knowns, unknowns and the (ir)reversible – Norimichi Hirakawa

Norimichi Hirakawa, who came on a study visit to Wrocław in March 2016, is now developing a new exhibition especially for the WRO Art Center, which will be also a part of the 17th WRO Media Art Biennale DRAFT SYSTEMS. The show will bring together following works: the irreversible, unknowns, knowns alongside two entirely new installations – S3 and datum, based on the back (reversible) analysis of a theoretical 6D space that was developed during the artist’s residency at the Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe, University of Tokyo.

Norimichi Hirakawa (born in 1982) is recognised as one of the most intriguing Japanese media artists of the young generation. Working at the intersection of arts and science, he designs generative installations and performative actions. Formally reticent as a rule, Hirakawa’s works are mostly outcomes of complex algorithmic processing and analyses of varied data, ranging from visual and audio to mathematical and more abstract data describing theoretical or real physical processes.

Vigorously engaging in several projects, Hirakawa collaborates with such artists as, for example, Ryoji Ikeda, Seiko Mikami and Yoshihide Otomo. Together with Kumiko Noguchi he forms a performance duo called Typingmonkeys. He also serves as Artistic Director of the Art and Satellite Project (ARTSAT).

Hirakawa’s works have been shown worldwide at modern art exhibitions and media art festivals. He is a recipient of multiple awards, including the Excellence Prize at the Japan Media Art Festival (2004) and the Award of Distinction for interactive art at the Prix Ars Electronica (2008).

Hirakawa’s exhibition in Wrocław is funded by the Japan Foundation, the EU-Japan Fest Committee, the Nomura Foundation and the Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe at the University of Tokyo.

Exhibition in the series titled Reversible // Irreversible // Presence presents contemporary media art from Japan. It is spread over the years 2016-2017 and intertwined with two media art events: the Eco Expanded City exhibitions-cum-workshops project prepared for the European Capital of Culture Wrocław 2016 and the 17th Media Art Biennale WRO 2017 Draft Systems taking place in May-June 2017.