By using slow shutter speeds on the "12 78" series, Saimon captures the "ghosts" of the city—pedestrians who look like smoke and buildings that seem to vibrate.
: Originally released in 1995, the book was a significant commercial success, selling over 100,000 copies . kingpouge laika 12 78 photos photography by hiromi saimon
In 2008, a box labeled "Kingpouge – Laika 12 – 78 sheets" surfaced at a private estate sale in Nagoya. The 78 photos were contact printed on expired Mitsubishi Gekko paper. The "12" in the keyword likely refers to the that were subsequently extracted from that lot and sold to private collectors. By using slow shutter speeds on the "12
Memory and Archival Time: The reference numbers in the title and the tactile surfaces of the prints make the series feel archival. The work interrogates how time is cataloged: as a linear ledger, as a stack of snapshots, or as a palimpsest of lived moments. The 78 photos were contact printed on expired
Here are a few highlights from the photographic series:
At first glance, the title reads like a coded dossier: Kingpouge —a phonetic mystery; Laika —the famous Soviet space dog; 12 78 —a potential date or technical specification. When combined, they form one of the most intriguing analog photography collections of the late Showa era.
: Hiromi Saimon utilized a range of environments, moving between different locations to create a diverse visual narrative. Composition
