Exhibition: Dominika Jackuliaková and Sanna Krook: A European Perspective on Japan
Venue: For Maat, Železničná 3, Trenčín
Exhibition dates: 16 May – 28 June 2026
Exhibition opening: Friday, 15 May at 19:00.
Since its foundation in 1999, the European Eyes on Japan | Japan Today project has brought photographers from European countries to Japan, where they have rediscovered aspects of the contemporary Japanese environment through their work — often those that go unnoticed or are taken for granted. For the 25th edition, Sanna Krook from Finland and Dominika Jackuliacová from Slovakia focused on Fukui Prefecture. With a population of around 740,000, this prefecture lies on the western edge of the Hokuriku region in the central part of Honshu Island. Sanna Krook photographed the Awara and Sakai areas, particularly the small village of Mikuni-anto, while Dominika Jackuliacová focused on the city of Fukui. Their residencies took place in spring and autumn 2025.
The 25th edition of the ‘European Eyes on Japan | Japan Today’ exhibition will begin its tour in the Finnish city of Oulu, where it will be on display from 1 to 30 April. It will then move to Trenčín, Slovakia, where it will be on display at the Formaat Gallery from 16 May to 28 June. The opening reception will take place on 15 May 2026 at 19:00. The project is also part of a collaboration between the partner cities of Oulu and Trenčín within the European Capital of Culture 2026 initiative. Following the Slovak presentation, the exhibition will travel to Japan. After the opening, the photographs are planned to be donated to Fukui Prefecture and Higashikawa City on the island of Hokkaido, home to the Higashikawa International Photography Festival.
The project is organised by the EU Japan Fest Japan Committee, which has systematically supported cooperation between Japan and Europe within the European Capitals of Culture programmes since 1993.
About the exhibiting artists:
Dominika Jackuliaková is a Slovak visual artist and educator who works with photography. She grew up in the small south-central town of Lučenec, a region that is both geographically and historically significant in many of her long-term documentary series. Her work focuses on themes of mobility and the evolving relationship with land and home in Slovakia. An autobiographical dimension is always present in her work, often influencing her choice of locations and the people she photographs. ‘The railway line, located just five minutes from my apartment building, quickly became a point of reference during my five-week stay in Fukui.’
Gradually, I began to memorise specific locations, mainly thanks to their proximity to train stations. The buildings and structures, which were often quite ordinary from a local perspective, drew me in visually and simultaneously served as landmarks on my mental map of the city. The city’s first railway line, the Hokuriku Main Line, opened in 1896. This made the city a major hub for key trade routes and military movements in the Sea of Japan region. The railway is considered one of the reasons for the American military attack in July 1945 during World War II. Three years later, an earthquake exacerbated the extensive destruction of much of the infrastructure even further.
Following these events, the city’s master urban renewal plan was implemented, significantly shaping its character today. My photographs focus on the area along the Mikuni Awara Line. I move from the central parts of Fukui, which is currently undergoing development thanks to the new Hokuriku Shinkansen railway line set to open in spring 2023, towards the much smaller coastal town of Mikuni.
Sanna Krook is a photographer based in the Finnish city of Oulu. She specialises in documentary photography, focusing primarily on people and everyday life — on moments when, at first glance, nothing extraordinary is happening, yet a unique story is unfolding. She has presented her work at several exhibitions in Finland.
She won the Wihuri Efekti Prize for Visual Arts in 2022 and the Portrait of the Year category in the Photojournalism Competition in 2017. Her work is held in the collections of the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation and the Finnish cities of Oulu and Raahe. “As a photographer, I often capture places and communities. I’m interested in how a place affects us. Places leave a mark on us, and we leave a mark on them. But at the same time, we also leave our mark on other people. We form communities because we need each other, and because we need a connection with others.
I was born and have spent most of my life in the Northern Ostrobothnia region, which, just like its inhabitants, has left its mark on me. Perhaps in the form of sarcastic humour and sincerity, as well as a certain shyness. Through my photography, I explore the impact that Fukui Prefecture has on its inhabitants.
How does life in this place shape people’s way of thinking, sense of humour, language or aesthetic sensibility? At the same time, I wanted to capture the social fabric of this small place, creating a kind of social tapestry that resembles the mokko sashiko embroidery used by local divers. Fukui and its people have also left their mark on me. For a moment, I felt as though I had become part of the community I was photographing. I was exactly where I was meant to be. I see that as a gift.
