Satoyama – Peter Hlinka

Zine SATOYAMA

The presented series of photographs reflects my experience in Japan, emphasizing the contrast between people and nature. Japan has a specific word for this: Satoyma a place between the mountains and the city (village). "Sato" means village, and "Yama" means mountains. This word represents what I aim to showcase in this series of images: finding things that may seem unconnected and bringing them together. The whole concept reflects our coexistence with nature and how people can sometimes behave more like robots than humans.

You can step away from futuristic cities to small, calm countryside locations with just a short train ride, where it feels like everything comes to a standstill. I also use this part of the train journey quite often in my story as a metaphor for the transition between two opposite worlds. To highlight this contrast further, I used augmented reality to bring the photos to life, allowing you to experience more of these places. I've incorporated my own blend of new and old into this project.