KOYAMA TAISUKE

“TRACES” is a work that visualizes the hidden presence of soil in modern urban spaces. Using the historical cyanotype technique, Koyama fixed images made from sludge and earth collected on the rooftop of the Shin-Yurakucho Building. This rooftop once hosted a small biotope, which was connected to the one still found atop the Shin-Kokusai Building. Together, they formed an invisible corridor of nature stretching from the Imperial Palace forest, through Ginza, and toward Tokyo Bay. Even in the heart of the city, natural forces such as circulation and transformation are at work. Above the busy Marunouchi Naka-dori, birds and insects pass overhead, while in rooftop ponds, plants and organic matter break down into sludge and soil. Inspired by the idea that “soil is born on the rooftop of a building,” Koyama brought collected materials—sludge, soil, and fallen leaves—into YAU STUDIO and created a series of cyanotypes using the morning sunlight pouring through the windows of the Yurakucho Building.