See a Porous Stone

What does it mean to person in front of audience?

How can we “see” this place that is already in front of us?

Takuya Takemoto is a performance artist based in Tokyo, Japan. Through subtle movements and sensations, his work questions what it means for a person to stand in front of a person in performance. Takemoto studied performance art and drama in Musashino Art University (Tokyo). In his twenties, he studied under the actionist Kubikukuri (“Hangman”) Takuzo. Since then he has been creating and showing pieces in the context of performance art and theater. In addition to his work as an artist, he also works as a project manager for an IT company.

In this work, Takemoto stands quietly, listening carefully to the sounds and air around him, noticing the shimmering of light and shadow. He breaks down the body's movements to a finer level and makes small dialogues with each event. Takemoto reconstructs the relationship between body and environment in his performance, changing the viewer's perception and allowing them to experience the space there differently.

The performance of “being there”, which continues to take place daily, constantly changes beyond the artist's own intentions and constantly renews the way of perception and action. This performance is an extension of the everyday, but at the same time, it is a new experiment just for this occasion.

Join the Department of Performance Studies for a special performance of this piece and a discussion to follow. 

His performance NYU will be presented in th U.S. for the first time. After New York, his performance will tour to Lancaster and Manchester (UK), Düsseldorf and Hamburg (Germany).

Takemoto's visit is supported by The Saison Foundation, Arts Council Tokyo (Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture), and The Japan Foundation.

Photo Credit: bozzo