2019-2022
In the summer of 2017, over 800 neo-Nazis gathered in Berlin Spandau to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Rudolf Hess's death, the former deputy to Hitler. Their demonstration unfolded on Wilhelmstraße, the site where Hess tragically took his own life in 1987, and the same location where the now-demolished Kriegsverbrechergefängnis Spandau (Spandau Prison) once stood. In defiance of the prohibition on displaying Nazi symbols in Germany, the participants boldly carried black-white-red Deutsches Reich flags, symbolizing their National Socialist and xenophobic beliefs. Within this charged atmosphere, Fujiwara embarked on an endeavor to capture the event from a surrealistic perspective. Disguised as an Asian tourist, Fujiwara approached the neo-Nazis at close range, documenting the scene through his lens. These powerful images became the foundation for his series, "Bleached."
Fujiwara's artistic process involved purposefully manipulating the captured photographs, removing the color from the flags and other symbolic elements adorning the demonstrators' clothing. This act of bleaching the ideology emerged as a potent metaphor, stripping away the visual impact of neo-Nazi symbolism and leaving behind stark, monochromatic compositions. Through this transformative act, Fujiwara aims to challenge our perceptions and the influence of political images. Fujiwara's documentation and manipulation of the event underscore the profound influence of mass and social media in shaping our perception of reality. By exposing the fragile nature of images and unveiling their constructed nature, the artist confronts us with the imperative to critically engage with visual narratives within the complex socio-political dynamics at play.