Dean Sameshima’s work balances between a melancholic psychosocial position and the nostalgia within the spaces he investigates through photography. Attuned to space and queer gesture, Sameshima documented adult movie theatres in Berlin to create his 2022 series, being alone, for which he covertly photographed lonely figures. As they stare into screens, the viewers gaze with them toward a horizon of (im)possibilities. Here Sameshima mobilises photography in a way that embeds a language of desire and pleasure in a time that once was, while also suggesting its resurgence. Oscillating between multiple viewers, Sameshima demonstrates the nuances of cruising and the ongoing act of “looking”. Whether it be in the yellow pages, bookstores, or public theatres, he reminds us that such spaces of leisure and pleasure can make us feel alone and together while also rendering us anonymous.
This is the first time the work of Dean Samechima is presented at Biennale Arte.
—Xavier Robles Armas
