The Sound of Ryoji Ikeda Knows No Borders
This sound artist creates immersive shows in which electronic music and images are designed to work hand in hand.
By bonus1up — Flickr, CC BY 2.0
Regarded as the founding father of contemporary art fused with techno and IDM (Intelligent Dance Music), Ryoji Ikeda began his career as a DJ in 1990. He gradually began to undertake various projects in sound art, a subtle blend of plastic arts and music, and became involved with Dumb Type, an interdisciplinary collective, taking the role of composer and collaborating in the creation of shows.
From composition to stage performances
In 1995, Ryoji Ikeda released his first album, 1000 Fragments. This album marked the start of his tours across Europe, the US, and Japan. Through immersive shows, highly visual stage performances, and minimalist concerts, the artist quickly rose to fame. During his shows, he would tend to remain stoic, black sunglasses perched on the end of his nose, standing in front of his computer—an attitude that became his hallmark. Since then, Ryoji Ikeda has continued to be a hot topic, particularly thanks to an exhibition held in London in 2021 that combined data, sound, and animated images.
More information on Ryoji Ikeda’s work can be found on his website.
TRENDING
-
A House from the Taisho Era Reveals Its Secrets
While visiting an abandoned building, Hamish Campbell discovered photographs the owner had taken of the place in the 1920s.
-
The Taboo-Breaking Erotica of Toshio Saeki
The master of the 1970s Japanese avant-garde reimagined his most iconic artworks for a limited box set with silkscreen artist Fumie Taniyama.
-
With Meisa Fujishiro, Tokyo's Nudes Stand Tall
In the series 'Sketches of Tokyo', the photographer revisits the genre by bringing it face to face with the capital's architecture.
-
Masahisa Fukase's Family Portraits
In his series ‘Family’, the photographer compiles surprising photos in which he questions death, the inescapable.
-
Hajime Sorayama's Futuristic Eroticism
The illustrator is the pioneer for a form of hyperrealism that combines sensuality and technology and depicts sexualised robots.
