Hello,
Coco

The artist Coco Capitán curated this season’s UT collaboration with Magnum Photos.
We asked her what inspires her artistic practice, whether it be photography, prose or installation.

See the styling

Q1. What’s the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?

I have one of these radio alarm clocks. It’s set to play my favorite radio channel in the UK. So normally, I just listen a little bit to the radio after the alarm goes off.

Q2. What are the daily essentials you can’t live without?

My notebooks. I take them everywhere so I can take my notes. I also bring along a Contax T3 35mm camera.

Q3. When do you tend to take notes?

I don’t know why, but the underground really relaxes me, so I take a lot of notes there. When I started taking those notes, I never thought it would become a core part of my practice or an art piece on its own. It was just a part of my process of creation. But then, people started to pay more attention to them than the actual finished work. I think sometimes we don’t realize how the process is more interesting to others than the final result.

Q4. Which photographers or artists have inspired you?

Recently I’ve been revisiting Tina Barney’s photographs of her family. I’m also very inspired by Rinus Van de Velde.

Q5. Where do you find the inspiration for your work?

I think inspiration can come from anywhere. Sometimes I get inspiration from just observing people and listening to people’s conversations. That’s why I really like to get on the underground or have a walk in the park.

Q6. What aspect of your childhood in Spain has stuck with you?

I used to live in Cádiz, which is a coastal city. I biked to school in my teens. The views of the beach and the sunsets are unforgettable.

Q7. Why do you think sailor suits and Japanese school uniforms show up in your work?

I don’t really know where this obsession comes from, but I’ve always been quite interested in uniforms. I think I was just looking for a symbol of how we think about sailors. In my series Naïvy,I photographed the uniforms from the US Navy, which is quite funny to me because they’re very similar to Japanese junior high school uniforms.

Q8. What was it like collaborating with four Magnum Photos photographers for this season’s UT?

It’s important for me for the perspective to be rooted in the everyday. That’s a big part of my practice. It’s why I focused on photographers who can get in touch with the quotidien. I just wanted to celebrate daily life. Thanks to this project, I was able to connect with other female photographers like Sabiha Çimen and Cristina de Middel.

L057 L053R

From the exhibition L057 L053R hosted at Spiral in Omotesando, Tokyo in 2024. Demonstrates the breadth of Coco’s creative output, with everything from Japanese motifs to an installation of a life-size yacht emerging from the floor.

Naïvy

Excerpts from the Naïvy series mentioned in Q7 that was shown in London and across the globe. The exhibition also featured paintings and embellished found objects.

Q9. What’s the sentiment behind the cats on each of the four T-shirts?

It was important to me that everyone could feel like they could wear these T-shirts. I didn’t want them to look too young or too grown-up. Anyone can feel good wearing them. That’s partially why I chose cats as a subject, as I wanted to connect to something that everyone could relate to.

Q10. We’re curious why you sometimes wear a necktie?

Traditionally, neckties have been worn by men in business situations. I want to be taken seriously and feel at the same level as the men I’m doing business with. Sometimes there’s this expectation that artists are relaxed and not ready for business, but ties have a seriousness that I really enjoy. If I do another collaboration with UNIQLO, I’d like to make some neckties.

Q11. In your eyes, what makes a person stylish?

I think a sense of authenticity. Not necessarily wearing what is cool at this moment in time, but what they truly like. In my case, I really love normcore outfits and office attire.

Q12. This issue’s theme is “Sunny Moments.” Would you mind sharing a recent event that put you in a good mood?

Last summer, I went sailing off Mallorca. I prefer classic sailing, no motors. There’s nothing like being close to the mast and feeling the wind and sun against your skin. Sailing in the waters off Mallorca is as sunny as it gets.

Q13. What are your thoughts on UNIQLO?

UNIQLO does a great job of making items that fit into everyday life. It’s rare to find normcore clothing that is accessible but with really good quality.

Q14. We hear you enjoy fencing. What’s the appeal for you?

I wanted to learn more about myself. Fencing is an interesting sport because you have to defend yourself and also attack at the same time. I wanted to find out if I was more of a defensive person or if I’d always go to point no matter what. I can be quite competitive and I guess fencing really helps me with my daily frustration.

Goodbye Blue Spring
(Ookini Seishun)

Photo book published in 2024 by SUPER LABO. Images taken while on residency at KYOTOGRAPHIE. Depicts the spirit of youth through intimate portraits of young locals, from monks and maikos to schoolkids in uniform and musicians and skateboarders.

MAGNUM PHOTOS AS SEEN BY COCO CAPITÁN

Jean Gaumy

Sabiha Çimen

Alec Soth

Cristina de Middel

New UT featuring prose poetry and photos selected by Coco Capitán from the Magnum archive on the theme of “cats.” Featured photographers include Jean Gaumy (France), Sabiha Çimen (Turkey), Alec Soth (US), and Cristina de Middel (Spain).
It was quite a privilege to work with the Magnum archive. I visited their office and spent so much time there going through all of the books. It was like doing in-depth research into their works. I wasn’t looking for one particular thing.

Q15. What do you remember best about making your book OOKINI SEISHUN (Goodbye Blue Spring) in Kyoto?

The people at the school where I studied zen were all really welcoming. They invited me to spend days and days with them, joining their meditation sessions. I got to see what their daily life is like and what their routine entails. I learned a lot about the simplicity of their lives and what Zen Buddhism really consists of. It made me connect with a part of myself that I hadn’t been in touch with before. Because of my career and my artistic path, I always want to achieve things. But they made me feel like maybe sometimes it’s not necessary to focus so much on attaining things, sometimes to be in the “now” and enjoy what you have around is a great thing. Also, I spent a lot of time in a beautiful rock garden maintained by the Zen master. Seeing him watering the plants was very peaceful and my favorite part of that project.

Q16. What are your top three movies?

First off, I’d say Good Morning by Yasujiro Ozu. I love his color treatment and also think it relates to our project as he’s really interested in everyday domestic life. I really like those two brothers, just seeing how they behave naturally. It’s magical the way that Ozu manages to make this into a feature film. Another favorite is Juzo Itami’s Tampopo. Also, I really enjoyed Taxi Driver from Martin Scorsese, with Robert De Niro playing the lead.

Q17. What’s your message for young people who want to pursue a career in the arts?

I guess always keep trying and be true to yourself. Don’t change your style or adapt just because you think something is going to be cool or other people are going to like it more. It’s easier to work hard on something when you really like it. If it feels like a game, it won’t be a chore. I guess it comes down to being very honest with yourself and doing something that you truly enjoy.

Coco CapitánArtist, Photographer

Born in 1992 in Seville, Spain. In 2016, she graduated with a master’s in photography from London’s Royal College of Art. Since then, she’s been based in London and Mallorca, with an art practice that straddles fine art and commercial art. Her works are held in the collections of Maison Européenne de la Photography in Paris and Huis Marseille in Amsterdam. An avid reader, she recently read Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. She’s currently planning a project photographing young people in Tokyo.