Artists Space

Yasunao Tone Concert #2

Concert
April 13, 2023, 7pm

11 Cortlandt Alley
Free RSVP's are at capacity.

As part of our retrospective Yasunao Tone: Region of Paramedia, Artists Space is pleased to present a concert with legendary sound artist Yasunao Tone. For this special evening, he will perform Music for Reed Organ, 1962, A Radio Music, 1963, and Molecular Music, 1982.

Black-and-white photograph of a figure, in profile, sitting behind a reed organ that is covered in plastic.
Yasunao Tone performing Music for Reed Organ (1962), Repetition and Structures, Mills College, Oakland, California, 1972 [Black-and-white photograph of a figure, in profile, sitting behind a reed organ that is covered in plastic.]

This concert will begin with two seminal chance-based and notational performance works from the 1960s: Music for Reed Organ (1962) and A Radio Piece (1963). In the Fluxus-inspired A Radio Piece, Tone rummages through a briefcase filled with transistor radios and tunes them until all have reached the same station. The resulting sound creates a melody that moves freely with the tuning process, foregrounding the radio as an instrument. Music for Reed Organ employs activity generated by chance: an ice cube is placed on the keyboard of a pedal organ, while the wind produced from pumping the organ’s pedals creates tone clusters and is documented in a graphic score. Tone will end the concert with a performance of his foundational work Molecular Music (1982), a piece that famously converts text to image to sound wherein Tone employs light sensors on the surface of a projection screen to actively interpret 16mm images—characters from Chinese poetic texts—and sends that information to sound-producing instruments.

Color photograph of a figure seated behind a white desk filled with audio equipment. On the wall behind is a projected illustation of a figure holding a bow and arrow. The room is bathed in an orange/red light.
Yasunao Tone Concert #2. Performance documentation, April 13, 2023, Artists Space. Photo: Destiny Mata [Color photograph of a figure seated behind a white desk filled with audio equipment. On the wall behind is a projected illustation of a figure holding a bow and arrow. The room is bathed in an orange/red light.]
Color image of a seated audience all facing the right of the room. A figure in the back middle is standing and operating a film projector. The room is bathed in red light.
Yasunao Tone Concert #2. Performance documentation, April 13, 2023, Artists Space. Photo: Destiny Mata [Color image of a seated audience all facing the right of the room. A figure in the back middle is standing and operating a film projector. The room is bathed in red light.]
Color image of a dark basement room. On the back wall is projected an image with Chinese characters, and English characters that read "Three Poems of The Tong Dynasty."
Yasunao Tone Concert #2. Performance documentation, April 13, 2023, Artists Space. Photo: Destiny Mata [Color image of a dark basement room. On the back wall is projected an image with Chinese characters, and English characters that read "Three Poems of The Tong Dynasty."]
Color image of a darkly lit room. A figure sits behind a white table filled with audio equipment and two standing microphones are placed above the table. Light sensors are attached to the wall behind the figure where a projection of images plays.
Yasunao Tone Concert #2. Performance documentation, April 13, 2023, Artists Space. Photo: Destiny Mata [Color image of a darkly lit room. A figure sits behind a white table filled with audio equipment and two standing microphones are placed above the table. Light sensors are attached to the wall behind the figure where a projection of images plays.]
Color image of a figure sitting behind a white desk, manipulating an audio machine with their hands. A lamp illuminates the machines controls and speakers are placed in front of the machine.
Yasunao Tone Concert #2. Performance documentation, April 13, 2023, Artists Space. Photo: Destiny Mata [Color image of a figure sitting behind a white desk, manipulating an audio machine with their hands. A lamp illuminates the machines controls and speakers are placed in front of the machine.]
Color image of the silhouette of a figure on the right, they are bent over with a small radio in their hands. To the left is a standing microphone placed over speakers on a desk, with light sensors dangling on the wall behind.
Yasunao Tone Concert #2. Performance documentation, April 13, 2023, Artists Space. Photo: Destiny Mata [Color image of the silhouette of a figure on the right, they are bent over with a small radio in their hands. To the left is a standing microphone placed over speakers on a desk, with light sensors dangling on the wall behind.]
Color image of a figure standing on a black stage, with a spotlight placed on them. They are hunched over a black suitcase on the floor, and holding a small radio in their hands.
Yasunao Tone Concert #2. Performance documentation, April 13, 2023, Artists Space. Photo: Destiny Mata [Color image of a figure standing on a black stage, with a spotlight placed on them. They are hunched over a black suitcase on the floor, and holding a small radio in their hands.]
Color image of a closeup of a figure, in profile, holding up a small radio to their ear.
Yasunao Tone Concert #2. Performance documentation, April 13, 2023, Artists Space. Photo: Destiny Mata [Color image of a closeup of a figure, in profile, holding up a small radio to their ear.]
Color image of an ice block sitting on top of the keys of a reed organ. The reedorgan is covered in a sheet of clear plastic. A clock and instructions sit on a music stand behind the organ.
Yasunao Tone Concert #2. Performance documentation, April 13, 2023, Artists Space. Photo: Destiny Mata [Color image of an ice block sitting on top of the keys of a reed organ. The reedorgan is covered in a sheet of clear plastic. A clock and instructions sit on a music stand behind the organ.]
Color image of a figure standing on a black stage. They smile out at the audience as they prepare to perform in front of a reedorgan covered in plastic wrap.
Yasunao Tone Concert #2. Performance documentation, April 13, 2023, Artists Space. Photo: Destiny Mata [Color image of a figure standing on a black stage. They smile out at the audience as they prepare to perform in front of a reedorgan covered in plastic wrap.]
Color image of a figure in profile, seated behind a reed organ covered in a sheet of clear plastic. A clock sits on a music stand behind the organ. The figure reaches their arm under the plastic and holds the arm of the organ.
Yasunao Tone Concert #2. Performance documentation, April 13, 2023, Artists Space. Photo: Destiny Mata [Color image of a figure in profile, seated behind a reed organ covered in a sheet of clear plastic. A clock sits on a music stand behind the organ. The figure reaches their arm under the plastic and holds the arm of the organ.]
Color image of a figure sitting behind a reed organ covered in a sheet of clear plastic. A clock sits on a music stannd with instructions behind the organ. The figure positions their hands on a large block of ice that sits on top of the keys of the organ.
Yasunao Tone Concert #2. Performance documentation, April 13, 2023, Artists Space. Photo: Destiny Mata [Color image of a figure sitting behind a reed organ covered in a sheet of clear plastic. A clock sits on a music stannd with instructions behind the organ. The figure positions their hands on a large block of ice that sits on top of the keys of the organ.]
Color image of a closeup of a figures hands holding a block of ice on top of thekeys of a reed organ. The reed organ is covered in a sheet of clear plastic.
Yasunao Tone Concert #2. Performance documentation, April 13, 2023, Artists Space. Photo: Destiny Mata [Color image of a closeup of a figures hands holding a block of ice on top of thekeys of a reed organ. The reed organ is covered in a sheet of clear plastic.]
Color image of a reed organ with a sheet of clear plastic falling off the organ, and a block of ice fallen on its side on the floor of a black stage.
Yasunao Tone Concert #2. Performance documentation, April 13, 2023, Artists Space. Photo: Destiny Mata [Color image of a reed organ with a sheet of clear plastic falling off the organ, and a block of ice fallen on its side on the floor of a black stage.]

