The second of ARTECHOUSE’s annual cherry blossom inspired installations, In Peak Bloom featured works by women artists and female-led art collectives. Working with a variety of interactive media, the artists featured in In Peak Bloom brought the cherry blossom’s symbolism to life in new ways, updating these time-honored concepts for the 21st century while simultaneously paying homage to traditional themes, such the transient nature of life (hakanai), and artistic genres like Ukiyo-e.
Hana Fubuki – Main Gallery
Created by siblings Akiko Yamashita, Sachiko Yamashita and MIKITYPE, the artists, who all grew up in the Hokkaido region of Japan, were very inspired by their childhood memories and family history. Hana Fubuki was inspired by a poem that their grandfather wrote about the invisible pieces in this world that contribute to the whole. This installation was commissioned by and made specifically for ARTECHOUSE.
Blooming – Gallery 1
Blooming was about an exploration of human interaction. It was an interactive installation, which took the form of a life-size cherry tree projection, responding to physical contact between participants. Standing on touch sensors with bare feet or if participants held hands or hugged each other, the tree flourishes in peak bloom or releases petals. In response to their skin conductivity, the tree returned to its pre-bloom state when visitors stopped physical interaction.
Harashouji | Akousmaflore et Lux – Gallery 2
Harashouji evoked the dancing shadows one might typically encounter on the surface of the shoji screen. As visitors moved through the gallery’s corridor, they encountered their own shadow, as well as animals and plants that seemed to point to an invisible garden just beyond.
Akousmaflore et Lux featured a small garden composed of live “musical” plants hanging from an ARTECHOUSE-made pergola that came to life with the visitors’ touch.
Enchanted Garden – Media Lab
Gardens have played an important role in Japanese spiritual and philosophical life since antiquity. Japanese gardens have their roots in the ancient religion of Shinto, Japan’s traditional religion, which is devoted to the worship of “spirits,”, “essences” or “energies” (kami) that reside in everything, including rocks, trees, rivers, animals, and people. This installation told the story of the fox, rabbit and monkey from Japanese legend through the use of augmented reality.
Sakaba – Augmented Reality Bar
Augmented reality art by ARTECHOUSE