Echoes of eternity

The Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (MOT) will host Ryuichi Sakamoto: Seeing Sound, Hearing Time from December 21st, 2024, to March 30th, 2025. This landmark exhibition celebrates the pioneering artistry of composer and artist Ryuichi Sakamoto (1952–2023), who broke creative boundaries with his innovative sound installations. It marks the first comprehensive showcase in Japan dedicated to his large-scale works, presenting both iconic pieces and new projects Sakamoto envisioned before his passing.

The exhibition highlights Sakamoto’s unique approach to sound and space, featuring collaborations with leading artists. TIME TIME (2024), created with Shiro Takatani, explores the fluidity of time through sound and visuals, while Sensing Streams 2024–invisible, inaudible, developed with Daito Manabe, transforms the museum’s outdoor courtyard into a dynamic auditory experience.

A special archival presentation will revisit Music Plays Images X Images Play Music, a groundbreaking 1996–97 collaboration with Toshio Iwai, reinterpreted as a new installation. Additionally, LIFE–WELL TOKYO, an outdoor fog sculpture created with Fujiko Nakaya and Shiro Takatani, envelops the audience in an ephemeral blend of sound and nature.

Organized by MOT in collaboration with The Asahi Shimbun and TV Asahi, the exhibition underscores Sakamoto’s lasting influence on contemporary art and music. Guest curator Sachiko Namba emphasizes that the show invites visitors to “see sound and hear time” in ways only Sakamoto could imagine.