Deer Calling performance by Yuto Hasebe

Deer Calling performance by Yuto Hasebe

Art Gallery Talk: This string instrument generates its tone through the tailoring of strings along the unique shape of a deer's antlers. Its tone may resound the howling roar of the very lord of nature. The antlers came from a deer who was hunted down by a local hunter and bequeathed to me. In Japan, one often hears of how damaging deer can be, but they are one of god's messengers. At first glance, my original stringed instrument brings forth an historically universal idea from primitive times. Much like the drum is made of bovine skin, the Shamisen with its skins was made using dog or cat skin, the violin with its bow strung of horse tail, and the old classic guitar strings made of dried sheep intestines. At their core, musical instruments and animals seem to be well suited to one another. However, it seems as if period musical instruments have gone out of fashion in recent times. Perhaps you know of some other examples. ​

Speaker(s): Yuto Hasebe, NA

Yuto Hasebe was born in 1984 at Nagoya, Japan. He is an individual artist who is interested in exploring handmade musical instruments and physical string sounds. His works are inspired by natural materials, forms and relationship between nature and human life. His works has been featured in showcases including ICMC 2018 (Daegu, South Korea), New Media Art Conference (CICA Museum, Gimpo, South Korea), Margaret Guthman Musical Instrument Competition 2018 and 2014 (Georgia Tech, Atlanta, USA), ifva 2015 (Hong Kong Arts Center, Hong Kong), IRCAM Forum 2014 (Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea), WRO Media Art Biennale 2013 (Wrocław, Poland), NIME 2013 (KAIST, Daejeon, South Korea) and SIGGRAPH Asia 2012 (Singapore). He was honored with the People’s Choice Award Most Unusual Instrument from Margaret Guthman Musical Instrument Competition 2014 (Georgia Tech, Atlanta, USA).