ICN Gallery: First Solo Exhibition In UK By Notable Designer Kouichi Okamoto
Also appearing at Victoria and Albert Museum and Japan Foundation!
ICN Gallery proudly presents a live performance, a talk show and the first solo exhibition in UK by Kouichi Okamoto, a designer with international acclaim who has reputation in various fields including the arts, music and design.
This time, during the London Design Festival 2012, ICN gallery will introduce work including “musical table” and “lighting chair” of the Digital Design Weekend showcase at the Victoria and Albert Museum, and will present new works: “random musical box” and “dish of light”. His inspirations and designs are always overflowing with playfulness. The work that was given birth from his unique ideas will transmit imagination to the viewer, and will bring new discoveries in the mediocrity of our everyday life.
19 September 2012 – 23 September 2012
Venue: Victoria and Albert Museum Sackler Centre South Kensington Cromwell Road London SW7 2RL
Open: 20th(Thu) 10:00-17:45, 21st(Fri) 10:00-22:00, 22nd&23rd(Sat&Sun) 10:30- 17:00
Live performance
Kouichi Okamoto “musical table” (Digital Design Weekend) & “lighting chair”
22 & 23 September 2012
Venue: Victoria and Albert Museum Sackler Centre
Live performance: 22 & 23 September 2012 from 4pm
Artist Talk
Doubting the Undoubtable – Artist talk with Kouichi Okamoto
24 September 2012 from 6:30pm
Venue: The Japan Foundation London Russell Square House
10-12 Russell Square London WC1B 5EH
Pre-booking is essential, please contact: event@jpf.org.uk with title of “Okamoto”
Exhibition “Switch” by Kouichi Okamoto premiered at the POLA ANNEX MUSEUM (Tokyo/Ginza)
form 27 April – 3 June 2012, afterwards displayed at the centre for creative communications (Shizuoka) from 9-30 June 2012 and is now touring internationally. London Design Festival being the first platform outside of Japan to hold this exhibition as part of the official programme, showcasing “musical table” and “lighting chair” at the Victoria and Albert Museum during Digital Design Weekend.
Concept of the Project
New works ‘lighting chair’ and ‘musical table’ centres around the theme of switches using the elements of light and sound. The infinite number of ways to operate the devices at the other end of these switches evokes a phenomenon of random unexpected outcomes. With the adjustment of cord length and distance a sense of control is born and dominance arises over this infinite randomness.
About the works
Kouichi Okamoto – Musical Chair
musical table: A multitude of monophonic musical boxes (max 504) wired up to one table with switches that regulate rotational speed and sound volume to produce random sound effects responding to the movements of visitors.
Kouichi Okamoto – Lighting Chair
lighting chair: 40 light bulbs covered in copper mesh connected to switches on a chair produce soft lights when touched.
Profile
Kouichi Okamoto / kyouei design Born in 1970. Okamoto, under the name bekkou, released the sound source work “hi light” from Dutch techno label X-trax in 1997 and has since worked with Dutch and English music labels.
From 2004 he became enamored with Dutch design and established Kyoei Design in 2006. Kyouei Design products are now available in over 30 countries at design shops, stores and museums. He has participated in Israel’s Holon Museum opening exhibition “The State of Things” in 2010 and his product “glass tank” was included in the permanent collection at San
Francisco Museum of Modern Art in 2011. A designer whose work ranges from art, music and design, he was also selected as one of 100 artists for Contemporary Culture “NOVA” in São Paulo in 2010, and again in Rio de Janeiro in 2011.
Kouichi Okamoto’ s web site .www.kyouei-ltd.co.jp
Curator message by Hisami Omori
Switch – Design of “Play” by Koichi Okamoto
In 2006 Koichi Okamoto founded his own product design company “Kyoei Design”. Since then his unique designs have been celebrated in numerous design events all over the world, as well as through global media. His products are available in over 30 countries and stockists include London Design Museum and Colette Paris among other major concept shops and museums worldwide. Kyoei Design has undoubtedly grown into a global brand and is one of the most exciting Japanese design talents currently working anywhere on the planet.
Surprisingly not many people know about Okamoto’s long career in the music industry; he has released records from Dutch label “BEKKOU” since 1997. It was only 2003 that he turned his hand to product design as a new direction outside of his music yet by 2005 he had already produced his all time best seller “Balloon Lamp”. What makes him original and unique is not only that all his products link in many ways back to his roots as a sound producer, but also the fact that he has built himself into a designer without any formal education; he is indeed a maverick of product design world.
Complementing the musical table and lighting chair showcase at the Victoria and Albert Museum, ICN space is also exhibiting Okamoto’ s new work – “random musical box” and “dish of light” .
About the works
random musical box -The Random Musical Box plays sound at random with 18 musical box movements which play only a single sound and there are 18 brass machining volumes.The motor revolving speed of the musical boxes are adjusted by the volume of it.
dish of light - It is a dish for putting light. Each form puts, supports,balance, intercepts and reflects light.
15 September 2012 > 23 September 2012
Opening Party: 15 September 2012 7:00-9:00pm
Venue: ICN gallery
Open: 11:00 – 18:00
The gallery will be open 7 days a week during the exhibition.
Exhibition: “form of the function” by Kouichi Okamoto
5 September 2012 – 23 September 2012
Opening Reception: 15 September 2012 7:00-9:00pm
Location: 96-98 Leonard Street, EC2A 4RH London
Opening hours: 11:00 – 18:00
The gallery will be open 7 days a week during the exhibition
About ICN
Since 2011 ICN gallery has been joining forces to promote elements of contemporary and traditional Japanese culture in the UK. We offer a platform for not only upcoming young artists but also traditional practitioners from Japan to distribute, educate and preserve ancient techniques and values by sharing them with the UK general public through lectures, workshops and talks.
For more information contact:
ICN gallery
96-98 Leonard Street, EC2A 4RH London
020 7729 7977
Related Posts:
Art Exhibition: Lya Nagado “Still Life” ICN Gallery London
Gallery Talk: “Japanese Landscape Prints: Then & Now” Ukiyo-e Pop
Art Exhibition: “Ukiyo-e Pop” – Ukiyo-e & Contemporary Japonism At ICN Gallery London
Art Exhibition: Keiko Masumoto “Kitsch Kōgei” – ICN Gallery London
Interview: Award Winning Artist Gen Miyamura At ICN Gallery “Image Langue: Linear Code”
-
May 2, 2013 at 11:47 am | #1Art Exhibition: Seijiro Niwa “The Way Of Mending Holes” ICN Gallery London | Diverse Japan
