Reel Asian is always exploring new ways to bring more work to more people by presenting work outside of traditional screening venues. This year’s outdoor video loop located at the main festival site—Innis College at the University of Toronto— highlights the work of Nobuo Kubota, a significant Asian-Canadian artist who received The Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts in 2009.
Bobbing up and down, side to side, the bouncing head of improvisational sound artist Nobuo Kubota in nine split frames creates a mesmerizing sense of chaotic play. A sound poem that uses random patterns and sequences, Loop Holes is a wonderful example of Kubota’s exploration of metalanguage, abstract vocals and physical gestures.
Director's Bio
Nobuo Kubota
Nobuo Kubota was born in Vancouver, B.C., in 1932 and lives and works in Toronto. An original member of the dynamic improvisational group Artists’ Jazz Band and the Canadian Creative Music Collective, as well as one of the founding members of the not-for-profit Music Gallery, Kubota has been contributing to the Canadian arts for more than 40 years. He is well known for his sound poetry, free jazz improvisation and sound-inspired installations.