In the year of the European Capital of Culture celebrations in Wrocław the number of Japanese participants in current projects reached the highest level, most likely due to the partnership with  EU Japan Fest. One of these joint initiatives was the TIFF Residency project – the very first project launched by TIFF Center. It's aim, in broader perspective, is creating first permanent, international residency programme in Poland, dedicated to artists engaged in photography.

The pioneer of this initiative, invited to Wrocław in September 2016, became Yuji Hamada (1979), a photographer of the younger generation, attracting more and more attention around the world. The artist, represented i.a. by PGI gallery in Tokyo, in his work focuses on photography and it's structure. That's what helps him explore what it really means to “see” and what is left “unseen”. While working on specific projects, Hamada plays around with composition and often experiments with technical side of his works.

During his residency in Wrocław he focused on visiting small towns in Lower Silesia where he photographed various borders (natural, contractual or non-obvious) and how they intertwine. Hamada was especially interested in the landscape on the junction of the Polish-German-Czech border, and also in many different layers of the history and the dissonance between the old and contemporary architecture of this region. He visited  Karpacz, Wleń, Porajów, Oleśnica and Syców. All his observations are reflected in his pictures, which were exhibited at the BWA Wrocław Studio Gallery in November 2016. The "TSUMUGU // WIR" exposition consisted of traditional pictures, as well as of multiplied digital prints and serigraphy.