The NTT InterCommunication Center (ICC) in Hatsudai, Tokyo, opened the exhibition "Otomo Yoshihide: Between Music and Art" on November 22nd. This exhibition features a large-scale installation by Otomo Yoshihide, an artist who transcends the boundaries between music and art, as well as his latest work created specifically for this exhibition. "Quartets," created in 2008, is a large-scale audio-visual installation. Taking up the entirety of a large exhibition room, this work features pre-recorded improvisations by eight musicians, reorganized into four quartets via a computer program. Silhouettes of each musician are projected onto each side of a central white cube, while wall screens in the exhibition room directly opposite each side of the cube display details of objects made from wood, iron, and liquid. These images vibrate and change in sync with the sound of the performances. "Guitar Solos 1," created specifically for this exhibition, is a sound installation utilizing the museum's staircase. Eight pairs of speakers are installed on the steps of the staircase, each playing pre-recorded guitar sounds in random order. Visitors pass by or stand in front of the speakers, enjoying the complex, evolving sound.
Music and fine art are distinct artistic forms of expression, each with its own history and each having developed independently. In recent years, a diverse range of interdisciplinary expressions has emerged, greatly expanding the boundaries of traditional artistic genres while blurring the boundaries between these fields.
Otomo states, "I want people to take their time to enjoy 'quartets' (a sound piece)." This exhibition once again challenges viewers to consider the significance of sound installations in art museums. Otomo's work presents a new system of "exhibition-based performance," which differs from both fixed auditory sources and ephemeral live experiences.
This exhibition will make you look once again at "music" and "art," and make you think about what lies "between" them, and what connects them.
[Event Information]
"Otomo Yoshihide: Between Music and Art"
Venue: NTT InterCommunication Center [ICC] Gallery A
Address: Tokyo Opera City Tower 4F, 3-20-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
Dates: November 22nd to February 22nd, 2015
Hours: 11:00 to 18:00
Closed: Mondays (the following day if a public holiday falls on a Monday), December 29th to January 5th, February 8th
Admission Fee: 500 yen for adults and university students, free for high school students and younger
