Toshio Matsumoto – Adventures in Perception

A pioneer of Sixties counter-cinema, Japanese director, video artist and critic Toshio Matsumoto (1932-2017) rose to prominence as a daring stylist and fearless provocateur whose radical films shattered social and aesthetic taboos with inspired precision and energy. Matsumoto began as a documentary filmmaker, directing a series of abstract and subtly political films before turning his attention to more experimental work in the 60’s. Psychedelia, deconstruction, and the visualization of subjectivity were central themes of Matsumoto’s films; in his neo-documentary work, these are fused with conventional documentary elements to create a unique hybrid.

Song Of Stone, Japan 1963, 16mm til video, 23min. A: 15 år

A documentary constructed from still images with sound by legendary composer Toru Takemitsu. The world of the stone cutters is explored as they «bring to life» each block.

Phantom, Japan 1975, 16mm, 10min. A: 15 år

A naked woman on a beach; a man performing yoga; an eyeball floating over a city; two people walking round a flickering statue, intercut with close-ups of a woman’s face.

Atman, Japan 1975, 16mm, 11min. A: 15 år

A shamanic masterpiece, filmed in infrared, consisting of hundreds of zooming and panning stills of a figure clad in a Noh mask, electronic score by Toshi Ichiyanigi.

Black Hole, Japan 1977, 16mm, 3min. A: 15 år

Abstract video manipulations suggest a dying star.

Connection, Japan 1981, 16mm, 10min. A: 15 år

Masterful video mixing – cloudscapes and rigorous geometry, a prog-rock-film classic. Sound by Y. Inagaki.

Sway, Japan 1985 , 16mm, 8min. A: 15 år

An optically printed film at a shrine with tongs and nails.