KIKA cas is launching an open call for photos of such ‘oddities’ for our exhibition “40th anniversary of the Rojō Kansatsu Gakkai [Street Observation Society]” opening in November.

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“Oh!” Has something ever caught your eye and stopped you in your tracks on the street?  Anything from abandoned stairs and doors, peculiar building updates and renovations, eye-catching signs and posters, manhole covers, utility poles, pipes, infrastructures and plants competing for space, quirky touches someone left…

KIKA cas is launching an open call for photos of such ‘oddities’ for our exhibition “40th anniversary of the Rojō Kansatsu Gakkai [Street Observation Society]” opening in November. 

Rojō Kansatsu Gakkai [Street Observation Society] was established in 1986 by Genpei Akasegawa, Terunobu Fujimori, Shinbo Minami, Tetsuo Matsuda, and Joji Hayashi. They didn’t just focus on famous landmarks and beautiful scenery. While walking through the city, they discovered, observed, and recorded everyday scenes of manhole covers, signs, posters, and architectural remnants that were often overlooked.

One of the origins of this group came from the aesthetic of what Akasegawa called “Hyperart Thomasson”: 'useless’ architectural structures preserved and intact, despite being no longer functional. These found objects were not created by artists but emerged through the natural progression of time to be discovered by those who found them intriguing. 

But for this open call, we are not only asking for ‘Thomassons.’ 

We accept all submissions whether they are ugly, intentionally made, or still functional.

We invite people to submit photos of anything that generates these reactions:

What is that?
How did it end up like that?
Who knows, but I’m intrigued!

They can be sights from your travels or on your commute to work or school. They don’t have to be rare or “artsy” either. Along with the images, please add a brief explanation of the place, the time, and why it caught your attention.

We will be displaying all submissions as part of the exhibition. 

Please send anything to KIKA cas that made you go “Oh!” and stopped you in your tracks.