BLOW UP PRESS has been invited by Reminders Photography Stronghold to lead the ATLAS LAB Masterclass in Kyoto and Tokyo, Japan.

The masterclass is addressed to photographers, artists and visual storytellers developing projects based on photography or other visual media. Throughout the programme, participants will reconsider their work through the intersecting perspectives of editing, sequencing, book design and publishing, exploring how a project can evolve into a meaningful photobook.

Together, we will ask fundamental questions: What is the project trying to communicate? Whose perspective does it represent? Why does this story need to become a book? How can photographs, texts, documents, archives, drawings and other materials be brought together to create a coherent narrative that resonates with readers?

Taking BLOW UP PRESS's motto, "When the story matters," as its point of departure, the masterclass is rooted in our story-driven editorial practice, content-led approach to book design and experience as an independent publisher. These perspectives will be combined with Reminders Photography Stronghold's long-standing expertise in project development, editing, photobook production and the ethics of representation.

The programme will be led by Grzegorz Kosmala and Aneta Kowalczyk of BLOW UP PRESS together with Yumi Goto, curator of Reminders Photography Stronghold.

Both the Kyoto and Tokyo editions follow the same format: a three-day first session, three days of independent work, and a three-day concluding session, followed by a public presentation on the Sunday after the workshop.

ATLAS LAB is an experimental workshop series organised by Reminders Photography Stronghold, inviting practitioners from a wide range of disciplines extending beyond photography and bookmaking.

Through PHOTOBOOK AS OBJECT and PHOTOBOOK MASTERCLASS, RPS has continued to explore how an artist’s questions can take form as a book, moving across photographs, texts, archives, letters, moving images, objects and other materials.

In this masterclass with BLOW UP PRESS, participants will revisit—and, where necessary, take apart—their existing body of work or dummy. They will reconsider the central story, the author’s position, editing, sequence, text, materials, design and book structure. By examining how publishers, editors and designers read a project and identify its possibilities and unresolved questions, participants will clarify the structure their work requires and the next challenges they need to address.

Through this process of testing and reconsideration, participants will work towards a dummy or a physical prototype that holds the emerging logic of the book. Completion for its own sake is not the goal. Even if a finished dummy is not reached during the masterclass, each participant should leave with something tangible: a structure that can be tested, questioned and carried into the next stage of production.

This masterclass is not intended to select artists or projects for publication by BLOW UP PRESS. Participation does not guarantee publication by BLOW UP PRESS.

It is a space in which to examine, through the perspectives of publishers, editors and designers, what kind of book a story might become; what is currently missing from the project; and what responsibilities and preparation are required before a book can enter public life.

Grzegorz Kosmala (BUP)
Aneta Kowalczyk (BUP)
Yumi Goto (RPS)

The Kyoto and Tokyo editions will follow essentially the same programme. Applicants should select their preferred venue on the application form. If you are able to attend either venue, please indicate this on the form.

KYOTO

First Session | Three Days
Friday 5 – Sunday 7, February 2027

Self-Directed Work Days
Monday 8 – Wednesday 10, February 2027

Second Session | Three Days
Thursday 11 – Saturday 13, February 2027

Public Presentation
Sunday 14, February 2027

Venue
RPS KYOTO PAPEROLES
603 Oimatsu-cho, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan

TOKYO

First Session | Three Days
Friday 19 – Sunday 21, February 2027

Self-Directed Work Days
Monday 22 – Wednesday 24, February 2027

Second Session | Three Days
Thursday 25 – Saturday 27, February 2027

Public Presentation
Sunday 28, February 2027

Venue
Reminders Photography Stronghold
2-38-5 Higashimukojima, Sumida-ku, Tokyo, Japan

The detailed daily schedule, including starting and finishing times, will be provided to confirmed participants. Applicants must be able to attend the full programme, including the Self-Directed Work Days and the public presentation.

During the first three days, the instructors will present relevant case studies, participants will introduce their projects, and the group will engage in collective editing, discussion and individual feedback.

Participants will examine the central story, the author’s position, social and historical contexts, editing, sequence, and the roles of texts and other materials. Each participant will then define the questions and direction to pursue during the iSelf-Directed Work Days..

Over the following three days, participants will independently re-edit photographs and materials, test different structures, and develop rough dummies or prototypes based on the discussions from the first session.

During the second three-day session, participants will present their reworked projects and examine the relationships between story, design, materials and format. Through feedback from the different perspectives of a publisher, editor, designer and curator, they will assess the current state of their work and identify the questions that should guide its next stage.

A public presentation by the participants will be held on the day following the second session.

The programme may be adjusted in response to the participating projects and their development during the masterclass. Confirmed participants will receive further information about the detailed process.

This masterclass is intended for people who:

• are developing a long-term project involving photography, visual expression or visual storytelling;
• are considering developing their project as a photobook or artist book;
• work not only with photographs but also with texts, documents, archives, drawings, moving images or other materials;
• are willing to critically reconsider an existing edit or dummy;
• can engage with differing perspectives while continuing to develop the work through their own judgment.

A completed dummy is not required. However, projects must have moved beyond the initial idea stage. Applicants should already have a substantial body of photographs or other materials and be actively developing the work as a concrete project.

There are no restrictions concerning age, nationality or years of experience.

Approximately 8–10 participants per venue.

If applications exceed the available places, participants may be selected based on the submitted materials.

The call will not close early, regardless of the number of applications received.

JPY 99,000 including tax

Printing, binding, paper and all other production costs are not included in the participation fee.
Travel, accommodation and meals are the responsibility of each participant.

Selected applicants must pay the participation fee by the specified deadline. Participation will be confirmed upon receipt of payment.

Payment instructions and the cancellation policy will be provided to selected applicants.

The masterclass will be conducted primarily in English.

Fluency in spoken English is not required. However, it is not feasible to provide continuous consecutive interpretation throughout the class.

Participants are expected to use their own smartphones, computers and translation or interpreting applications as needed, enabling them to take part in dialogue with instructors and fellow participants from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds while helping the class move forward smoothly.

Rather than relying passively on interpretation, participants should be willing to make active use of the tools available to them.

Many participants in our workshops have limited spoken English. In practice, the use of translation and interpreting applications has made it possible for them to participate meaningfully in both dialogue and production.

Please refer to the application form for all required information and submission materials.