Travelers by the Lake Biwa/ Kusatsu, from the series Exhaustive Illustrations of the Fifty-Three Stations of the Tōkaidō (Tōkaidō gojÅ«santsugi ezukushi) Possibly 1810

Curator: Ah, look at this! "Travelers by the Lake Biwa," part of Hokusai's series, capturing scenes along the Tōkaidō road. It's so tiny, like a little world in a square. Editor: It feels very ordered and calm. A snapshot of everyday life, but something about the way the figures are rendered feels almost anonymous, like cogs in a machine. Curator: I see it as a dance! The travelers, the boats on the water... Hokusai's suggesting constant movement, that life itself is a journey, isn’t it? Editor: It highlights the structures of travel and labor. Who are these people? What are they carrying? How does class play into the ability to wander or traverse? Curator: And yet, the pink sky, the simplified forms... it's more than just reportage, don't you think? There's a dreamy quality. It makes me want to wander myself, even if I have no idea where I'm going. Editor: It pushes me to consider who has the privilege to wander, and who is bound to the road by necessity. Curator: Exactly. Hokusai’s print stirs up a lot of questions, doesn’t it? Editor: Absolutely, and I think that questioning is vital.