Galleria13 is pleased to announce the opening of an exhibition dedicated to the Japanese photographer Kazuaki Koseki at the gallery’s premises in Via Roma 34/b, Reggio Emilia, from April 30 to May 30, 2026.

The exhibition will be held in conjunction with the European Photography Festival, included among the exhibitions of the Off Circuit, and will officially open on Saturday, May 2 at 5:30 PM.

In the series “Summer Fairies,” Kazuaki Koseki explores the relationship between ecology and the natural environment of the “Himebotaru” (princess firefly), a small species of Japanese firefly.
Through the fleeting light of Japanese fireflies in the summer forests of Yamagata, this series investigates the perceptual resonance between nature and human beings. It reveals the rhythms of life, the ethical dimension of feeling, and the profound wonder and fragility inherent in our environment.

“At the heart of a forest so dark as to inspire fear, I encountered countless lights.
Those lights, dancing in the woods like a sky filled with stars, were so overwhelming that they transformed the terror of the night into beauty and, even as time passed, those luminous trails never left my mind.”

Beyond the luminous trails of the fireflies, in some shots one can notice a blue light that appears unnatural and might lead the viewer to think of digital retouching; instead, it is what the Japanese call the “blue hour,” a very brief transitional moment from day to night that produces this blue light, not perceptible to the naked eye but captured in the photograph, contributing to the sense of spirituality in Koseki’s images.

Due to deforestation, climate change, and tourism development, wild places continue to transform.
The light and silence of the night forest suggest the fragility of life and of the environment we must protect.

The unpredictable luminous trails of the Himebotaru evoke the uncertainty of the Earth’s future, yet at the same time, the incredible discovery of these places—where hundreds of individuals of a species struggling against extinction gather—speaks of a strong and enduring hope for a better future.

In an era marked by incessant conflicts, the light of the Himebotaru silently tells us that life itself is a miracle to be protected.