AKINORI MATSUMOTO BIOGRAPHY
1951 Born in Saitama, Japan
1982 Began creating sound objects. Also began his project “Yu-Gaku-Gi” in which he devised sound
objects in common places and created enchanting atmosphere, designed to make viewers feel as if
they have fallen into an air pocket.
1989 Organized a trio, Monju-no-Chienetsu, with musician Tojima Toji and dance artist Seisaku Murata.
The trio holds unique performances that freely crossover the fields of visual art, music and dance.
1993-94 Received grant from the Goto Memorial Cultural Foundation to pursue his artistic studies in eight Asian countries.
2010- Part-time lecturer, Joshibi University of Art and Design, Tokyo Presently lives and works in Yokohama, Japan
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2016 Akinori MatsumotoExhibition, Gallery Yugen, Tokyo
2015 Forms of Sounds, Shibuya Cultural Center Owada, Tokyo
2015 Sound Sculptures, Flinn Gallery, Greenwich Library, Ct, USA
2015 Sound Scenes Hakone, Main Gallery, Hakone Open-Air Museum, Kanagawa
2014 Bamboo Phonon Garden, Yokohama City Hall, Kanagawa
2014 Sound Scenes Akita, ATORION, Akita Integrated Life Cultural Hall-Museum, Akita
2013 Wind Performance, Striped House Buildings, 2 floors, Tokyo
2013 Water Theater, Striped House Gallery, Tokyo
2012 Daikanyama Sound Scenes, Art Front Gallery, Tokyo
2012 Sounds of Forest, Act Gallery, Act City Hamamatsu, Hamamatsu Cultural Foundation, Shizuoka
2011 Roppongi Sound Scenes, Striped House Gallery, Tokyo
2010 Sound Scenes, Musical Instruments Museum, Brussels, Belgium
2009 Sendai Art Walk: Sound Scenes-Sendai Version, Miyagi Museum of Art, Sendai, Miyagi
2009 Music Performed with a Cup of Water, Striped House Gallery, Roppongi, Tokyo
2009 Body Temperature Performance, Striped House Gallery, Roppongi, Tokyo
2008 Hummingbird, a piece of space APS, Ginza, Tokyo
2007 Tsumari Ryokuin Library, NO BUTAI Gallery, Echigo-Tsumari Art Field, Niigata
2006 Bamboo Bank, 1929 Hall, BankART, Yokohama, Kanagawa
2006 Instrumental Bamboo II, a piece of space APS, Ginza, Tokyo
2006 A View of the Sound, Jindai Shokubutsu Botanical Park, Tokyo
2005 Nature Wonderland, Aichi Children’s Nation, Aichi
2005 Manpukuji Temple Bamboo Art Exhibition, Manpukuji Temple, Kawasaki, Kanagawa
2004 Bamboo Wind, Children’s Museum, Funabashi, Chiba
2004 Instrumental Bamboo, a piece of space APS, Ginza, Tokyo
2003 Hall of Music, Aka-Renga Kan, Ehime
2002 Bamboo Soundscape Exhibition, KSP Gallery, Kawasaki, Kanagawa
2001 Bamboo Symphony II, Embassy of Japan, Bangladesh
2001 Bamboo, Wind, Sound, and Light, KANKAKU MUSEUM, Miyagi
2001 Bamboo Orchestra III, The Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, UK
2001 SUNARI Project in BALI, Rice field in Bali, Indonesia
2001 Sound Scenes, Le Fonte, Utsunomiya, Tochigi
2000 Bamboo Music Box, Asago Art Village, Hyogo
1999 Festival of the Bamboo Tribe, Zexel Art Space Zoom, Shibuya, Tokyo
1998 Spinning Jungle, Hamada Children’s Museum of Art, Shimane
1998 Wonder Zone Expedition, Benesse Communication Gallery, Tokyo
1998 Together With Sounds, Event Space Zefa, Solaria Plaza, Hakata, Fukuoka
1996 Everyone is a Musician, FM Fukuoka, GAYA, Fukuoka
1995 A View of the Sound, Plus Minus Gallery, Ginza, Tokyo
1995 Sound of Asia, Striped House Museum of Art, Roppongi, Tokyo
1994 Music Streaming on a River, Sakaigawa Shinsui Park, Edogawa, Tokyo
1992 Room for Meditation, Xebec Hall, Kobe, Hyogo
1991 Rain Concert, Hara Museum of Art, In the garden, Shinagawa, Tokyo
1991 Scenery of Mind’s Memory, Sumida Riverside Hall Gallery, Tokyo
1991 Wind Theater, Art Space Niji, Kyoto
1989 Arrange Sounds Under the Cherry Blossoms, Kongoji Temple, Tokyo
1988 Sound Orienteering, Todoroki Gorge, Setagaya, Tokyo
1987 Excavated Orchestra, Yokohama SOGO, Kanagawa
