“Anechoic Sphere - Reflection/Inflection”(09.27.2019 - 11.24.2019)


Modern humans tend to overstate how Utopian the world once was. From September until November of 2019, Nakazu Bansyouen was the stage for the sound art exhibit, “Chouzou Hakkei.”

The sounds you hear now were actually exhibited within the Kanchoro tea house and are one part of the work known as “Anechoic Sphere - Reflection/ Inflection.” Pioneering sound artist, Akio Suzuki, has collaborated with evala to create an elegant and subtle work of stereophonic art by compiling sounds from his other work, “Tenne (o to da te),” which were captured at various spots within the garden and across different seasons. By listening closely, one can recreate a “soundscape” of the place where the sounds were recorded. Akio Suzuki and evala’s approach captures the charm of the garden, much like a feudal lord might have done through Chinese poetry once upon a time.

Evala says that this approach was unprecedented, even for him. Until now, most of his installations have employed anechoic chambers and other such closed spaces, but after experiencing the rich acoustics at Nakazu Bansyouen, he challenged himself to leverage that aspect for this piece.

“It’s not like painting on a white canvas from scratch. The ecosystem is already there, and to create the piece I have to coexist with it,” he says.

In addition to the ones you hear now, the actual exhibition plays sounds from “Tenne (o to da te)” recorded in real time from inside the Kanchoro tea house, further incorporating natural sounds captured through the open tea house window.

This journey demands three kinds of sounds -- two of them is not enough. It is a soundscape that can only be experienced in person at that specific time and place. Nevertheless, through this guide we hope to give you a small taste of the full exhibit as you explore the garden.

※The sounds used in this guide are excerpts from the exhibit, edited to serve as background music.