WinterLIVE: o to da te

Experience the Abbotsford Convent through listening.

Created by renowned Japanese sound artist Akio Suzuki, o to da te – loosely translated as “outdoor listening practices” – is a self-guided sound walk that invites you to discover the site’s unique acoustic landscape. Using a map, you’ll follow a series of listening points selected by Suzuki, encouraging you to slow down and tune into the sounds that shape the Convent—from birdsong and footsteps to the resonance of its historic buildings.

Presented internationally at museums, festivals and biennales, o to da te has been experienced by audiences around the world. This new, site-responsive iteration has been developed during Suzuki’s residency at Abbotsford Convent with collaborator Hiromi Miyakita, offering Melbourne audiences a rare opportunity to experience this acclaimed work in Australia.

Duration: Self-guided, approximately 45–60 minutes.

Accessibility: The experience takes place outdoors across the Abbotsford Convent precinct. Most listening points are accessible via sealed paths; however, some areas include gentle gradients and uneven heritage surfaces. If you have specific access requirements, please contact the Abbotsford Convent team.

Please note:

• Your ticket includes an o to da te map, journal and pencil, available for collection from the Abbotsford Convent Office. Monday–Friday, 9am–4 pm.
• You are invited to record your reflections through writing and drawing as you experience the listening journey.
• o to da te is designed to be experienced during daylight hours, and you are welcome to undertake this self-guided experience on any day of the year.
• Comfortable footwear is recommended.

Group Bookings: For group bookings and educational groups, please contact us at programming@abbotsfordconvent.com.au

정보

Since his infamous “Throwing Objects Down a Staircase” event at Nagoya Station in 1963 and the self-study events which followed, where he explored the processes of “projection” and “following” in the natural world, Akio Suzuki has pursued listening as a practice. In the 1970s he created and began performing on a number of original instruments, including the echo instrument Analapos. In 1988 he performed his piece “Space in the Sun”, which involved purifying his ears for twenty-four hours in nature on the meridian line that runs through Amino, Kyoto. In 1996, he began his “o to da te” project where he seeks out echo points in the urban environment. Has performed and exhibited at many venues and music festivals around the world, including Documenta8 (Germany, 1987), the British Museum (2002), Musée Zadkine (France, 2004), Kunstmuseum Bonn (Germany, 2018), Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (Tokyo, 2019), etc.

Hiromi Miyakita graduated with a BFA in Dance from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. After performing and choreographing for the stage, Miyakita began to explore the possibilities of improvised performance and visual art. Her dance practice is based on the idea that any movement, even simple ones like standing, walking, or sitting, can all become dance, as well as the discovery of dance through the objects and phenomena surrounding us.
Miyakita moved to the Tango Peninsula on the Japan Sea coast in 2012 and developed her NuTu dance, which involves striking together natural stones collected on the beach. Today, Miyakita creates site-specific performances in a variety of spaces including museums, railroads, parks, streets, and Japanese gardens. She has also applied her dancer’s sense of space and time to visual art and has presented art works at 3331 Arts Chiyoda (2019) , Kunsthaus Dresden (2021), and Tottori Prefectural Museum (2023).

o to da te is commissioned and presented by Abbotsford Convent and co-curated by Lawrence English/Room40.
Translation by Alan Cummings.