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34 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory
University of Central Lancashire
No To Everything - Globalisation and Contemporary Sound Art in Japan
Gregory’s paper examined Japanese sound art as a critical response to the globalised postmodern city.
“No to Everything” was part of the panel for Globalisation and Asian Art, for the conference Art Criticism and the Forces of Globalisation. This conference, organised jointly by Winchester School of Art, Tate Liverpool and the Archives of Art Criticism at the University of Rennes, sought to investigate the historical and contemporary relations of art production and critical writing in the era of globalization. The Liverpool Biennial, which opened at the time of the conference, also focused on a global theme, ‘hospitality in all its dimensions,’ and was integrated into the programme.
His paper examined radical Japanese sound artists whose work provides a response to the homogenisation of culture brought about by periods of intense westernisation and globalisation, and whose utilisation of the noise and waste products/detritus of the Japanese Megalopolis constitutes a critique of global consumer culture.
Onkyo, a contemporary Japanese sound art practice, is defined by its minimal aesthetic and ‘no-input’ methodology: the sonic exploration of a sampler without samples (Sachiko M); a self-contained mixing desk with nothing inputted (Toshimaru Nakamura); or a turntable without records (Otomo Yoshihide). The paper critically examined the emergence of Onkyo at Tokyo’s Off Site Gallery –a venue which, like the jazz kissas (Tokyo jazz cafes) of the 1950s and 1960s, derived its unique identity from the physical and spatial restrictions that the city imposes upon its residents.
This research paper discussed the work of Onkyo artists as a direct response to the unique social conditions of Tokyo itself, and as a statement of resistance to the 'information overload' prevalent in the contemporary metropolis. Focusing upon Tokyo, Gregory revealed how the unique conditions of the city have influenced both the lives and working methodologies of its contemporary artists.
