SENTO - Oasis of Everyday Life in Japan

Fri, Sep 9
6:00pm - 9:30pm
FREE

Bath House Photographs by Markuz Wernli Saito
Exhibition Dates: Friday, September 9, 2005 - Tuesday, September 13,
2005
Reception: Friday, September 9, 2004, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Individual show hours upon appointment, call (415) 845.6603

In an intimate collaboration with two public bath houses in Kyoto,
visual artist Markuz Wernli Saito was able capture unique insights
into a good part of Japanese everyday life, usually hidden from the
camera. This debut is a result of a two year documentation and shows
fine art photography in context to authentic bath house relics.
Preview the photo exhibit online: www.markuz.com/

Background:
Sento is the name for Japanese public baths and literally means "coin
bath." It is an unpretentious communal space for cleaning one's body
and soul. Folks who don't have their own bath or shower at home
frequent their neighborhood sento every night.

The sento offers not only a space for conversing and elaborate
washing rituals, but also refuge for arcane brands of soaps and
beverages. Unfortunately, these gathering places and hubs of
cleanliness are gradually disappearing in Japan as modern life
progresses.


Markuz Wernli Saito
Fascinated by the dialectic of humans and their environments, I work
as a photographer and interdisciplinary visual artist in Kyoto and
San Francisco.

Photography helps me to record and share the small daily wonders and
insignificant visual sensations that I am privileged to witness - the
precious, short moments when life suddenly comes to a halt. I am
intrigued by rediscovering what seems ordinary or what we simply take
for granted.

Venue:

The Noodle Gallery
1307 Mason Street (on Jackson)
San Francisco
415-845-6603

China Town, cross street Jackson
Map: http://tinyurl.com/al8wr

Additional Info:

415-845-6603
http://www.markuz.com/