European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024 and Kanuti Gildi SAAL are proud to present the European premiere and the first new stage work in eight years by Shiro Takatani to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the world-renowned multidisciplinary arts collective Dumb Type.

Tangent is the first performing arts work created by Shiro Takatani as a solo artist since ST/LL in 2015. The work explores the theme of the liminal space: the extraordinary within the ordinary, the strange realm where two contrasting elements both coexist at the same time. Rooted in the interrelationality of art, science, and technology, this is a serene, beautiful, and dramatic stage work that deftly transcends the border between the visual and performing arts.

The Japanese media artist Shiro Takatani is known for pioneering fresh possibilities in the performing arts scene. He is the co-founder and core member of the legendary Japanese artist collective Dumb Type that was founded in 1984. He has been the artistic director of Dumb Type since 1995 and has also had an active solo career since 1998.

The works by Dumb Type have been exhibited and performed at notable venues internationally, such as the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, Musée d’art contemporain de Lyon, Centre Pompidou, and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. In 2022, Dumb Type represented Japan at the 59th Venice Biennale.

Takatani has created several installations and so far he also created and directed three theatre and dance performances: La chambre claire (2008), CHROMA (2012), and ST/LL (2015). Among others, he has collaborated with the Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto and Japan’s leading visual and sound artist Ryoji Ikeda.
The performances are part of the official programme of the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024.