Searching for a transcript is notoriously difficult. The artist rarely gives long-form interviews. She prefers her work to speak for itself. However, during her 2023 residency at the House of World Cultures in Berlin, Tachikawa sat for a rare, uninterrupted 90-minute conversation. Below is the complete, unedited transcript of that interview, providing unprecedented access to her creative process, her philosophy of "Ma" (間), and why she considers an empty room the most powerful canvas of all. Part 1: The Origins of Listening Interviewer (I): Rie, thank you for agreeing to a full interview. For those searching for your name, the first thing they see is the term "silent sculptor." Do you accept that title?
(Laughs) I know. I am sorry. Write it all down. But tell your readers: After you read this, close the laptop. Go sit in a room alone for ten minutes. Listen to the building sigh. That is my real interview. Part 5: Future Work & The "Un-Museum" I: What is next? Your website (which is just a black page with an email address) hints at a project called The Un-Museum . rie tachikawa interview full
What if it rains?
Yes. Good. In an age of infinite scrolling, the most radical act is to say: You had to be there. When people search for the "full interview" with me, they are looking for a shortcut. They want the answer inside a PDF. I refuse. This conversation exists. Your microphone is recording. But where will it live? On a server? (She touches the table). This table is real. My words are just vibrations. Searching for a transcript is notoriously difficult
In the sprawling, chaotic tapestry of contemporary Japanese art, few threads are as delicate—and as structurally vital—as that of . While her peers often compete for attention through scale or shock value, Tachikawa has built a two-decade career on the opposite: subtraction. Her work, which spans installation, sound art, and what she calls "found object choreography," asks the viewer to listen to the space between words and look at the dust motes floating in a sunbeam. However, during her 2023 residency at the House
Let’s dig into that. For the full explanation—how does a non-Japanese audience learn to see "Ma"?
So you are a storyteller?