Yasunao Tone is a multidisciplinary artist working in New York City. Tone graduated from Chiba University in 1957 with a major in Japanese literature and became an important figure in postwar Japanese art during the 1960s. He was a key member of Group Ongaku, Team Random, and the Japanese branch of Fluxus, and was involved with several other collectives and artists such as the Neo-Dada Organizers, Hi-Red Center, and Butoh founder Tatsumi Hijikata. Relocating to the United States in 1972, he has since been a crucial force in the philosophical and material advancement of durational art across myriad live forms, gaining a legendary reputation as a musician, performer, and writer. He has collaborated with a prolific range of dancers, visual artists, and musicians including Merce Cunningham, Blondell Cummings, Allan Kaprow, Senga Nengudi, Butch Morris, and George Maciunas.

Major support for Yasunao Tone: Region of Paramedia is provided by The Agency for Cultural Affairs Government of Japan (Bunka-cho Art Platform Japan), Taka Ishii Gallery and Joe & Nancy Walker. Exhibition support is provided by James Cahn & Jeremiah Collatz, Gretchen Gonzales Davidson, Stephanie LaCava, and the Japan Foundation, New York.

Support for Artists Space’s exhibitions and programs is provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Lambent Foundation Fund of Tides Foundation, The Andy Warhol Foundation, The Cowles Charitable Trust, The Cy Twombly Foundation, The Teiger Foundation, The Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, The New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, Imperfect Family Foundation, Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, The Stavros Niarchos Foundation, The Willem de Kooning Foundation, The Fox Aarons Foundation, Herman Goldman Foundation, The Destina Foundation, The Luce Foundation, May and Samuel Rudin Family Foundation, The Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation, Arison Arts Foundation, The David Rockefeller Fund, The Jacques and Natasha Gelman Foundation, The Jill and Peter Kraus Foundation, The Richard Pousette-Dart Foundation.

    Black-and-white photograph of a figure sitting in a chair on stage, with their hands behind their head. They are sitting behind a reed organ covered in a plastic sheet with an ice cube placed on top of the keyboard. Behind the reed organ is a clock on a music stand.
    Yasunao Tone performing Music for Reed Organ (1962), Repetition and Structures, Mills College, Oakland, California, 1972 [Black-and-white photograph of a figure sitting in a chair on stage, with their hands behind their head. They are sitting behind a reed organ covered in a plastic sheet with an ice cube placed on top of the keyboard. Behind the reed organ is a clock on a music stand.]