In contrast to “visual arts,” which is a visual-centered art expression, there is “sound art,” which is an auditory-centered expression. In sound art, various sounds such as recordings of natural environmental sounds that are not musical tone (sounds played by musical instruments) are used. And it is distinguished from the similar auditory artistic expression called “music” by its features, such as having “listening” itself as its theme. It has an aspect that presents a perceptual world that expands by listening. Therefore, it may be said that sound art is an expression that presents another way of seeing, against the world of art which puts too much emphasis on sight.
Since the 2000s, evala, a sound artist and musician active in a wide range of areas, has not only created works alone but also has done many collaborations. Since 2017, evala has been working on a project to create a new auditory experience called “See by Your Ears” in Japan and abroad. Although these works are composed of almost all sound, they arouse the visual imagination of the audience. The project has gained high acclaim literally as things “seen with ears” through its unique “Spatial Composition” using a sound system that does not rely on existing formats.
“Otocyon megalotis” was created and released in 2013 at the anechoic room in ICC as a collaborative work between evala and the global sound artist SUZUKI Akio. It became a work characterized as an origin that determined the direction of evala’s work, which later became “See by Your Ears.”
The exhibition “evala: Emerging Site / Disappearing Sight” will be held at ICC, the place that prompted the creation of the important work in the artist’s history. This exhibition is a culmination of the artist’s career to this point and includes new works of the “See by Your Ears” series created for this exhibition. In a sophisticatedly constructed sound space, the audience will have a new sensory experience where hearing and seeing melt together, by experiencing the “Otocyon megalotis” and works that have developed out of it and released in many countries, as well as a number of new works including the large installation that uses the whole space of the largest exhibition room in ICC.