October 22, 2025

Spirits Known and Unknown (Rephrase): A Performance by Aki Onda

Field Notes Concert Series

Photo Credit: Chris Uhren

Artist and composer Aki Onda has spent decades amassing a collection of highly unique handbells and presenting them in performances and installations all over the world. He will now bring this remarkable practice to the Central Library for a performance titled “Spirits Known and Unknown (Rephrase)” featuring a selection of his brass bells.

Bells are a mysterious object. It is said that they were born when ancient people banged on resonant surfaces to frighten away evil. In many cultures, they are still used to call spirits. They appear in church towers, they are often used as symbols of peace, and, in times of war, have also been melted down and turned into bullets.

Onda relays: “Playing bells can be eerie at times. I get the sensation that ringing them connects me to their former owners who may have rung them. The actions recall lost sounds and sense histories that would otherwise be erased. It’s like collaborating with forces such as spirits and ancestors which transcends the sense of time and space… .”

This event is free: RSVP via the VPL website

About the Artist:

Aki Onda is an artist and composer known for his experimental approach to sound and multimedia art. His work often explores themes of memory, space, and perception, blending field recordings with electronic and acoustic elements. Onda’s practice spans various media, including sound installations, performances, and visual art.