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Sakamotocommon Osaka 1970/2025/Osaka/Ryuichi Sakamoto
VS.
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Artists
Ryuichi Sakamoto
In 1970, at the age of 18, Ryuichi Sakamoto encountered a vast array of music and art at Expo ’70 in Osaka, held under the theme“Progress and Harmony for Mankind.” From the national pavilions echoed avant-garde electronic sounds rooted in atonality—TōruTakemitsu’sCrossingandSeasons, Yuji Takahashi’sEgan(an early inspiration for Sakamoto), and JōjiYuasa’sMusic for Space Projection. At the West German Pavilion, KarlheinzStockhausen performedSpiraldaily in a spherical auditorium.ThePepsi Pavilion presented the world premiere of Fujiko Nakaya’sfog sculptures, while IannisXenakiscreatedHibiki-Hana-Mafor the Steel Pavilion, which also featured sonic sculptures by François Baschet.
These experiences would leave a lasting imprint on Sakamoto—becoming a conceptual spine for his lifelong exploration of sound. The emerging world of synthesizer-based electronic music also profoundly shaped his vision. Beginning in 2016, Sakamoto was able to perform and record with the original Baschetsound sculptures from Expo ’70, weaving their unique timbres into his own compositions. These experiments culminated in his 2017 albumasync, and echoed once more in his final stage work,TIME.
In 2025, as the World Expo returns to Osaka, we ask:might we pass on the inspiration that once stirred the young Sakamoto—to a new generation of creators—through the platform of sakamotocommon? With this in mind, we begin our project from “VS.,” a newly opened space in Umeda, Osaka.The exhibition will feature the Baschetsound sculptures originally shown at Expo ’70, along with newly created instruments crafted by the BaschetRestoration Team at Tokyo University of the Arts and Marti Ruiz —made especially for Sakamoto. In addition, using performance data from Sakamoto himself, audiences will be able to experience his beloved grand piano playing once more—offering a quiet echo of the hands that once shaped its sound.
These experiences would leave a lasting imprint on Sakamoto—becoming a conceptual spine for his lifelong exploration of sound. The emerging world of synthesizer-based electronic music also profoundly shaped his vision. Beginning in 2016, Sakamoto was able to perform and record with the original Baschetsound sculptures from Expo ’70, weaving their unique timbres into his own compositions. These experiments culminated in his 2017 albumasync, and echoed once more in his final stage work,TIME.
In 2025, as the World Expo returns to Osaka, we ask:might we pass on the inspiration that once stirred the young Sakamoto—to a new generation of creators—through the platform of sakamotocommon? With this in mind, we begin our project from “VS.,” a newly opened space in Umeda, Osaka.The exhibition will feature the Baschetsound sculptures originally shown at Expo ’70, along with newly created instruments crafted by the BaschetRestoration Team at Tokyo University of the Arts and Marti Ruiz —made especially for Sakamoto. In addition, using performance data from Sakamoto himself, audiences will be able to experience his beloved grand piano playing once more—offering a quiet echo of the hands that once shaped its sound.
Schedule | Aug 30 (Sat) 2025-Sep 27 (Sat) 2025 Reservation RequiredOpening Hours Information
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| Fee | Adults ¥2200, Age 18 and Under ¥1100, University Students ¥1800, Infants free. *Advance online reservations required. Tickets can be purchased at the ticket counter on the day of the exhibition if there is space available in the date and time slots. | ||
| Website | https://vsvs.jp/en/exhibitions/sakamotocommon-osaka/ | ||
| Venue | VS. https://vsvs.jp/ | ||
| Location | 6-86 Ofuka-cho, Kita-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka 530-0011 | ||
| Access | 7 minute walk from JR Osaka Station. | ||
| Related images | Click on the image to enlarge it |
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