Ryoji Ikeda At The Barbican, London, 20 March 2006. Click For Infos.
Ryoji Ikeda – formula [ver. 2.3] & C4I
Barbican Hall, London
20 March 2006
“Utterly mesmeric…. a powerfully physical event” The Wire [uk] on formula, 2003
“And here lies the immense power of C4I. Impossible it may be, but at times C4I aspires not towards a representation of nature, but to be nature.” – Realtime [Australia] on C4I, 2005
forma presents a long-awaited London concert by leading Japanese electronic composer and artist Ryoji Ikeda.
In this rare UK appearance and his first London performance for over 6 years, Ikeda, will perform two stunning audiovisual works, C4I and formula. Both occupy a space between concert, film and installation and are constantly evolving pieces, updated with each performance. The prototype concert of formula [ver.2.3] was last performed at the Queen Elisabeth Hall where it premiered in 2000, whist this presentation of C4I will be a premiere for London audiences.
Using digital technologies to their utmost limit, Ikeda synchronises video montage, computer-generated imagery and lighting with his intense yet minimal soundtracks to create dazzling multimedia works that remain unrivalled in their power and technical sophistication.
For formula [2000 – ], a huge white screen and stage surface form the setting for an immersive world of projected images, punctuated by perfectly synchronised bursts of stroboscopic lighting and perfectly synchronised sound frequencies.
In his highly atmospheric work, C4I [2004 – ], Ikeda strives for an aesthetic of pure data. Derived from the natural world, from global systems such as economics and from mathematics research, data forms a new material for the artist’s explorations. Blurring the lines between nature, science and philosophy, the work subtly and hypnotically suggests a convergence of the real and the virtual, in the ways we understand and control the world.
Since 1995, Ryoji Ikeda has been intensely active in sound art through concerts, installations, and recordings, presenting sublime imagery and manipulating acoustics to explore how sound can inform our experience of architectural space and human perception and has been hailed by critics as one of the most radical and innovative composers for his live performances, large scale installations for exhibition spaces and album releases.
His albums +/- (1996), 0°C (1998) and matrix (2000) pioneered a new minimal world of electronic music, employing sine waves, electronic “glitch” sounds, and white noise. Reflecting a sharp and highly clarified sense of beauty, these minute yet dynamic sound constructions have established the artist as one of the key figures of contemporary music. His lastest release dataplex (Dec 2005), marks a significant and stunning progression in Ikeda’s career and has already received critical acclaim.
This performance at the Barbican is produced by forma and supported by Arts Council England and The Japan Foundation through the Performing Arts JAPAN Programme.
For further press information and images please contact Hannah Civico, forma arts and media ltd T +44 (0)191 230 6357
Listings information
Ryoji Ikeda
C4I & formula
Venue: Barbican Concert hall, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS
Dates and time: Monday 20 March 2006, 7.30 – 10.30pm
Running time: 2 x 45 minute sets | 1 interval
Tickets £15 | £20
Box Office: 020 7638 8891, 9am-8pm daily
Spring 2006 tour date listings:
19 February 06, C4I, Teatro Canovas, Malaga, UK
3 March 06, C4I & premiere of a new audiovisual piece, The Sage Gateshead [AV Festival], UK
9 March 06, premiere of multi-channel sound piece, Salle Olivier Messain, Radio France [Présences Electronique Festival], Paris, FR
24 March 06, formula [ver. 2.3] & C4I, Haus der Berliner Festspiele [Maerz Musik], Berlin, DE
8 April 06 C4I, Link Music, Bologna, IT
11 April 06 , C4I & new audiovisual work, Teatro Regio, Torino, IT
15 April 06, C4I, Casa da Musica, Porto, IT
Notes to editors:
forma
forma is one of Europe’s leading agencies for contemporary, cross-artform projects. It commissions, tours and publishes work worldwide, managing large-scale and technically innovative productions with flair. Creating rich dialogues between artists, audiences and places, the company pioneers art projects that suggest new possibilities for our current and future culture.
Recently, forma productions have been presented at major festivals and venues in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Monaco, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and USA. We work with renowned artists such as Carsten Nicolai, Cerith Wyn Evans, Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster, Kim Gordon, Carsten Nicolai, Philippe Parreno, DJ Rupture, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Saburo Teshigawara and Richard Wilson, but we also work regularly with equally interesting artists at earlier stages of their careers.
For further information, please visit www.forma.org.uk
forma is supported by Arts Council England
forma
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