Audio Visual Arts is extremely pleased to present a series of new works by Japanese sound art pioneer Akio Suzuki (b1941). Suzuki’s work hasn’t been presented in New York since his show at the Japan House in 1983. His exploration as an artist began in 1963 with a performance at Nagoya station, in which he threw a bucket full of junk down a staircase. The inspiration behind this performance — the idea that if one were to hurl an object down a well-balanced stairway, a pleasant rhythm might be the result — took the desire to “listen” as its subject. That desire to hear, to listen has remained the one constant in Suzuki’s stance as an artist. During the sixties, Suzuki’s sense of playfulness led him to undertake a series of self-study events, where he explored the processes of “throwing” and “following”, utilizing the natural world as his collaborator. The experiences he gained in these events led him in the seventies to invent an echo instrument he named Analapos. The instrument’s structure resembles that of two mirrors facing each other, reflecting into infinity. As an extension of the principles underlying Analapos, Suzuki constructed the Hinatabokko no kukan (Space in the Sun) in 1988. This space consists of two huge parallel walls, in between which the artist can sit and purify his hearing by listening to the reflected sounds of nature. Suzuki comments, “Sound, which had been conceptually imprisoned in various spaces, is freed to circle the world.”

For his show at AVA, Suzuki will present a series of silent objects that invite viewers to imagine their sounds. Works on paper will be on display in addition to a sculpture / instrument made out of Japanese bamboo. A performance will take place at the opening of the show, on October 13th, at 4pm. Location: Vacant lot across the street from AVA.