Cityscape

Keita Morimoto imagines the abundance of vending machines in Tokyo as mysterious windows into another world.

In Cityscape, Morimoto bathes an unassuming street in gentle purple light, unveiling a cinematic scene in the quiet moments before nightfall. Attracting consumers with light is a code of contemporary life in Japan – the vending machine window glows to capture the viewer’s attention. Morimoto’s skillful use of light and dark is enhanced with a layer of glowing ink. Applied to the areas of artificial light sources, it radiates onto the surrounding street when the artwork is seen in darkness.

“They have always struck me as these strange portals, almost like black holes, that I am drawn to in my day to day. Whatever you want, pretty much anything, you can get one in the machines.”