Ryoichi Kurokawa

Biography:

Ryoichi Kurokawa is a Japanese audiovisual artist and composer renowned for creating immersive installations and live performances that synthesise sound and visual elements into cohesive sensory experiences. His practice explores the interplay between natural phenomena, technological systems, and human perception through precisely synchronised abstract visuals and experimental electronic soundscapes.

Kurokawa's works transcend conventional boundaries of sensory perception by crafting meticulously orchestrated environments where digital precision converges with organic fluidity. Drawing inspiration from scientific data patterns and natural processes, he transforms mathematical models and biological rhythms into art that balances technological sophistication with poetic resonance.

He is particularly celebrated for his ability to transform scientific data and natural processes into art, generating visuals that echo organic forms, yet are rendered with digital sophistication. For over 20 years, he has been a trailblazer in the audiovisual art scene. Kurokawa has presented work at the Tate Modern, London; the 54th Venice Biennale, Arsenale Novissimo, Venice; Transmediale, Berlin; MUTEK, Montreal; eARTS, Shanghai; and Sonar, Barcelona. In 2010, he was awarded the Golden Nica, Prix Ars Electronica, in Digital Music & Sound Art.

Artwork Overview:

skadw- is an immersive audiovisual installation exploring how shadows influence our perception of space. It prioritises the depth and resonance created by shadows rather than the direct expression of light.

A strong beam of light enters the space through a ceiling-to-floor slit, interacting with fog illuminated from six angles. This creates a dense mist where light and shadow intersect. The fog moves slowly and unpredictably, generating unique variations and constantly shifting shadows that produce a meditative environment. Light and sound are synchronised, with independent control over each light source’s brightness and hue, causing continuous fluctuations in the shadows projected onto the fog. This interplay creates a dynamic and abstract spatial experience.

Without physical objects, the fog thickens the shadows, which then define the space, fundamentally transforming spatial perception. The installation integrates the Japanese aesthetic concept of "Ma," which embodies the beauty of negative space, intervals, and emptiness. In skadw-, this "Ma" emerges through silence and darkness, fostering a sense of suspension, meditation, and eventual tension release.

Through the synchronisation of light and sound, viewers feel a kind of unity with the space itself. The light from the slit evokes sanctity, and the transitions of light and shadow become etched into the memory of the space. While skadw- focuses on light, it emphasises the "shadows" born from it, highlighting the richness of contrast between light and dark. What remains after the light fades and the sound ends is the memory of a space woven by shadows - an attempt to impress upon the viewer the beauty of the unseen.