'Furusato'

The project documents a perambulatory exploration of two towns in Lithuania. Both of them play key roles in photographer’s biography. The aim, however, is not to establish two urban identities, but to explore their interconnected reflections in one’s memory. Although they are situated 170 kilometres apart from each other and share rather distinct topographical and social characteristics, they both constitute a third place. Reflected from two physically existing urban settings, this third imaginary place is populated with ghostly elements of built environment acting as personal landmarks in the mental map of photographers memory. These private objects-turned-monuments form a network of landmarks that helps to navigate this imaginary space.

The term ‘Furusato’ is borrowed from a seminal Japanese photographer Daido Moriyama - the main influence behind the project. It literally means ‘old village’, however in a modern context it refers to an idea of a deeply familiar ‘native place’, ‘home’ or ‘home town’ (1).

In this project familiarity is subverted by detached observation of a solitary stroller. Selected photographs do not identify these two once familiar towns, instead the viewer is introduced to a new estranged space.

1. Fritsch, L., ‘Searching for home: Tales of Tono and the concept of Furusato’ in Daido Moriyama Tales of Tono, London, Tate, 2012