Ichigai calligraphy exhibition & readings

This afternoon at Kinokuniya I had a serendipitous encounter with a calligraphy/painting exhibition by Japanese (Osaka) Zen artist, Ichigai Kanamori www.ichigai.com. These cheerful, though not sparsely Zen, beautiful brush paintings featured traditional themes like Daruma and monks, as well as individual topographical features.

In Kinokuniya, I read an engaging art book by Joao Penalva (a textual dialogue to accompany his photographic exhibition) including several works featuring Japan, such as Kitsune, translated by Martin Dale; Bill Viola's exhibition catalogue from the Mori Art Museum; and 'Selected Essays and Interviews' with Jeff Wall (photographer/artist): "conceptual art does not reflect the development of revolutionary ideas in culture, but of the emergence of certain preconditions for the development of such ideas".

Meanwhile I am working on a journal paper concerning A.I. in automated processes of sonification and multi-modal information representation. Here is an interesting site about creating digital music, not just because it references my students and this blog(!) but also because it links to numerous innovative developments using Wii controllers, wireless sensors and other spatial/gestural devices for controlling computer interaction.