Isn't London a catalyst for storytelling?

Isn’t London a catalyst for storytelling? Since arriving in the UK in 2023, Taihei Soejima – whose practice explores the relationship between ideology and art – has been reflecting on this question.

Before coming to the UK, Soejima traveled across Eurasia, photographing the remnants of communist art, and led long-term workshops in conflict-affected Armenia. Confronted with overwhelming realities, the world’s inherent duality, and deeply personal encounters, he found it nearly impossible to express or translate these experiences into his work. He began to question whether, as an outsider, he had the right to tell the stories of others through a fragmented lens. As a result, many of these moments remained what he calls “unresolved experiences.”

Life in London marked a turning point. Engaging with diverse communities, he shifted from observer to participant. The city’s coexistence of cultures and multiplicity of perspectives enabled him to reconnect with and reframe his fragmented experiences, shaping a new artistic approach.

In this talk, moderated by Jonathan Watkins, Taihei Soejima will present artworks that explore histories in which multiple truths coexist, employing the contrasting media of generative AI and analogue film, alongside portraiture capturing individuals in multicultural communities undergoing gentrification. He will reflect on how his “unresolved experiences” have been transformed into his current artistic practice, with London acting as a catalyst.

About the contributors