Ryoichi Kurokawa is a young audiovisual artist from Osaka (in Japan). He mixes vibrant and refined universes together into clips, albums, installations and performances, where glitch minimalism breaks up and re-assembles in more complex and vertiginous structures.
Some people think he is a great visionary artist and others consider him to be formal and technicist. But whatever one might think of him, they will have to be confronted by his work as his continuous focus on synesthesia, his ability to make imagination fly and his rigorous attention to landscapes and definition have turned Kurokawa’s work into a kind of official benchmark for people who want to come closer to the audiovisual world.
Kurokawa was born in 1978 in Osaka. In 1999, he started creating and presenting audiovisual works, installations and screenings in various art, music and film festivals. In the meantime, he started performing live with his audiovisual cross-media concerts and released CDs and DVDs. He also started performing live visuals for musicians such as Human Audio Sponge (eg.YMO: “Sketch Show” with Ryuichi Sakamoto).
Nowadays, Kurokawa continues to have an active presence on the international stage and is invited to many internationally noted festivals and museums in Europe, the United States and Asia (including Tate Modern [UK], Ars Electronica [AT], MUTEK [CA] and MACBA [ES]) for exhibitions, screenings or audiovisual concerts. Recently, Kurokawa won the prestigious Golden Nica Award (also known as the Prix Ars Electronica) in the category of Digital Music & Sound Art with his latest pentaptych audiovisual installation “rheo: 5 horizons”, produced by Cimatics. It was in 2010, in Linz [AT].
This is how Naut Humon, one of the most famous members of the jury in Ars Electronica Festival, describes Kurokawa’s work and art:
“Ryoichi Kurokawa is now at the peak of his creative powers. His work evinces a personal approach that exudes ingenuity and originality at every turn. As a videographer, the urgency and great range of expressions embodied in his renderings seem to somehow transcend conventional notions of the character of customary moviemaking.
In a sense, Kurokawa is an artist who can be regarded as an exemplary trendsetter in his field, or as an aesthetic-defining trailblazer who is still pointing the way for others. The astonishing diversity of his explorations points to an amazing productivity that seems to flow without end. He is a genre-transcending artist who continues to confound and transform stereotyped notions concerning the illustration of electronic image expression.
Although one cannot predict precisely what Ryoichi will do next, one can be sure of this: his new work will be exciting and will take enormous creative risks; it will be of very high quality with great attention to details; it will reach a very diverse audience; and most importantly, it will be something that we have not viewed before. In his vocation of improvised images, Ryoichi Kurokawa ranks near the top.” (Naut Humon)
- “The 54th Venice Biennale – One of a thousand ways to defeat entropy”, Arsenale Novissimo, Venice, 2011
- “lille3000″, Gare Saint Sauveur, Lille, 2011
- “Nemo Festival”, Synesthesie, Saint-Denis, 2011
- “VIA”, Espace Sculfort, Maubeuge, 2011″The 54th Venice Biennale – One of a thousand ways to defeat entropy”, Arsenale Novissimo, Venice, 2011
- “lille3000″, Gare Saint Sauveur, Lille, 2011
- “Nemo Festival”, Synesthesie, Saint-Denis, 2011
- “VIA”, Espace Sculfort, Maubeuge, 2011 -”sound:frame”, Ottakringerbrauerei/Alte Technik, Vienna, 2011
- “EXIT”, Maison des Arts Créteil, Créteil, 2011
- “Japan Media Arts Festival”, The National Art Center Tokyo, Tokyo, 2011
- “CTM. 11 | RML CineChamber”, HAU 2, Berlin, 2011
- “Digital Art Festival Taipei”, Bopiliao Historic Block, Taipei, 2010
- “ARS Electronica”, Tabakfabrik, Linz, 2010
- “Lexus. Hybrid Art”, Vetoshny, Moscow, 2010
