the two panels entitled v.i.r.u.s for ryuichi sakamoto refer to the stylised image of a bacteriophage, also known as a phage (virus), and to the warning symbol for ionised radiation.
both of these references play an important role in the friendship and collaboration between the two artists. the phages symbol refers to the v.i.r.u.s. series. this is a series of recordings from 1999 to 2011. it refers to a quote by william s. bourrow 'language is a virus', which is also used in laurie anderson's performances, and the initial letters of the five album titles form the word virus.
second, the abstract images have a clear reference to the ionised radiation warning symbol, which splits a circle into three parts to represent the three main types of ionised radiation: alpha, beta and gamma. this reference not only relates to ryuichi's commitment to opposing nuclear power. it also relates to carsten nicolai's interest in extraterrestrial radioactive radiation as a source of randomness.
these works were created after the death of ryuichi sakamoto. at the same time, they served as a template for the motif of a collection box containing all the joint works from the virus cycle by ryuichi sakamoto and alva noto. these symbolic works are an expression of the friendly relationship between carsten nicolai/alva noto and ryuichi sakamoto. at the same time, they mark the conclusion of a complex of works which, for carsten nicolai, also refers to the influential abstract artist hermann glöckner.
N-050 . alva noto + ryuichi sakamoto . v.i.r.u.s.
N-051 . alva noto + ryuichi sakamoto . vrioon
N-052 . alva noto + ryuichi sakamoto . insen
N-053 . alva noto + ryuichi sakamoto . revep
N-054 . alva noto + ryuichi sakamoto . utp_
N-055 . alva noto + ryuichi sakamoto . summvs