VISIONAIR-13 (Aki Onda + Akio Suzuki: ma-ta-ta-bi)

Akio Suzuki (Pyong-Yang, 1941), who lives in Tango, Osaka, is making an appearance for the third time here in Turin, where he had been already invited by e/static in 2003 (for a performance) and in 2006 (for a solo exhibition). A one-of-a-kind character on the international scene, since the 1960s Suzuki has been developing an important career as a visual artist, with both solo and group exhibitions all over the world (documenta 8 in Kassel in 1987, sonambiente 1996 in Berlin, Visual Sound at the Mattress Factory in Pittsburgh in 2000, SOUNDSPHERE at the British Museum in London in 2003, Noiseless [with Rolf Julius] at the National Museum in Kyoto in 2007, and countless instances of his renowned, poetical urban intervention project otodate, carried out almost throughout the world) and has often performed alongside a great number of notable performers, among which: Takehisha Kosugi, Junko Wada, Jim O’Rourke and Rolf Julius.
Aki Onda (Nara, 1967), has been living in Brooklyn since the year 2000. He has been showcasing his Cassette Memory project for several years now, recordings he made himself in various locations throughout the years, always on tape. He then proceeds to remix them live, interacting with the peculiarities of the space-time of the locations he performs in, almost all over the world. By now, he has reached an impressive number of high-profile collaborations: Michael Snow, Loren Connors, Blixa Bargeld, Oren Ambarchi, just to mention a few. He’s performed in New York’s The Kitchen, at the Nam June Paik Art Center in Seoul, at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris and, once again in Paris, in the Louvre’s inner courtyard and at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux Arts. Unlike Akio Suzuki, this is Aki Onda’s first time in Turin.
The two Japanese performers are currently in tour around Europe, and have various engagements (both together and separately) in France, Belgium, Poland, Great Britain and Switzerland (where they performed at the Liste in Basel).
Akio Suzuki and Aki Onda will perform – separately and as a duo – on Thursday July 4, 2013, starting from 9 pm, in the areas provided by the Munlab Ecomuseo dell’Argilla (ecomuseum of clay) inside the historic furnace of Cambiano, for what is set to be a unique event, featuring an intriguing interaction between improvised sound and the location’s history.
About ma-ta-ta-bi: it is said to have its origin in the Ainu language, and it defines the plant of Actinidia polygama and its fruits. Also, eating them on a long trip will rejuvenate the traveller. This plant is famously beloved by cats, for the healthy effects they get eating its leaves. Then, it was the name of a yakuza and traveling entertainer who wandered around the countries in the early modern age (Edo, or Tokugawa) of Japan.