- “See This Sound”, Lentos Museum, Linz, 2009
- “Territorios Sevilla”, Andalusian Center of Contemporary Art, Sevilla, 2009
- “ColorField Variations”, Hammer Museum, Los Angels, 2008
- “Crosswire”, Nederlands Instituut voor Mediakunst, Amsterdam, 2008
- “Eye of the City”, Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei, Taipei, 2008
- “otoimatge”, UPD, Valencia, 2008
- “ELEKTRA”, USINE C, Montreal, 2008
- “NEMO”, Le CUBE, Paris, 2008
- “CIMATICS 07″, Beursschouwburg, Brussels, 2007
- “Laptopia #4 Festival”, Levontin, Tel Aviv, 2007
- “Decibel Festival”, Henry Art Gallery, Seattle, 2007
- “Repeat Please: VJ Culture”, UTOPIA 07,Teatro Comico Principal, Cordoba, 2007
- “ColorField Variations”, Issue Project Room, New York, 2007
- “5 DAYS OFF”, Melkweg, Amsterdam, 2007
- “SONAR 2007″, Sonar 5.1, MACBA/CosmoCaixa, Barcelona, 2007
- “OVERTURE”, Southbank Center, London, 2007
- “Festival Pocket Films”, Pompidou Center, Paris, 2007
- “ColorFidedRemix”, Corcoran Gallery of Art & G Fine Art, Washington D.C. / Ellipse Art Center, Arlington, 2007
- “Dissonanze”, Palazzo dei Congressi, Rome, 2006
- “Festival Paysages Electroniques”, L’Aeronef, Lille, 2006
- “sonarsound buenos aires”, Costa Salguero, Buenos Aires, 2006
- “audiovisual crossmedia event | RYOICHI KUROKAWA”, 11, Amsterdam, 2006
- “RYOICHI KUROKAWA time sculpture”, Chapelle de Boondael, Brussels, 2006
- “RYOICHI KUROKAWA time sculpture”, Kunstraum Walcheturm, Zurich, 2006
- “Weather in My Brain Sound-Visual Art Festival”, Eastile Gallery, Taipei / National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Taichung, 2006
- “IMPAKT Festival”, Filmtheatre ‘t Hoogt, Utrecht, 2005
- “VAIA 2005 – The 7th backup_festival. new media in film”, Centre Cultural d’Alcoi, Alcoi, 2005
- “CIMATICS 05″, Cinema Nova, Brussels, 2005
- “backup 2005 – The 7th backup_festival. new media in film”, E-Werk Weimar, Weimar, 2005
- “videomedeja The 9th International Video Festival”, The Museum of Voivodina, Novi Sad, 2005
- “B!AS 2 – Sound Art Exhibition”, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei, 2005
- “Optronica”, National Film Theatre, London, 2005
- “SONAR 2005″, Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art, Barcelona, 2005
- “International Videofestival Bochum”, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, 2005
- “VIDEOX 2005″, Filmpodium im Schiffbau, Zurich, 2005
- “WRO 05 11th International Media Art Biennale”, Wroclaw, 2005
- “CAHLET.05″-clubtransmediale.05 Partner Event-, aroma, Berlin, 2005
- “IMPAKT Festival”, Filmtheatre ‘t Hoogt, Utrecht, 2004
- “CIMATIC Festival Edition 2004″, Beursschouwburg, Brussels, 2004
- “SonarSound Tokyo”, Yebisu The Garden Cinema, Tokyo, 2004
- “SOUND X VISION”, graf, Osaka / SMT, Sendai / YCAM, Yamaguchi / Raforet Museum Harajuku,Tokyo, 2004
- “AUSTIN MUSEUM OF DIGITAL ART Digital Showcase 27″, Elysium, Austin, 2004
- “TokyoZone”, Bibliotheque National de France, Paris, 2003
- “kill your timid notion”, Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee, 2003
- “VIDEOX 2003″, Filmpodium im Schiffbau, Zurich, 2003
- “LOVEBYTES International Festival of Digital Art 2003″, Showroom Cinema, Sheffield, 2003
- “Flow” Audiovisual concert “Rheo”, Multi-Media Theatre, Hong Kong, 2011
- “HARAJUKU PERFORMANCE +”, Audiovisual concert “Parallel Head”, Laforet Museum Harajuku, Tokyo, 2010
- “Camera Japan” Audiovisual concert “Rheo”, Lantaren/Venster, Rotterdam, 2010
- “Scopitone”, Audiovisual concert “celeritas”, TU-Nantes, Nantes, 2010
- “ARS Electronica”, Audiovisual concert “Rheo”, Tabakfabrik, Linz, 2010
- “ROJO NOVA”, Audiovisual concert “Parallel Head”, SESC, Sao Paulo, 2010
- “ROJO NOVA”, Audiovisual concert “celeritas”, Museum of Image and Sound Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, 2010
- “GREC”, Audiovisual concert “Rheo”, Museum of Contemporary Art of Barcelona, Barcelona, 2010
