8ight, #7 of 8 exhibition series
10.-12.10.2024
rational soundscape // 51.428571428571429
by mergrim / Takahisa Mitsumori (JP)
8ight // for 8 audiovisual exhibitions
frei-raum.berlin is showing the exhibition series 8ight, which will feature sound art and audiovisual art installations, performances and artistic research. This series runs from April to November 2024, with eight sequential presentations, each characterised by the number of acoustic sources/speakers: from one in the first exhibition to eight in the last. The symbolic meaning of the number 8 for time, connection and renewal is reflected in this gradual increase. At the end of the 8 exhibitions, a printed art object, in a limited edition of 8, will be published on our label F with a summary of all the works.
#7 acoustic sources of 8ight –
// 51.428571428571429, rational soundscape with 7 channel sound
by mergrim / Takahisa Mitsumori (JP)
on view 10.10. Thursday, 17:30-20h
11.10. Friday, 16:30-20h
12.10. Saturday,15-19h
12.10.2024, Saturday, start 20h - space is limited, donation 10-20 EUR
LIVE PERFORMANCE
// mergrim / Takahisa Mitsumori (JP)
// Marcos Meza (CL)
// 51.428571428571429, rational soundscape with 7 multi channel sound, by mergrim / Takahisa Mitsumori (JP)
We create a space in which time turns and sound reveals hidden truths. Japanese artist mergrim (Takahisa Mitsumori) invites you to experience ‘51.428571428571429’, the seventh instalment of the ‘8ight’ series. With seven speakers arranged in a circle, this sound installation explores the beauty of imperfection, inspired by the unusual result of dividing 360 by 7.
The number 360 is well known—it represents a full circle, the flow of time through the four seasons or the regular ticking of minutes and seconds. But when you divide this perfect number by 7, it collapses. The result, 51.428571428571429, is a repeating decimal that never quite resolves. For Mergrim, this ‘broken’ number opens up a new world of possibilities. New rhythms and patterns emerge from this imperfection.
In this installation, the sound is looped every 5.14 seconds, creating a mixture of stability and unpredictability. It’s like squeezing seven days into a single moment or four seasons into one second. Each of the seven speakers produces its own unique sound, following the strange rhythm of the number and mixing order with chaos.
Beyond sound, this work also seeks to visualise mathematical formulas through numbers and generated imagery. In the exhibition space, alongside the technical equipment, the mathematical formula itself will be presented as a "graphic notation." Generated moving images will further illustrate the formula, turning abstract concepts into visual experiences that extend the boundaries of what we hear and see.
You will not only be a listener, but can also interact with the work. By adding sounds from a modular synthesiser or acoustic noises, you help to create an evolving soundscape. The speakers respond to your input and create new sound combinations that change over time, always imperfect and always different.
On 12 October, mergrim will join forces with Chilean artist Marcos Mezza for a live performance that adds another layer to this exploration of sound, time, and mathematical form. Their performance will extend the themes of the installation and transform the space into a living, breathing sound and visual experience.
Ultimately, ‘51.428571428571429’ invites us to rethink time and rhythm. It shows how beauty can emerge from what seems broken and how even imperfection has its own harmony.
about the artist
mergrim / Takahisa Mitsumori (JP) https://www.mergrim.net/ | https://www.instagram.com/mergrim
Takahisa Mitsumori, known as Mergrim, is a Japanese artist based in Berlin and the founder of moph records, originally from Takarazuka, Hyogo Prefecture. He has been at the forefront of Tokyo's advanced electronic music movement and moved to Germany in 2017.
In his public works, he has provided music for various media, including the opening ceremony of the Rugby World Cup 2019.
He is also actively involved in sound installations at museums and other venues, having exhibited at Milano Design Week and London Design Festival. After showcasing his work at the major exhibition 'Waste Age' at the Design Museum in London, he contributed music to their new project. He has also participated in exhibitions in the Netherlands, France, Canada, and more.
In recent years, he has served as the sound director for an interactive installation at Ginza 456 and for a water show at a zoo in Okinawa.
As an artist under the name Mergrim, he has released three albums and collaborated on joint works and remixes with artists from various countries. In 2019, he released his first 12-inch vinyl. After moving to Germany in 2017, he began producing and performing using modular synths, hardware, and experimental music equipment. He has performed at popular Berlin clubs such as Hoppetosse, arkaoda, and Ostclub. Starting in 2024, he will resume live performances at various clubs and galleries in Berlin.
He is also actively involved in curating and participating in multinational ambient group sessions. Additionally, a collaborative work with his longtime friend, Chilean pianist Marcos Meza, is set to be released soon.
Marcos Meza (CL) www.marcosmeza.com
Marcos Meza (1984) is a Berlin-based Chilean pianist and composer. He began playing classical piano at the age of seven, learning from his Polish mentor Ewa Jasinska. Encompassing instrumental music with the piano at the centre, his work explores impressionist and new-classical sonorities combined with elements of ambient music.
Marcos’ concerts showcase his intimacy with the piano, the instrument of his childhood, and take audiences on a contemplative journey through Chile’s landscapes painting cinematic scenes of folkloric imagery along the way.
He complemented his classical training on the piano by studying popular music at the Modern School of Music and Dance in Santiago, Chile. During his teenage years, he started producing Hip Hop and gained experience as a member of various music projects. In 2006 he co-founded the rap jazz band, Como Asesinar a Felipes (Clouds Hill, Hamburg), which has had several international collaborations with artists such as Billy Gould (Faith No More), Chino Moreno (Deftones), among others. As an arranger, Meza has worked for almost two decades in the field of music production, participating in one Latin Grammy award-winning album with Julieta Venegas and three latin grammy-nominated albums with Alex Anwandter and Ana Tijoux. His catalogue also includes music for visual media, open TV, dance and advertising. In 2015 Meza decided to move to Germany to expand his horizons as an artist by performing in different stages of the new classical music scene. His latest album, “Piano Reveries” was released on his own record label, La Casona Records, dedicated to experimental piano projects and music publishing in collaboration with Ajabu Editions and Budde Music. Since late 2022, he has been studying piano and composition with the distinguished composer Tatjana Komarova, continuing his artistic development to the present day.
