Global-Store Project is an ongoing artistic project by Takahiko Suzuki that has continued for more than fifteen years. Focusing on independent local shops around the world, the project combines photography, graphic design, performance, and digital media to reconsider the relationship between globalization and local identity. As Suzuki notes, the Japanese translation of "globalization" suggests a unified and equal world, while reality is often the opposite.
At the heart of the project is the artist's self-defined concept of the "2.5D Photograph." Although these images resemble miniature architectural models, they are in fact photographs of real shops created by digitally combining multiple images with different focal points. The resulting works blur the boundary between photography and model-making, challenging viewers' perception of reality. Suzuki also makes the image components available online under a Creative Commons license, encouraging audiences to download the files and create their own 2.5D photographs.
The photographs are then transformed into advertisement posters modeled after real estate billboards, displaying the shop against a bright blue sky along with its geographic coordinates. These posters are carried by sign holders in cities far from the shops' original locations and documented through photography, creating a symbolic connection between different places. QR codes further link viewers to online information, maps, and downloadable image components, extending the project beyond the exhibition space into a global digital network.
Rather than opposing globalization, Global-Store Project proposes a more equitable form of global connection by giving visibility to independent local businesses. Especially in the post-pandemic era, when attention has increasingly shifted toward regional economies and local communities, Suzuki's long-term project offers a thoughtful reflection on how art can connect "here" and "there" while celebrating the value of local culture.