Kazuki Takakura was a finalist in the 7th “1_WALL” Graphics Competition held in 2012, selected for his two-dimensional works of pixel art, pixels being the smallest units from which on-screen images are composed. Since then, as both an illustrator and artist Takakura has continued to produce a wide array of works with a “pixel” theme. Meanwhile in recent years he has also steadily expanded his areas of creative expression. Since establishing Studio TOKOYO in 2016, he has begun developing computer games. And this year he delved for the first time in script writing for a theater troupe.

This exhibition will center on works in which Takakura uses pixel art and other modes of digital expression – emojis, for example – to create virtual reality (VR) pieces and lenticular art. Both of these genres involve changes in image perception depending on the angle from which it is viewed.

The focus of the exhibition will be a probe into human perception. A dual structure will be configured whereby one viewer is observed by a second viewer, inducing reconfirmation of the physical interaction with a work.

In the realm of VR, viewers will wear a head-mounted display to enable a 360-degree view of an image. The work shown, on the motif of fortune telling, is a collaboration with media artist God Scorpion created to incorporate elements such as randomness. The image seen by the viewer will be projected, offering a real-time presentation of the act of viewing becoming a view.

Message from the Artist

(umwelt = self-centered world
All living things live in a perceptual realm unique to their species and behave as its main constituent.)

Is it right to increase?
Is it right to create?
Even after death, do you want to make a connection?
Don’t you want to disappear?
You’ve made a realization That there is nothingness here
Isn’t it ki01001011010010?

In order to overcome this nothingness
The only way is to expand faster than anybody
Or stay in one place and pile up

There’s one other method, too
Now it’s still 10010, isn’t it.

The real thing is about to come
Your name is 100101011
A great 0100000100000000001001001

(What are you looking at now?)

Kazuki Takakura