The Kyoto School and Sound Art: A Nothingness of the Absolute

This paper explores the thought of key Kyoto School philosophers Nishida Kitar_ō, Tanabe Hajime, and Nishitani Keiji as a novel framework through which to consider the historical development and philosophical underpinnings of sound art. Connections and divergences between these thinkers and key developments in the history of sound art are analyzed and explored. After an introduction to Kyoto School thought, the intersections between the Kyoto School and relevant 20th-century art movements are examined. The paper then spotlights four important themes developed in Kyoto School thought and analyzes key sound art pieces in relation to these themes. The article closes with a brief concluding reflection.