contact Gonzo × yang02『jactynogg zontaanaco ジャkuティー乃愚・存taアkoコ』

The group of artists known as contact Gonzo stage improvised performances
involving body contact. The artist yang02 uses autonomous machines in works
that prompt viewers to question the subjectivity of artistic expression. The two
collaborated in the creation of a new performance work based on untitled session,
another performance work made in 2019. As part of TRANSLATION for ALL, a
festival for thought on translation of physical expression, the company precog
planned and produced it as a work taking another look at the relationship between
physical expression and language, using AI.

Outline of works

In this work, a self-propelled machine mounted with AI made by yang02
accompanies the improvisational performance by the members of contact Gonzo.
The machine outputs text describing the images it inputs in the process. This
image captioning technique is an attempt to replace physical expression unfolding
on the stage with language. Nevertheless, for both people and AI, it is extremely
difficult to verbalize the physical performance improvised on the stage. Confronted
with physical expression that continues to run away from words and meaning,
what will AI, the audience, and the artists find in the performance?

Past performances　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
Work-in-Progress
Date | 25(Sat) March 2023
Venue | Coop Kitakagaya (Osaka / Japan)

Performance in Tokyo (TRANSLATION for ALL)
Date | 19(Fri) -21(Sun) May 2023
Venue | ANOMALY (Tokyo / Japan)

Performance in Taipei (Taipei Arts Festival)
Date | 13(Sat) -14(Sun) September 2025
Venue | National Taiwan Science Education Center B1 (Taipei / Taiwan)

Performance in Tokyo
Direction & composition: contact Gonzo, yang02
Performer: contact Gonzo (Yuya Tsukahara, Keigo Mikajiri, Takuya Matsumi, NAZE)
Technical design: yang02, Inafuku Takanobu (HAUS)
Stage Manager: Takashi Kawachi
Running commentary: Akiyoshi Nita
Monitor for the visually disabled: Hideki Yamakawa, Kensuke Ishii, Hideyuki Kato
Documentary Photography: Yurika Kono
Documentary Movie: Ryota Matsumoto
Producer: Tamiko Ouki (precog co., LTD)
Concept advisor: Idaka Kumiko
Project Manager: Natsumi Kato
Ticketing Coordinator/Assistant Project Manager: Ema Murakami (precog co., LTD)

Presented by precog co., LTD
Supported by Arts Council Tokyo (Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture), Japan Arts Council
Cooperation: ANOMALY, Chishima Foundation for Creative Osaka, otomo Inc.

Performance in Taipei
Direction/Composition: contact Gonzo, yang02
Cast: contact Gonzo (Yuya Tsukahara, Keigo Mikajiri, Takuya Matsumi, Ayaka Fujita)
Technical Design: yang02, Takanobu Inafuku (HAUS)
Live commentary: Huang Li-chieh
Stage Manager: Takashi Kawachi

Producer: Tamiko Ouki (precog)
Assistant production manager: Haruhi Ishizuka (precog)

Produced by precog Inc.
Supported by Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan | Japan Arts Council