The bonsais in Norbert Schoerner's photographs were cultivated by the Abe family who live near
Fukushima. For three generations these masters - Kurakichi his son Kenichi and his grandson
Daiki - have been growing bonsais from seeds. They use seeds from trees only to be found in the
shadow of the volcanic Mount Azuma-Kofuji. By photographing the bonsais there are created
dioramic surroundings. This visual event combines different chronologies: The topographic
formation of Mount Azuma- Kofuji over the course of several geological epochs the lifecycle of
a bonsai that can span several centuries the exposure time of a photograph and finally the
independent existence of this picture in the future. It is impossible to view these works
without considering the ecological effects of the catastrophe that occurred in the Fukushima
Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in 2011. The photos provides a direct confrontation with the
destructive consequences of this event and with humanity's attempts to use and control nature
for its own purposes. Text: Tom Morton Shinichi Nakazawa Julia Psilitelis Matthias Wagner K.
