Audemars Piguet Contemporary is delighted to unveil the conclusive chapter of Ryoji Ikeda’s data-verse trilogy as part of RYOJI IKEDA, the largest exhibition of works by the audio-visual artist to date in Europe, curated and produced by The Vinyl Factory x Fact, with whom the artist has been collaborating for five years. The solo exhibition, which will be on view within the vast 180 Studios space at 180 The Strand in London from 12 November 2020 to 28 February 2021, will feature world premieres of several never-before-seen works and invite viewers to immerse themselves in Ikeda’s thought-provoking and highly-charged dynamic digital universe. The exhibition not only marks the world premiere of data-verse 3; it is the first time the complete trilogy will be shown as one since it was commissioned in 2015.
Ryoji Ikeda’s innovative work explores the essential characteristics of sound and light by means of mathematical precision and aesthetics. The artist engages with frequencies and scales difficult for the human ear and mind to comprehend, visualising sounds and rendering the imperceptible through numerical systems and computer aesthetics. By orchestrating sounds, visuals, materials, physics and mathematics, Ikeda goes beyond the conceptual to delve into extremes and infinites, testing the limits of human senses and digital technology. His long-term projects have taken a multiplicity of forms, from live performances and immersive audio-visual installations, to books and CDs, and have evolved over the years to encompass the latest iterations of his data-driven research.
Imagined by Ikeda as a subterranean exploration of sound and light, the solo exhibition produced and curated by The Vinyl Factory x Fact will take viewers on a sensory journey of 180 Studios’ labyrinth-like spaces which seem to defy the building’s scale. The exhibition will show how Ikeda has transformed the way we experience art and pioneered a global movement with immersive works that push our senses to new sonic and visual extremes, challenging our understanding of the universe and our place within it.
Among the twelve large-scale, multi-media artworks presented is the data-verse trilogy, a large-scale immersive work commissioned in 2015 by Audemars Piguet Contemporary, which since 2012 has commissioned contemporary artists to create new artwork that reflect the world we cohabit today. Ikeda’s installation will show all three variations together for the first time at 180 Studios, creating a rare opportunity for audiences to see the works in harmony in an environment that is able to take on and maximise the trilogy’s scale, where most spaces cannot.
data-verse marks the conclusive chapter in Ikeda’s data-driven audio-visual research and aesthetics that first began in the early 2000s. It visualises and sonifies the different dimensions co-existing in our world, from the microscopic, to the human, to the macroscopic. data-verse 1 premiered at the 58th International Art Exhibition, La Biennale de Venezia, in 2019—and was notably worked on while Ikeda was an artist in residence at 180 The Strand. data-verse 2 was unveiled in Tokyo Midtown in October 2019. data-verse 3 will be premiered in London in a mesmerised showing of the three variations. The trilogy’s sublime medley of bright lights, visceral patterns charging at high frequencies and constant yet calming acoustic will be positioned at the centre of the exhibition and will allow viewers an impactful moment of reflection on the vast data universe in which we live.
“The entire exhibition is based very much on physical experience, not only intellectual content. It begins with works that give intense, very simple experiences, and then the works get more complicated, like the data-oriented projections such as data-verse.” – Ryoji Ikeda, Artist
“Ryoji is a visionary operating at the vanguard of sound and vision whose hyper-kinetic, multi-sensory, audio-visual artworks both overwhelm and harmonise. We are honoured to have collaborated with him and hugely excited to present the largest survey of his works ever curated in Europe at 180 Studios, 180 The Strand. Prepare to have your mind blown!” – Sean Bidder, Creative Director, The Vinyl Factory x Fact
“We had been fascinated with Ryoji’s data-driven research and aesthetics for many years when we decided to work together in developing a project that ended up taking us on a very special and unexpected journey. Ryoji consistently pushes boundaries, creating mesmerising experiences that resonate with audiences globally. We look forward to presenting the complete data-verse trilogy to the public this autumn at such an important London venue.” – Denis Pernet, Curator, Audemars Piguet Contemporary
“Born in Le Brassus, raised around the world”
About Ryoji Ikeda (b. 1966 in Gifu, Japan)
Leading electronic composer and visual artist Ryoji Ikeda explores the essential characteristics of sound and light by means of mathematical precision and aesthetics. By orchestrating sounds, visuals, materials, physics and mathematics, Ikeda goes beyond the conceptual to delve into extremes and infinites, testing the limits of human senses and digital technology. Ikeda’s experimental work engages with frequencies and scales difficult for the human ear and mind to comprehend, visualising sounds and rendering the imperceptible through numerical systems and computer aesthetics. His long-term projects have taken a multiplicity of forms, from immersive live performances and audio-visual installations to books and CDs. They have evolved over the years to encompass the latest iterations of his data-driven research.
