Dumb Type, one of Japan's leading media artist groups, will be holding a solo exhibition, "Dumb Type. Actions + Reflections," at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo from November 16 to February 16, 2020.

Dumb Type《Playback》
©Centre Pompidou-Metz / Photo Jacqueline Trichard / 2018 / Exposition Dumb Type
Dumb Type is a group of artists working in a variety of fields, including visual art, architecture, computer programming, music, video, dance, and design. Formed in Kyoto in 1984 as a multimedia performance artist collective, primarily comprised of students from Kyoto City University of Arts.

Keenly aware of the "dammed state" (a state of information overload yet inability to recognize it) that existed amid the superficiality of the bubble economy of the 1980s, the group has developed its activities with a sharp critical eye. Choosing the "dammed" (eliminating dialogue) method as a protest against the emptiness of theater groups that use a lot of language, they compose their works with devices, video, sound, and the raw bodies of their performers. They are pioneers who, through their innovative visual language and philosophy, have pioneered the world of "posthuman" visions born from a new relationship between the digital and the physical.

This solo exhibition, held in 2019, marks the 35th anniversary of the founding of Dumb Type, and will be an updated version of the works from their 2018 solo exhibition at the Centre Pompidou-Metz in France, as well as new works, including performance archives. This large-scale solo exhibition will consist of six large-scale installations, including new works, and will also be an attempt to comprehensively showcase the outstanding style of Dumb Type, which continues to have a major influence on young artists with its unique style even after the death of core member Teiji Furuhashi, as well as Takatani Shiro and Ikeda Ryoji, and which has added younger members to its activities. The exhibition will feature works such as Playback, based on Furuhashi's performance Pleasure Life, a reproduction of the stage set from the original premiere pH, LOVE/SEX/DEATH/MONEY/LIFE, a work based on the stage performance S/N from the same year as "The Human Condition" (1994), and MEMORANDUM OR VOYAGE (2014), a reconstruction of three performances from after Furuhashi's death. The exhibition will also feature Teiji Furuhashi's LOVERS (1994/2001, second edition, owned by the National Museum of Art, Osaka), providing a spatial experience with outstanding sound design. LOVERS will be on display until January 19, 2020.

The exhibition will also trace Furuhashi's lineage from his lifetime to the present day, showcasing the originality of the group Dumb Type and their pioneering message, which remains relevant even in today's internet society, through exhibits by members, researchers and associates from new and old generations. A collection of works that doubles as a catalogue (estimated price: 3,000 yen) will also be published, including numerous photographs of the works.

Related programs are also planned for the duration of the exhibition. Further details will be announced on the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo website.