ALVA NOTO Presents His Latest Audiovisual Performance in Vilnius

One of the most influential figures in contemporary electronic music and media art, Alva Noto, returns to Vilnius. On 23 October, the internationally acclaimed German artist will present his latest audiovisual performance, HYBR:ID UNI PARA, together with Japanese visual artist Ken Niibori at the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra Concert Hall (LVSO Concert Hall).

Alva Noto, the artistic name of Carsten Nicolai, is widely regarded as one of the leading voices in electronic music, contemporary art, and interdisciplinary media. His minimalist aesthetic has captivated audiences and critics alike for decades. Insounder described his performances as “an unforgettable, all-encompassing sensory experience,” calling them simply “magic.” The AU Review praised his ability to elevate minimalism “to new heights,” while Pitchfork noted that his “harsh timbres and abstract electronics ultimately become deeply moving.”

Throughout his career, Alva Noto has released dozens of solo albums, collaborated extensively with renowned artists including Ryuichi Sakamoto, Michael Nyman, Blixa Bargeld, Ryoji Ikeda, Iggy Pop, and Mika Vainio, and performed worldwide across Europe, Asia, North and South America. His work has been presented at major cultural institutions such as the Guggenheim Museum (New York), SFMOMA, Centre Pompidou, Tate Modern, the Berlin Philharmonie, Muziekgebouw Amsterdam, and leading festivals including CTM Berlin, Sónar Barcelona, and MUTEK Tokyo.

He is especially well known for his long-standing collaboration with legendary Japanese composer and pianist Ryuichi Sakamoto. Together they composed part of the score for Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Oscar-winning film The Revenant, starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

Based in Berlin, Alva Noto belongs to a generation of artists working at the intersection of music, visual art, and science. His practice explores scientific phenomena, mathematical structures, coding, randomness, and self-organizing systems, transforming sound and light into experiences perceived simultaneously through both hearing and sight.

“One of my main sources of inspiration is nature. When you encounter nature, science becomes incredibly fascinating because it reveals phenomena and proposes models that help us understand it,” says Alva Noto.

Before pursuing his artistic career, Carsten Nicolai studied architecture and landscape design before turning his attention to the theoretical properties of sound and space. After moving to Berlin in the early 1990s, he founded the experimental music label Noton. Archiv Für Ton Und Nichtton, which became a platform for his conceptual and sonic explorations.

Nicolai is also a highly respected visual artist whose work has been exhibited at documenta X and the 49th and 50th Venice Biennales. His numerous international awards include the Prix Ars Electronica, the Giga-Hertz Award (shared with Ryoji Ikeda), the Japan Media Arts Festival Grand Prize, and the Zurich Art Prize.

In Vilnius, Alva Noto will present HYBR:ID UNI PARA, a new audiovisual work created with visual artist Ken Niibori and developed from his acclaimed HYbr:ID album series. Built upon meticulously crafted sound design, the live performance blends dystopian atmospheres, cinematic soundscapes, pulsating rhythms, and introspective melancholy into an immersive audiovisual experience.

Photo: Shigeo Gomi.

You can purchase tickets here.