of Printing towards the end of the 1990s, his photographic practice has remained rooted in chemical-based techniques. Shooting almost exclusively on black & white film, he prints all his own work, often experimenting with forgotten or discarded methods, and frequently becoming engrossed with the process, its imperfections and oddities.
Detailed biography here⇒BIOGRAPHY

“Thank you very much Hariban award for your support and kind words about my work, this special jury's award will help me carry on printing in the darkroom and experimenting with Black and white photography techniques!”


Jury’s special award
Marco Van Duyvendijk　　　⇒Homepage


(c)Marco Van Duyvendijk

Marco van Duyvendijk was born in the Netherlands. After a degree in psychology, Marco goes to Romania to spend a year devoting himself to photography. In the years that follow, Van Duyvendijks work will not take him just to Romania, but also to Mongolia, China, South Korea and many other countries. He sees art, and therefore his own photography, as a means of communication between East and West and this field of mutual influence is where he feels at home.
Marco van Duyvendijk is a slow photographer, preferring to work on a series for months and sometimes years. He does not confine himself to any single genre, alternating travel and documentary photography with portraits.
Detailed biography here⇒BIOGRAPHY


“In 2012 I was in Kyoto and visited the Benrido Collotype laboratory. I was fascinated by it, so when I read about the Hariban Award I had no choice but to participate. I am very happy and honored that my work received the Jury's Special Award. Of course I am also slightly jealous of my Dutch colleague Awoiska van der Molen that she won the Hariban Award, but I think her work is very beautiful and mysterious, so her first prize is very well-deserved. I am sure that her work will look beautifully in collotype.”


Jury’s special award
Tenmi Hanagi


(c)Tenmi Hanagi

Tenmi Hanagi was born in Kanagawa, Japan 1972.
She graduated from Sanno College in 1993.
Her solo exhibitions are held constantly, mainly in Tokyo.

“I’m glad to know my works caught jurors eyes. Thank you”