- “Rencontres Internationales”, Audiovisual concert “Rheo”, House of World Cultures, Berlin, 2010
- “NODE”, Audiovisual concert “Parallel Head”, Galleria Civica di Modena, Modena, 2010
- “Rencontres Internationales”, Audiovisual concert “Rheo”, REINA SOFIA National Museum, Madrid, 2010
- “Lexus. Hybrid Art”, Audiovisual concert “Parallel Head [quadtych 5.1ch sound version]“, Vetoshny, Moscow, 2010
- “Lexus. Hybrid Art”, Audiovisual concert “celeritas [quadtych 5.1ch sound version]“, Vetoshny, Moscow, 2010
- “A Taste of Sonar”, Audiovisual concert “Rheo [2.1ch sound version]“, Roundhouse, London, 2010
- “LUX”, Audiovisual concert “celeritas”, La Fundación Tres Culturas, Sevilla, 2009
- “CIMATICS”, Audiovisual concert “Rheo”, BOZAR Centre for Fine Arts, Brussels, 2009
- “National Theater Concert Hall”, Audiovisual theatre “celeritas”, National Theater Concert Hall, Taipei, 2009
- “5 DAYS OFF”, Audiovisual concert “Rheo”, Melkweg, Amsterdam, 2009
- “Moscow International Film Festival | Media Forum”, Audiovisual concert “Rheo”,
Cinema Centre at Krasnaya Presnya, Moscow, 2009
- “SONAR”, Audiovisual concert “Parallel Head [triptych 2.1ch version]“, Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art, Barcelona, 2009
- “Territorios Sevilla”, Audiovisual concert “Rheo”, Andalusian Center of Contemporary Art, Sevilla, 2009
- “Urban Explorers Festival”, Audiovisual concert “Rheo”, Centrum Beeldende Kunst, Dordrecht, 2009
- “ELEKTRA”, Audiovisual concert “Rheo”, l’Usine C, Montreal, 2009
- “EXIT 2009″, Audiovisual concert “Rheo [beta version]“, Maison des Arts Creteil, Creteil, 2009
- “VIA 2009″, Audiovisual concert “Rheo [beta version]“, Espace Sculfort, Maubeuge, 2009
- “transmediale 2009″, Audiovisual concert “Parallel Head [quadtych 5.1ch version]“, House of World Cultures, Berlin, 2009
- “Madeira Dig Festival 2008″, Audiovisual concert “Parallel Head [diptych 5.1ch version]“,
The Casa das Mudas Art Center, Madeira, 2008
- “Shanghai eARTS Festival 2008″, Audiovisual concert “Parallel Head [quadtych version]“,
Zhangjiabang River Pudong, Shanghai, 2008
- “TodaysArt 2008″, Audiovisual concert “Parallel Head [diptych 5.1ch version]“, Theater Aan Het Spui, The Hague, 2008
- “ON_OFF”, Audiovisual concert “Parallel Head” [diptych 5.1ch version]“, Itau Cultural, Sao Paulo, 2008
- “ON_OFF”, Audiovisual concert “cm: av_c”, Itau Cultural, Sao Paulo, 2008
- “NEMO”, Audiovisual concert “Parallel Head [diptych 5.1ch version]“, ELYSEES BIARRITZ, Paris, 2008
- “Sonic Acts XII”, Audiovisual concert “Parallel Head [diptych 5.1ch version]“, Paradiso, Amsterdam, 2008
- “Festival Futura”, Audiovisual concert “cm: av_c + Parallel Head”, Plaza Futura, Eindhoven, 2008
- “CIMATICS 07″, Audiovisual concert “cm: av_c”, Beursschouwburg, Brussels, 2007
- “Palais des Beaux Arts de Lille”, Audiovisual concert “cm: av_c”, Palais des Beaux Arts de Lille, Lille, 2007
- “Taipei City Fables 2007″, Audiovisual concert “cm: av_c”, Taipei Plant, Taipei, 2007
- “MELTING”, Audiovisual concert “cm: av_c”, M2, Seoul, 2007
- “MUTEK MX”, Audiovisual concert “cm: av_c”, Estacion Indianilla, Mexico City, 2007
- “MUTEK MX”, collaborative concert “zero” w/Yoshihiro HANNO, Estacion Indianilla, Mexico City, 2007
- “synthesis”, Audiovisual concert “cm: av_c [single screen version]“, TATE MODERN, London, 2007
- “Festival Art Rock”, Audiovisual concert “cm: av_c”, La Passerelle, Saint-Brieuc, 2007
- “donau festival”, Audiovisual concert “cm: av_c”, Ö-Halle 1, Krems, 2007
- “L.E.V. Festival”, Audiovisual concert “cm: av_c”, Centro de Arte Laboral, Gijon, 2007
- “VIA Festival International”, Audiovisual concert “cm: av_c”, Theatre Maubeuge, Maubeuge, 2007
- “OPTRONICA”, Audiovisual concert “cm: av_c”, National Film Theatre, London, 2007
- “Festival International EXIT”, Audiovisual concert “cm: av_c”, Creteil Maison des Arts, Creteil, 2007
