JINS Collaborates on the Creation of 'CAMERA MAN' for Hiroshi Sugimoto's Exhibition 'Extinct Photography'

JINS Co., Ltd. (hereinafter 'JINS') has jointly provided production support, together with Sigma, a Japanese optical equipment manufacturer, for the artwork 'CAMERA MAN' featured in the exhibition 'Hiroshi Sugimoto: Extinct Photography,' to be held at the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo from Tuesday, June 16, 2026, to Sunday, September 13, 2026.

'CAMERA MAN' 2026 Photo: Masatomo Moriyama (Moriyama Masatomo)

'CAMERA MAN' by Hiroshi Sugimoto, conceptualizing the camera as a device mirroring the structure of the human eye

The exhibition will showcase approximately 60 silver-halide photographs by contemporary artist Hiroshi Sugimoto, spanning from his early works to the present—representing the foundation of his artistic practice. These conceptually driven, uniquely expressed works represent the pinnacle of silver-halide photographic technique. In today's digital age, this analog method can truly be described as 'facing extinction.'

'CAMERA MAN,' one of the exhibition's featured works, was developed based on Sugimoto's concept that 'the camera is a device reflecting the structure of the human eye.' By manually triggering the shutter of a camera integrated into eyewear with a 1-second shutter speed, the wearer experiences 1 second of external scenery exposed onto the retina (as film of memory) after 3 minutes of darkness. By combining JINS's expertise in eyewear design and technology with Sigma's precision optical manufacturing and advanced processing techniques, the collaboration has realized a 'human camera'—as if equipping the human eye with a shutter.

Hiroshi Sugimoto's Concept for 'CAMERA MAN'

The camera is a device that mirrors the structure of the human eye: the lens corresponds to the crystalline lens, the aperture to the pupil, and the film to the retina. However, the shutter is not built into the human eye. Thus, I conceived of implanting a shutter into the human eye, creating a 'human camera.' The shutter speed is set to 1 second, manually triggered by the user. Before exposure, the wearer spends 3 minutes in darkness. Then, for one brief second, the external scene is exposed onto the retina. The image appears on the retina and is stored in the 'film' of memory, though image degradation occurs quickly, varying by individual. Metaphorically, I equated this 1-second exposure to a human lifetime. Assuming an average lifespan of 85 years, those 3 minutes represent approximately 15,000 years—a duration nearly identical to the period during which humanity has developed consciousness and civilization. This device was conceived to allow people to viscerally experience the length of civilization's history through the metaphor of a single human life.

Exhibition Overview

[Exhibition Title] 'Hiroshi Sugimoto: Extinct Photography' (HIROSHI SUGIMOTO: EXTINCTION)

[Dates] June 16 (Tue), 2026 – September 13 (Sun), 2026

[Opening Hours] 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM (until 8:00 PM on Fridays and Saturdays)

[Closure Days] Mondays (except July 20), July 21 (Tue)

[Venue] 1F Special Exhibition Gallery, The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo

[Official Exhibition Website] https://art.nikkei.com/sugimoto/

Hiroshi Sugimoto Profile

Born in 1948. After moving to the United States in 1970, he has continued creating works while moving between New York and Japan since 1974. His early representative series include 'Dioramas,' 'Seascapes,' and 'Theaters.' In 2008, he founded the architectural design firm 'New Material Research Laboratory,' and in 2009, established the Odawara Cultural Foundation, a public interest foundation. In 2017, he opened 'Enoura Observatory,' a cultural facility constructed over 10 years of planning. His stage production 'At the Hawk’s Well / Taka no Ido' premiered at the Paris Opera in autumn 2019.

Publications include 'Until the Moss Covers,' 'Phenomena,' 'The Origin of Art,' 'Enoura Monogatari,' and 'Shadow Old Man’s Diary.' Awards include the 2001 Hasselblad International Photography Prize, the 2009 Praemium Imperiale (Painting), the 2010 Medal with Purple Ribbon, and Officer of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2013. He was designated a Person of Cultural Merit in 2017 and became a member of the Japan Art Academy in 2023.

About Sigma

'The Art of engineering. Engineering for Art.'

Elevating engineering to the realm of art, and dedicating engineering to art.

Sigma is a Japanese optical equipment manufacturer that designs, produces, and sells cameras, lenses, and accessories. Since its founding in 1961, Sigma has remained deeply respectful of human passion for expression, striving to provide the finest photographic tools for every need. The high quality of 'Made in Aizu, Japan,' achieved through Sigma's sole production base—the Aizu factory—and its supply chain centered in the Tohoku region—embodies the very essence of Sigma: the crystallization of regional wisdom and technology.