Celestial Navigators

The three artists Tytti Arola, Annika Fuhrmann, and Elena Kakaliagou will present their multidisciplinary performance under the title Celestial Navigators at the hall of the Goethe-Institut Tokyo.

Celestial Navigators explores the fragility of human decision-making through music, movement, and film. Composer Tytti Arola, singer Annika Fuhrmann, and French horn player Elena Kakaliagou drew inspiration for their work from the instinctive navigation of migratory birds to reflect on hesitation, decision-making, and finding one’s way. Their exploration takes place on both a personal and a collective level. 
The three artists approach these questions with poetry, curiosity, and humor, utilizing an interplay of voice, French horn, and film. Video footage of the Finnish landscape shows cranes and geese in flight formations, creating a striking contrast between nature’s instinctive certainty and the uncertainty that characterizes human decisions.

Following the performance, the musicians will be interviewed by sound artist Tomomi Adachi in an artist talk.

Artists 

Tytti Arola is a composer, sound artist, and performer. In her work, she explores spatial sound and the connection between everyday spaces and concert halls, often incorporating electronic, multimedia, and video-based elements.

Annika Fuhrmann is a singer and sound artist specializing in experimental music theater, sound art, and improvisation. She regularly works on interdisciplinary projects and performs works written specifically for her voice.

Elena Kakaliagou is a horn player who focuses on contemporary and improvised music. Her work combines drones, microtonality, soundscapes, and lyrical expression.

Moderator

Tomomi Adachi is a performer, composer, sound poet, instrument maker, and visual artist. Known for his diverse stylistic range, he has presented his work worldwide, including at the Tate Modern, Hamburger Bahnhof, and Centre Pompidou.

This event is being held in collaboration with the Finnish Institut in Japan.