GIL KUNO

This commemorative exhibition offers an in-depth look into the creative universe of Gil Kuno, presenting a wide spectrum of his pioneering works—from early sound art to his most recent multimedia installations. Showcasing some of his most iconic pieces, the exhibition features Noisemakers, which incorporates flip-dot technology; the video work 15min of Fame, created as an homage to the legendary David Bowie; Six String Sonics, a collaborative project involving deconstructed guitars; and a series of 2D woodblock-based artworks. Collectively, these works chart the evolution of Kuno’s artistic practice over three decades of experimentation.

Gil Kuno began his artistic journey in 1995 with the launch of Unsound, a groundbreaking web platform developed at the dawn of the internet era. Designed to foster collaboration among visual artists and musicians, Unsound enabled users to freely share and remix creative materials. Around this time, Kuno was also active in the experimental internet-based music group WIGGLE, and Six String Sonics, his guitar deconstruction unit. As a sound artist, he has performed at numerous venues including the Fuji Rock Festival, where he appeared alongside renowned techno musician Ken Ishii.

In addition to his performances, Kuno has collaborated with a wide range of acclaimed artists, including EYƎ (Boredoms), Yoshimi (Boredoms, OOIOO), Fuyuki Yamakawa, Merzbow, Otomo Yoshihide, Battles, Vincent Gallo, Tatsuya Yoshida (Ruins), Carl Stone, Alec Empire (Atari Teenage Riot), Steve Albini (Big Black, Shellac), Nisennenmondai, Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), and Elliott Sharp. These collaborations have earned him international recognition.

As a multimedia artist, Kuno has simultaneously created a diverse range of sound art objects. His innovative works have been widely appreciated in the art world and exhibited at numerous festivals and museums in Japan and abroad.

Throughout his 30-year artistic career, Kuno’s diverse practice—spanning video, 2D works, sculpture, and sound—has been unified by a central theme: the tension between regularity and irregularity. The “noise” that exists within the structured rhythms of the natural world is transformed into sound, image, and visual form, engaging both the viewer’s eyes and ears. His work evokes a strange yet comforting sense of serenity—like being immersed in nature—while simultaneously introducing a subtle, unsettling distortion. Through this experience, audiences become aware of the irregularities—what we call “noise”—that usually go unnoticed. We invite you to explore the trajectory of Gil Kuno’s creative journey and discover his ever-evolving, stimulating vision.

The exhibition also offers a unique interactive experience: visitors are invited to wear wireless headsets that deliver specially curated soundtracks, enhancing the connection between auditory and visual expression. Throughout the exhibition period, special live performances by guest artists, will further immerse audiences in Kuno’s boundary-pushing fusion of audio and visual art. The visual art collective, Public Visuals will perform on June 7th, and on the night of June 14th, the techno-god, Ken Ishii will perform a rare “non-dance” DJ set.

– 6/7 (sat) Public Visuals × Gil Kuno [::: Unsound Frequencies :::]

– 6/14(sat) Ken Ishii × VMO × Gil Kuno [::: Unsound Frequencies :::]

– 6/19(thur) Gallery Talk｜ Minoru Hatanaka × Toshimitsu Terauchi × Gil Kuno (Artist)

– 6/21(sat) Gallery Talk｜Masaki Fujihata × Kento Tanbara × Gil Kuno

& Live Performance | Ryosuke Kiyasu×Momose Yasunaga×Tenko×Gil Kuno

Further event details will be posted on the exhibition’s website (https://root-k.jp/exhibitions_en/gil-kuno-unsound-frequencies/) and social media. Please be sure to check it out!