I M A G I N A R Y L I N E S
Series of large format photography documenting two sides of the same sea/strait.
National borders are often imagined as lines on a map, abstract and removed from the physical world. But what happens when those imaginary lines intersect with the real world? This is the question that Kawakubo seeks to answer in his series of artworks entitled "Imaginary Lines." Each image in the series is composed of two large format photographs, one taken from each side of a maritime national border. For example, in Imaginary lines #2 (Gibraltar Strait North/South) photographs are taken from the north and south sides of the Gibraltar Strait. In this case the relation between the two sides of the work are more complex due to the historical ownership of the lands, the city of Gibraltar being a British territory in the Spanish peninsula, and the town of Ceuta, where the south side was taken, a Spanish territory inside Morocco.
By contrasting the two sides of the strait in his photographs, Kawakubo highlights the arbitrary nature of borders and their often artificial dividing lines. In doing so, he invites viewers to consider the complex web of political, historical, and cultural factors that shape our perception of space and place.