Conceived during the halcyon days of Japan's economic boom, the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography (TMP) has seen plenty of ups and downs in its 10 years of operation. The fact that the TMP's entrance is hidden within Yebisu Garden Place has been one issue, but the bigger problem is that the TMP has never really found its direction. During the late '90s, the museum was running debts at a rate well over 10 times its revenues, which prompted management changes and attempts to schedule more popular exhibitions, including nonphotography shows.
Although Japan's largest photography museum has yet to make it into the black, this summer is nonetheless an "up" time for the TMP. Two excellent photography shows are currently running -- "Supernatural Artificial," curated by Natalie King, features 55 works (prints and video) from 10 contemporary Australian artists; while "World Press Photo" comprises 200 pictures from the world's largest annual photojournalism competition.
"Supernatural Artificial" brings us glimpses of fantasy worlds from the land down under, glimpses made possible in large part by photography's expanded horizons. In the digital age, photographic retouching is no longer esoteric practice -- "to Photoshop" has become a common verb. While the representation of reality remains photography's principal role, its intrinsic artistic potential (through digital manipulation) is now commonly recognized.