The Tokyo Metropolitan Contemporary Art Museum is currently hosting 'Ryuichi Sakamoto: Seeing Sound, Hearing Time', the first large-scale solo exhibition dedicated to the visionary work of the renowned composer and multi-disciplinary artist Ryuichi Sakamoto, who passed away earlier this year. This immersive exhibition pays tribute to his multifaceted career, guiding visitors through over ten installations including new creations and his groundbreaking collaborative works.
Running until March 30, 2025, the exhibition is anchored by concepts Sakamoto frequently explored: the nature of sound and time. 'Seeing Sound' and 'Hearing Time' are not just titles; they encapsulate the artist's lifelong inquiry as to how sound can be experienced spatially and how time itself can be portrayed through artistic expression.
The exhibition opens with 'TIME TIME', a fresh collaboration with the artist Shiro Takagi, featuring more than ten pieces exploring the relationship between sound, its spatial placement, and the philosophical question of what constitutes time. This work builds on Sakamoto's longstanding curiosity about time, offering visitors not just art, but experiences meant to provoke contemplation.
Another highlight is 'async–immersion Tokyo', also developed posthumously. This installation offers visitors the chance to experience the music from his 2017 album 'async' through immersive soundscapes and visuals drawn from his life and work, including footage of Sakamoto's New York studio and personal belongings, creating a gentle yet electric atmosphere where memory meets sound.
The exhibit expands to include 'IS YOUR TIME', which utilizes the piano from the Miyagi Agricultural High School, devastated by the 2011 tsunami. Sakamoto envisioned this piece as 'a piano tuned by nature', transmitting seismic data and transforming the instrument's output, symbolizing the earth’s vibrations.
Throughout the exhibition, Sakamoto's signature themes of water and nature emerge. Pieces like 'water state 1' demonstrate his remarkable ability to merge sound, visuals, and nature. Based on local precipitation data, the installation dynamically alters the environment—a cascade of sound triggered by water droplets, lighting, and time, creating meditative experiences for visitors.
Outdoor installations also feature prominently, presenting innovative works with artist Daito Manabe, such as 'Sensing Streams 2024', which visualizes and audibly manifests electromagnetic waves—those invisible forces we coexist with daily, now rendered perceptible through artistic means.
Collaboration permeated Sakamoto’s work, evident with installations such as 'LIFE—fluid, invisible, inaudible...' highlighting his earlier operatic endeavors. These collaborations provided Sakamoto opportunities to express complex themes involving historical narratives, the essence of existence, and human emotions through sound, visuals, and environmental elements.
One particularly evocative piece, 'Music Plays Images X Images Play Music', reanimates Sakamoto’s work from 1997, embedding performance through multimedia installations. Visitors might experience the essence of Sakamoto’s presence, as the data from his performances creates the atmosphere of him playing—his presence felt even when he is physically absent.
'Ryuichi Sakamoto: Seeing Sound, Hearing Time' presents visitors with the opportunity to experience the unique fusion of sound and visual art, developed through the innovative spirit of Sakamoto’s career. Each installation invites audiences to meditate on the intersection of the auditory and visual, urging them to not just observe, but to actively engage with the pieces and their messages.
This exhibition is more than just art; it’s about experiencing the essence of Sakamoto—from his influence as a composer to his role as an innovator who redefined sound and visual interaction throughout his lifetime. The museum's website provides purchasing options for tickets for those interested to experience this touching tribute to one of music's most brilliant minds.
