Mass, 2023

Ryoji Ikeda’s mass (2023) is an immersive audiovisual installation that plunges viewers into the sensation of standing on the edge of a black hole, where time and space are distorted.

The abstract, metaphysical artwork explores the concept of mass through the wave motion of sound frequencies and rhythm. Visitors enter a blacked-out room where a large square video image is projected onto the floor.

Various black shapes shift, pulsate and superpose on the image, eclipsing the unknown formations that periodically emerge, and seemingly swallowing tremendous amounts of information like holes. Once information overload is reached, the black shapes collapse, allowing these unknown formations to appear or disappear. The artwork powerfully contrasts the calm movement of the black elements with the dynamic vibration of the white light, challenging the viewer’s perception and cognition.