Written by Sungyoung Kim;
After INTERNOISE and Yamaha tirp, I had the opportunity to visit two media-related art exhibitions in Tokyo: Teamlab Planets and the NTT ICC Annual Exhibition.
TeamLab is renowned for offering immersive art experiences that engage the entire body. I was eagerly looking forward to experiencing their exhibition.
However, in my humble opinion, the “show” turned out to be a disappointment, showing little concern for the audience’s experience. While their goal seemed to be creating a blend of audiences interacting with their art, the execution was lacking. The sheer number of visitors took away from the intended individual experience. Instead of being interactive and immersive, it felt more like navigating a circus or a zoo. This was particularly disappointing in terms of ‘immersion,’ as I found myself immersed in the presence of other visitors rather than in the artworks themselves. This was hard to accept, especially considering the Japanese tradition that places a high value on aesthetic appreciation over mere practical convenience. It left me wondering whether TeamLab was in dire need of funding for their next exhibition or if they were adapting to the value system of modern, capitalized pop musicians.
(The exhibition was perfect when I sight was not interfered with other audiences but it was really hard to focus on the art itself.)
Interestingly, their YouTube preview or trailer was more captivating and effectively conveyed their artistic intentions compared to the actual exhibition.
I speculate that prior to the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions and before the return of foreign visitors, the experience might have been more favorable due to the lower visitor numbers. They should have anticipated a surge in attendance and implemented measures to control capacity. To me, the exhibition felt more like a rushed attempt to generate revenue, rather than a thoughtful artistic endeavor. At the least, the staff should not force the audience to move to the next exhibition… This should not be a toilet-in-a-theme-park.
Thankfully, I had the chance to attend another exhibition at NTT ICC. The sound exhibition in an anechoic chamber was surprisingly good. Even more impressive was “TACHI Tomohiro lab X Tokyo Univ. X TOKOLO Asao X [ ] ‘CONNECTING ARTIFACTS 2.5.”
(The ground truth of tech-art exhibition that all GSCT students should aim for)
The sound exhibition was intriguing as it eliminated all sensory input except for auditory stimuli in an anechoic chamber. It was eerie, yet it allowed me to fully immerse myself in the auditory content. I was fortunate to experience two demos focused on music and sound effects. While TeamLab’s exhibition cost me 3800 Yen, the NTT ICC admission was only 500 Yen – significantly cheaper, yet incredibly more inspiring. This was especially true for individuals straddling the worlds of art and technology, such as those in the KAIST GSCT department. I’m convinced that they would favor the NTT ICC exhibition as a truly holistic, immersive artistic experience.
Comparing these two exhibitions had a profound impact on me. While I have no immediate plans to curate an exhibition in our lab, I felt a responsibility to create an exceptional sonic artwork that underscores the significance of auditory elements in aesthetic art.
With this in mind, we will be exploring the potential for an artwork using our current multichannel loudspeaker system and virtual acoustic technology.
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