- “Play.Cine en directo”, Audiovisual concert “cm: av_c”, La Casa Encendida, Madrid, 2007
- “Video Heroes”, Audiovisual concert “cm: av_c”, Centro Galego Arte Contemporanea, Santiago de Compostela, 2006
- “CIMATICS Festival”, Audiovisual concert “cm: av_c”, Beursschouwburg, Brussels, 2006
- “RYOICHI KUROKAWA Concert”, Audiovisual concert “cm: av_c”, Plaza Futura, Eindhoven, 2006
- “RML”, Audiovisual concert “10 screens surround cinema concert”, Recombinant Media Labs, San Francisco, 2006
- “Decibel Festival”, Audiovisual concert “cm: av_c”, Seattle, 2006
- “State of the Image”, Audiovisual concert “cm: av_c”, Arnhem Citysquare, Arnhem, 2006
- “ARS ELECTRONICA 2006″, Audiovisual concert “cm: av_c”, Brucknerhaus, Linz, 2006
- “camerajapan”, Audiovisual concert “cm: av_c”, Lantaren/Venster, Rotterdam, 2006
- “MUTEK 2006″, Audiovisual concert “cm: av_c”, Ex-Centris, Montreal, 2006
- “LUX2006″, Audiovisual concert “cm: av_c”, Staatsschauispiel Dresden, Seville, 2006
- “MIXED MEDIA”, Audiovisual concert “cm: av_c”, Hangar Bicocca, Milan, 2006
- “VIDEOEX 2006″, Audiovisual concert “cm: av_c”, Kunstraum Walcheturm “cm: av_c”, Zurich, 2006
- “Concert AVR #4″, Audiovisual concert “cm: av_c”, les Abattoirs The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Toulouse, 2006
- “LIQUID VIDEO/DESIGNMAI”, Audiovisual concert “cm: av_c”, K44, Berlin, 2006
- “Remixed Emperor”, collaborative concert “zero” w/Yoshihiro HANNO, Goethe Institut, Kyoto / Tsuda Hall, Tokyo, 2006
- “microscope session”, Audiovisual concert “cm: av_c”, Staatsschauispiel Dresden, Dresden, 2006
- “audiovisual crossmedia concert”, Audiovisual concert, 11 “cm: av_c”, Amsterdam, 2006
- “RYOICHI KUROKAWA concert”, Audiovisual concert “cm: av_c”, Chapelle de Boondael, Brussels, 2006
- “RYOICHI KUROKAWA concert”, Audiovisual concert “cm: av_c”, Kunstraum Walcheturm, Zurich, 2006
- “mapping festival 2006″, Video performance, le zoo, Geneve, 2006
- “Weather in My Brain Sound-Visual Art Festival”, Audiovisual concert “cm: av_c”,
Eastile Gallery, Taipei / National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Taichung, 2006
- “JAPANORAMA”, Live performanece with ACO and Taeji Sawai, Soria Moria, Oslo, 2005
- “Just Composed 2005”, collaborative concert “polygonaloop” w/Yoshihiro Hanno, Yokohama Minato Mirai Hall, Yokohama, 2005
- “SOUND X VISION”, Audiovisual concert, unit, Tokyo, 2004
- “sound tectonics”, Video performance for Aoki Takamasa, YCAM, Yamaguchi, 2004
- “sonarsound tokyo”, Video performance for Human Audio Sponge, Yebisu The Garden Hall, Tokyo, 2004
- “Tokyo Style in Stockholm”, Video performance for ACO, Dansens Hus, Stockholm, 2004
- “SONAR 2004″, Video performance for Human Audio Sponge, Fira Gran Via, Barcelona, 2004
- “sound + vision”, Audiovisual concert, super deluxe, Tokyo, 2003
- “Cybersonica 03″, Video performance for Sketch Show, ICA, London, 2003
- “SONAR 2003″, Video performance for Sketch Show, Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art, Barcelona, 2003
Publications
“READ”, DVD, 2004, daisyworld discs / cutting edge – AVEX INC.
“READ”, CD, 2004, daisyworld discs / cutting edge – AVEX INC.
“COPYNATURE”, DVD, 2003, PROGRESSIVE FOrM
“copynature”, CD, 2003, PROGRESSIVE FOrM
Compilations
“optofonica”, DVD, 2009, LINE/12K
“ColorField Variations”, DVD, 2009, LINE/12K
“SILENT ROOM FAKTORY BOX 01″, DVD+CD, 2007, SK_FAKTORY + ARCADI + OPTICAL SOUND
“Music for Baby!”, CD, 2004, amorfon
“port doc.1-5″, CD, 2004, port
“audio sponge 2″, CD-EXTRA, 2004, daisyworld discs / cutting edge – AVEX INC.
“AUDIOVISUALJAPAN”, DVD, 2004, GAS
‘MIX FORM’ mixed by Haruomi Hosono”, CD, 2004, PROGRESSIVE FOrM
“audio sponge 1″, CD-EXTRA, 2003, daisyworld discs / cutting edge – AVEX INC.
Selected articles
Ryoichi Kurokawa, le naturaliste numérique from Poptronics (in French)
Video by Daniel Demoustier used by Japanese artist from Knack.be (in Dutch)
Ryoichi Kurokawa, perspective and nature from DIGIMAG17