MIGRATEURS
Masami Akita
Merzbow

Since 1980, Masami Akita has been one of the leaders of noise music, under the name of Merzbow. Initially a personal project, working alone in a studio, Merzbow has progressively turned out giving concerts around the world. Now, Masami Akita regularly invites other musicians to join Merzbow and perform live.

In the "salle Dufy", Masami Akita is creating a sound installation, making the most of the resonance in this vast space. Loud speakers, here and there, diffuse Merzbow digital music, according to a daily programme. Masami Akita has elaborated his sound system around the Merzbow CDs including unreleased material.

On the walls and in showboxes, and for the first time, Masami Akita is showing his photographs, taken recently in Tokyo, of architecture from the 20s and 30s. These images tell how the city has been rebuilt after a huge earthquake in 1918. In the older parts, buildings have been reconstructed in haste by carpenters inspired by Western architecture.

This juxtaposition of styles recalls that Masami Akita simultaneously a painter, draughstman, graphic designer, composer and author also has a very varied track of music achievements, mingling sounds from many sources, assembled in a manner similar to Kurt Schwitters's Merzbau.

Masami Akita lives and works in Tokyo.

An interview of Masami Akita by Hans-Ulrich Obrist and Ute Meta Bauer is available on request.
Please contact Aurélie Gevrey at the Press Office (0033 1 5367 4050).

Migrateurs is a series of interventions by young artists organised by Hans Ulrich Obrist at the ARC - Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris.

A publication accompagnies each project.
Edited by the Amis du Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris.
On sale at the museum : 10 FF.

Supported by Agnès b.