For modern people who live busy lives, video is a convenient medium. Videos deliver clear and direct information, but they can make people passive by causing them to think less. However, if people read words or look at pictures, they can have more vivid lives full of imagination. When there is appropriate light in a daily space, Yosigo takes warm pictures and gives those modern people a sense of warmth and vitality. The Sungkyun Times (SKT) would like to introduce the photo exhibition, Photographs by YOSIGO: Holiday Memories, which presents sensual images and a warm atmosphere.
Yosigo’s World
Who Is Yosigo?
Jose Javier Serrano is a Spanish photographer whose working name is “Yosigo”. Yosigo took this name from a poem that his father gave him when Yosigo declared his dream was to be a photographer. When Yosigo felt he had no talent for taking pictures, his father’s poem about practicing “Yo sigo” (a Spanish phrase that means “I shall go”) gave him courage. Therefore, he developed the mindset to continue even if he fails. Yosigo started to attract public attention through photos on his Instagram account, and now he has more than 210,000 followers. Yosigo is expanding his working field as a promising artist who receives calls from global brands such as Kinfolk and Jack Daniel’s. Yosigo aims to express his creative and artistic language into his work with cordial warmth and a neat frame. Moreover, he defies all conventions through his photos and always moves forward, just like his name.
About the Photo Exhibition
Photographs by YOSIGO: Holiday Memories is Yosigo’s first solo exhibition in Korea. About 350 photographs taken at various travel destinations are displayed in three sections: architecture, documentary, and landscape. These beautiful photos gradually recollect memories of scenery and traveling of pre-pandemic days. Also, for people who bear each day due to various reasons such as the pandemic, anxiety, and inexplicable emptiness, the exhibition hopes to build a sense of hope and stability for the future. Furthermore, people can feel Yosigo’s kindhearted passion through the exhibition.
Welcome to Photographs by YOSIGO: Holiday Memories
1. Architecture
The architecture section shows Yosigo’s unique photographic techniques and styles. The “Light & Shade” zone presents photos of light that cover architecture with warm colors and temperature. He utilizes strong natural light and prefers shadows to become a part of the scenery. In particular, he uses orange-colored light to give people a sense of warmth. Secondly, the “Symmetry & Geometry” zone displays Yosigo’s neat images using symmetrical structures and elements of geometry, so many photos concentrate on geometric configurations of terraces, corridors, and stairs. Moreover, photos with regularity and coherence of formation, frames, and lighting provide people with entertainment and relaxation.
2. Documentary
The documentary section introduces records of reality. “Explore the World” zone exhibits photographs of new places and cultures that Yosigo experienced while traveling the United States, Budapest, Dubai, and Japan. Those photos recall the memories of traveling before the pandemic and show the uniqueness of the place. For example, the photo of a hot spring in Budapest reveals traditional architecture and sculptures, and the crowded people of the photo infuse life into it. Also, the “Riu Avall” zone presents actual issues of society by showing a documentary project. He recorded Llobregat, a river running across the Catalonia region of Spain to the Mediterranean Sea, and the people around the river. Through this project, he shows photos and videos of the polluted river and alerts the severity of the pollution by sending a message that reminds us of the “necessity of knowing our territory that surrounds us”.
3. Landscape
The landscape section illustrates Yosigo’s definite values through natural scenery, particularly the ocean. Scenery photographs in the “Tourism Landscape” zone deal with Yosigo’s philosophy and his thoughts on tourism. He tries to signify the empty space when taking photos because tourists’ existence invades the texture and color of the environment. Therefore, his photos harmoniously make a balance between tourists and the scenery, and each person in the photo looks like a sculpture that composes the space. The last zone, “Mediterranean Nostalgia”, delivers loneliness and nostalgia through photographs of San Sebastian, Yosigo’s hometown. These photos describe the city as a place being not only picturesque but also cold and solitary.
Enjoying Yosigo’s Holiday Memories Together
Other than Yosigo’s works, there are many constituents of the exhibition that directly share his holiday memories. For example, on the venue that exhibits photos of Dubai, the floor is full of sand, making the audience feel like they are walking in the desert. Also, in the “Find Your Destination” corner, people can take an interesting test and get recommendations from Yosigo’s travel destinations. Each destination has a witty explanation, and photos that Yosigo took at the destination are provided through QR (Quick Response) codes. Lastly, the exhibition sells merchandise such as postcards and frames of Yosigo’s photos. Through these direct experiences, people can look forward to true relaxation that will come someday and regain peace of mind with warmth and vitality.