1986 Automation Theater, Maki Gallery, Kanda, Tokyo
1985 Sound Objects Exhibition, Seibu Atelier Nouveau, Ikebukuro, Tokyo
1984 Found Objects Concert Exhibition, Komai Gallery, Nihonbashi, Tokyo
1983 Sound Objects Exhibition, Aoyama Art Salon, Tokyo
Selected Group Exhibitions
2016 The 60th CWAJ Exhibition of Contemporary Japanese Prints, Highfield Hall & Gardens,MA.USA
2016 ISSEY MIYAKEBotanical Delights, collaboration with Miyake fashion, Miyake’s shops in Tokyo (Ginza, Shinjuku), KobeandOsaka
2016 Setouchi Triennale 2016:Akinorium,Ogijima Island, Takamatsu
2015 City Living—BankART1929’s Activities, Gwangju Museum of Art, South Korea
2015 Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale 2015, Niigata (Installation and also performances as a member of Monju-no-Chienetsu)
2014 Flower and Greenery Fair, Anderson Park, Chiba
2014 Art@Tsuchizawa, Hanamaki, Iwate
2014 Bushwick Open Studios 2014, Bogart Studio, NY, USA
2014 FIGMENT NYC 2014, Governors Island, NY, USA
2013 BankART Open Studio 2013, “Sound Theater,” BankART Studio NYK, Yokohama
2013 Handmade Creative Festa, Yokohama Tokyu Hands, Yokohama
2012 Water and Land: Niigata Art Festival 2012, Matsuhama, Niigata
2012 The 29th National Urban Greenery Fair Tokyo, Inogashira Park, Tokyo
2012 Okayama Art Corridor, Korakuen Park, Okayama
2011 BankART Life III, Shin Minatomura, Yokohama
2011 Okayama Art Corridor Pre-Exhibition, Korakuen Park, Okayama
2011 Saitama Muse Forum: Migrating Art Museum II, Kita-Urawa West Exit Ginza Shopping District, Saitama
2011 Art@Tsuchizawa: Machikado Museum 2011, Hanamaki, Iwate
2011 Science Museum in the Amusing Sound Kingdom, Kawaguchi Science Museum, Saitama
2010 Setouchi Triennale 2010, Residences in Ogijima, Kagawa
2010 Trend in Art, The Museum, Bunkamura, Tokyo
2010 Artistic Perception Via Sound Art, Museum of Modern Art, Saitama
2009 Water and Land: Niigata Art Festival 2009,“Sound Scenes Matsuhama,”Matsuhama Shopping District, Niigata
2009 Sendai Art Walk: Sound Scenes-Sendai Version, Miyagi Museum of Art, Miyagi
2009 Aqua Metropolis Osaka 2009, Nakanoshima Park, Osaka
2009 SMF the Ring of Art, Kitaurawa Park, Saitama
2008 Open! Public Space, Yokohama City Hall Entrance, Kanagawa
2008 The Warmth of Wood, Amid Play, Nerima Art Museum, Tokyo
2008 Art Tornado Festival, Kitaurawa Shopping District, Saitama
2008 The 26th National Urban Greenery Fair, Ota, Gunma
2007 Art@Tsuchizawa: Advance, Iwate
2007 The 24th National Urban Greenery Fair in Funabashi, Andersen Park, Chiba
2006 Art@Tsuchizawa 2006, Iwate
2005 Hijiyama Art Project, Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art, Hiroshima
2004 Listening to the ‘Hayama’ Today, The Museum of Modern Art, Hayama, Kanagawa
2004 Expo 2004: Ehime Machinami Exposition, Ehime
2003 Summer Exhibition and Workshop, Utsunomiya Museum of Art, Tochigi
2002 Sound Objects, Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo
2000 Botanical Fair 2000, Florante Miyazaki, Miyazaki
1999 The Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh, Osmani Memorial Hall and National Gallery, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Awarded the Grand Prize
1998 The 4th Oita Asian Sculpture Exhibition, Asakura Fumio Memorial Park, Oita
1997 Art for All Exhibition, National Children’s Castle, Tokyo
1995 Passage of Wind Exhibition, Downtown Omiya, Saitama
1994 Leaves of Autumn—Sound of Bamboo, The Goto Museum, Tokyo
1992 Festival of Early Childhood, Queensland State Theater, Australia
1991 Art is Fun No.2, Hara Museum ARC, Gunma
1991 Concert in the Rain, Hara Museum, Tokyo
1990 An Instinct for Play, Setagaya Art Museum, Tokyo
1989 ART-EXCITING, The Museum of Modern Art, Saitama
1989 The 3rd Tokyo Open-Air Contemporary Sculpture Exhibition, Setagaya Ward Kinuta Park, Tokyo. Awarded The Citizen Prize.
