breathing garden

Toward a New Relationship Between Humans and Plants

The "Breathing Garden" is an attempt to explore a new relationship between humans and plants, composed of two experiential artworks, "Ensemble Columns" and "Ensemble Particles," connecting human respiration and plant photosynthesis. The work "Ensemble Columns" (Gallery B) is an installation piece that arranges multiple columns in space. Each column incorporates lighting that flickers in sync with human breath, glass domes with CO2 sensors alongside plants, and devices that play sounds in response to changes in CO2 concentration. Human respiration is converted into light, inducing photosynthesis, which, in turn, alters the CO2 concentration inside the glass domes, resulting in an ensemble of diverse plants producing varied sounds. Immersing oneself in the slowly breathing and gently changing sounds allows synchronization with the raw time and rhythm of the plants. Another piece, "Ensemble Particles" (Gallery C), similarly converts human respiration into light, inducing plant photosynthesis. However, "Ensemble Particles" primarily transforms the changes in CO2 concentration due to human respiration and plant photosynthesis into a visual representation using a particle system, mainly CG (particle system). The movement of particles based on human respiration intertwines with the movement of particles based on plant photosynthesis. The trajectories of intertwined movements, depicted while being mutually related, become a dance of life's energy brought about by the pair of human and plant. Converting the fundamental activity of human life, "breathing," into light is akin to engaging with the fundamental activity of plant life, "photosynthesis." The sound and visual feedback generated by the connection of "breathing" and "photosynthesis" holds the potential to lead to new relationships where humans and plants permeate each other.

Exhibition Information

Dates
March 15 (Fri.) – March 20 (Wed.), 2024, 11:00 – 17:00 (Closed on Monday)

Venue
Horikawa Oike Gallery
238-1, Oshiaburanokoji-cho, Oike-agaru, Aburanokoji-dori, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto, 604-0052, Japan
*There is no parking space for bicycles or cars in the gallery.
Please refrain from coming by bicycle, motorcycle, or car. Please use public transportation.

Experience

In the "Breathing Garden," viewers can experience a device that converts their own breath into light and sound.
*Please note that on March 20th (Wednesday), reservations for experiencing the artwork will be prioritized for individuals with chronic illnesses.

Profile

Koichi Mori
Born in Osaka in 1958. Graduated from the Graduate School of Education, Osaka Kyoiku University. While in graduate school, he began researching video art and was involved in the production of numerous works as a video director. In the 1990s, he was involved in the planning and producing multimedia content such as "Cosmology of Kyoyo." Since 2000, he has collaborated with Takehisa Mashimo on research into media art expression using human bio-information. Since 2000, he has collaborated with Takehisa Mashimo on research into media art expression using human bio-information. Currently, he is working on an art project focusing on "earth," "breath," and "plants" in the context of the Anthropocene epoch.

Takehisa Mashimo
Graduated from the Graduate School of Media Arts and Sciences, Institute of Advanced Media Arts and Sciences. He researches and produces artworks mainly in the field of media art. He has participated in international exhibitions such as Ars Electronica Festival (2004), Gwangju Biennale (2006), and Sundance International Film Festival (2011). In collaboration with Koichi Mori, he has created works that feed back biological information such as brain waves, cerebral blood flow, and respiration to the viewer. He works with graphic designers, contemporary artists, and filmmakers on projects and productions.

Produce	Koichi Mori, Takehisa Mashita
Cooperation	Mie Izumi、Shizuka Kimura、Emiko Manabe, Noboru Hasegawa, Akira Nihei, Takehiko Hoshi, NPO 10bin, Sous-Bois fleuriste, Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts, Seian University of Art and Design