Ryoji Ikeda’s work has been performed and exhibited in numerous venues worldwide, such as the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo, the Elektra Festival, DHC Art Foundation and Musée d’Art Contemporain (MAC) in Montreal, the Festival Grec and the Sonár in Barcelona, the Barbican Centre and The Vinyl Factory in London, the Carriageworks in Sydney, the MONA in Hobart, the Ruhrtriennale in Germany, the Kyoto Experiment, the ACT Centre in Gwangju, the Singapore Art Science Museum, the Kunstverein in Hannover, the Pompidou Centre in Paris and Metz, the ZKM Centre for Art and Media in Karlsruhe, the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art in Moscow, Eye Film Museum Amsterdam and Onassis Cultural Centre Athens, among others. Ikeda is the recipient of the 2001 Ars Electronica’s Golden Nica Prize for the Digital Music Category, the 2012 Giga-Hertz-Award in the category of Sound Art at ZKM in Germany and the 2014 Prix Ars Electronica Collide@CERN.
He is represented by Galerie Almine Rech (Bruxelles, Paris, London, New York and Shanghai) and Taro Nasu Gallery (Toyko). www.ryojiikeda.com; www.codexedition.com
About 180 The Strand
180 the Strand is the recognised centre of London’s creative community, an iconic Brutalist building that has been transformed into a cultural hub. Throughout its network of spaces, 180 supports new talent and facilitates growth. 180 is home to London’s flagship Soho Works and 180 House, as well as 180 Studios, The Store X, and Fact Space. www.180thestrand.com
About the Vinyl Factory
The Vinyl Factory is the world’s foremost vinyl enterprise. A record label, pressing plant, magazine and curator/collaborator for artists and musicians to explore new ideas in audio-visual arts.
The Vinyl Factory has curated a site-specific programme of audio-visual experiences at 180 The Strand. These have included The Infinite Mix, Everything At Once, Strange Days: Memories of the Future and UVA – Other Spaces, as well as premieres of new commissions of works by Ryoji Ikeda, Kahlil Joseph, Ragnar Kjartannson and Jeremy Deller.
The Vinyl Factory works in partnership with leading art organisations including the Venice Biennale, Hayward Gallery, New Museum NY, Barbican, Art Basel and the Serpentine. https://thevinylfactory.com/
About Fact
Over the last 20 years, Fact magazine has operated at the intersection between electronic music and cutting-edge contemporary art. A part of The Vinyl Factory Group, Fact engages with a global audience of over 1million readers via its audio-visual online channel, and is set to relaunch a print magazine this year.
Now, launching with this Ryoji Ikeda exhibition, Fact will produce its own exhibitions, hosting a dizzying rotation of large-scale art shows open to the public with a focus on the new wave of artists creating immersive experiences, with the Fact Space opening in the basement of 180 the Strand in 2021. www.factmag.com
About Audemars Piguet Contemporary
Audemars Piguet Contemporary commissions international artists to create contemporary artworks, fostering a global community of creators. The brand believes in the power of contemporary art to connect and be connected. Its patronage resonates with the talented artisan community that the Manufacture has supported and grown in the Vallée de Joux, where the company has been rooted since 1875.
The brand accompanies each commission process from inception to development to exhibition and builds experiences for audiences to engage with the work around the world. The resulting artworks belong to the artists and contribute to their body of work.
Audemars Piguet Contemporary engages with and commissions artworks in two ways. Under its Studio Audemars Piguet, artists develop ambitious artworks across a variety of scales and media alongside our curatorial team, which enables them to explore new territories in their practice. Under the Audemars Piguet Art Commission, the brand’s biennial competition, an artist—not yet internationally recognised—is selected to develop a large-scale artwork with an invited curator.
As with mechanical watches, commissioned artworks are about more than what you see. These works are sensitive to our ever-changing world. They are an opportunity for new creation, bringing together audiences and leading to conversations that go beyond first impressions.
Since 2012, Audemars Piguet Contemporary has nurtured artistic exchanges with artists around the world including Cao Fei, Kurt Hentschläger, Dan Holdsworth, Ryoji Ikeda, Lars Jan, Theo Jansen, Alexandre Joly, Kolkoz, Robin Meier, Quayola, Cheng Ran, Arin Rungjang, Tomás Saraceno, Semiconductor, Jana Winderen and Sun Xun. Commissioned artworks have been presented worldwide at major venues including Art Basel (of which Audemars Piguet has been an Associate Partner since 2013) in Hong Kong, Basel, Miami Beach; the Venice Biennale; Times Square, New York City; Palais de Tokyo, Paris; HeK (House of Electronic Arts), Basel; Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg; and Ars Electronica, Linz. www.audemarspiguet.com/en/experience
About Audemars Piguet
Audemars Piguet is the oldest fine watchmaking manufacturer still in the hands of its founding families (Audemars and Piguet). Based in Le Brassus since 1875, the company has nurtured generations of talented craftspeople who have continuously developed new skills and techniques, broadening their savoir-faire to set rule-breaking trends. In the Vallée de Joux, at the heart of the Swiss Jura, Audemars Piguet has created numerous masterpieces, testament to the Manufacture’s ancestral craftsmanship and forward-thinking spirit. Sharing its passion and savoir-faire with watch enthusiasts worldwide through the language of emotions, Audemars Piguet has established enriching exchanges among fields of creative practice and fostered an inspired community. Born in Le Brassus, raised around the world. www.audemarspiguet.com