1989 Japanese Ways, Western Means, Queensland State Museum of Art, Australia
1989 TODAY’S ART: Fantastic Skillful Virtuosity, The Museum of Fine Arts, Gifu
1988 Movement and Modern Art, The Museum of Modern Art, Saitama
1988 Sound Garden, Striped House Museum of Art, Tokyo
1988 Light and Form, National Children’s Castle, Tokyo
1987 Japanese Music Exhibition, Sogetsu Hall, Tokyo
1987 Sound Garden, Striped House Museum of Art, Tokyo
1987 The 5th Henry Moore Grand Prize Exhibition, Utsukushi-ga-hara Open-Air Museum, Nagano.
Awarded The Utsukushi-ga-hara Open-Air Museum Prize
1986 The 2nd Tokyo Open-Air Contemporary Sculpture Exhibition, Setagaya Kinuta Park, Tokyo.
. Awarded ‘The Most Popular Work’ Prize.
1986 Sound and Form, National Children’s Castle, Tokyo
1986 The 16th International Art Exhibition of Japan, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum and Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art
1985 The 17th Exhibition of Japanese Contemporary Art, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, and Kyoto Municipal
Museum of Art. Awarded the Merit Prize (also in 1989)
1985 ‘85 Atelier Nouveau Competition, Seibu Art Forum, Tokyo, Japan. Awarded the First Prize (also in 1989)
1984 Humor in Contemporary Art, The Museum of Modern Art, Saitama
1978 The 12th International Art Exhibition in Japan, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Tokyo.
Awarded the Merit Prize.
Monju-no-Chienetsu Performances
2013 Monju-no-Chienetsu Performance, Yokohama Museum of Eurasian Cultures, Yokohama
2010 Monju-no-Chienetsu Performance, BankART Studio NYK, Yokohama
2009 Monju-no-Chienetsu Performance: UNG-A, BankART Studio NYK, Yokohama
2008 Monju-no-Chienetsu Performance: I-Need-You, Art Complex Center, Tokyo
2005 Monju-no-Chienetsu Performance, Pastoral Hall, Yamaguchi
2003 Monju-no-Chienetsu No. 13: Sunny Side Up, National Children’s Castle, Aoyama, Tokyo
2003 Monju-no-Chienetsu Performance, CLUB QUATTRO, Shibuya, Tokyo
2002 Monju-no-Chienetsu Performance, India Habitat Centre, Delhi, India
2002 Monju-no-Chienetsu Performance, Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art, Hiroshima
2001 Monju-no-Chienetsu No. 12: BOX-ING, Suzunari Theatre, Tokyo
2000 Monju-no-Chienetsu No. 11: Desperate Plight, Striped House Museum of Art, Tokyo
1998 Morio Agata Exhibition: Monju-no-Chienetsu Performance, Municipal Otaru Literature Museum, Hokkaido
1997 Monju-no-Chienetsu No. 10: Bamboo Ring Ceremony, Student Hall, Hosei University
1997 Monju-no-Chienetsu No. 9: Travelling◎Rings, Niitsu Art Museum, Niigata
1997 Monju-no-Chienetsu Performance: We Don’t Give a Damn Anymore Either!” (Exhibition: Japanese
Summer 1960-64: I Don’t Give a Damn Anymore!), Contemporary Art Gallery, Art Tower Mito, Ibaraki
1996 Gallerism: Monju-no-Chienetsu Performance, Osaka Prefectural Center of Cultural Information, Osaka
1996 Monju-no-Chienetsu No. 8: Desperate Plight, Striped House Museum of Art, Tokyo
1996 ART LIFE 21 JOIN ME!: Monju-no-Chienetsu Performance, Spiral, Aoyama, Tokyo
1996 Monju-no-Chienetsu No. 7: The Fin de Matsu Akinorium, Proto Theater, Tokyo
1995 Monju-no-Chienetsu No. 6: Urban Cowboy, Student Hall, Hosei University, Tokyo
1992 Monju-no-Chienetsu No. 5: A Clone Castle, Student Hall, Hosei University, Tokyo
1992 Monju-no-Chienetsu No. 4: The Void Theory of Macaroni, Xebec Hall, Kobe, Hyogo
1991 Monju-no-Chienetsu No. 3: No’s Ark (lit. Brain’s Ark), Studio 200, Ikebukuro Seibu, Tokyo
1990 Monju-no-Chienetsu No. 2: The Travels of the Southland, Studio 200, Ikebukuro Seibu, Tokyo
1989 Monju-no-Chienetsu No. 1: Buzz, Buzz, Buzz, DA. M House, Tokyo
