The voices spoken into the entrance turn into lines of light that race along the paths on the table. Following each route, the lines of sound eventually reach the exit, where they change in many different ways—becoming higher-pitched, sounding like a robot’s voice, or resonating like a concert hall—before turning back into sound again. This is an interactive installation where you can enjoy the “journey” of sound by speaking into it in different ways. The name “Yukueon” combines the sense of voices changing tone with a chameleon-like quality, evoking the idea of sound taking different paths.

When you blow words into a hole, the “words,” shaped from your voice, begin to walk on their own and freely move around the plaza. You can enjoy their many changing forms, such as flowers blooming from their heads when you say “thank you,” fangs and tails sprouting when you say “idiot,” or wings growing so they can fly when you say “rumor.” This interactive work was created from the experience of sensing the speaker’s emotions and humanity in words, as if the words themselves were imbued with intention. Words may be remembered after returning home, passed on to others, or remain in one’s heart forever; they begin to walk on their own, sometimes gently accompanying us like flowers, sometimes baring their fangs like beasts, and sometimes spreading to many people like birds. Drawing on such imaginations about words, as well as motifs inspired by the origins of terms such as koto no ha, koto no ha, koto no ha, kotoba, and kotodama, the work gives form to a world where these independently standing “words” live on their own.

When you place a pointed hat of your favorite color on your head, the pointed light comes to life as a mate, matching the color of the hat. If you tilt your body while wearing the hat, the mates imitate you and tilt as well. When you jump, they sprout arms and take on a more human-like form, making you feel even more aware that they are your companions. Friends increase through chance encounters, or sometimes drift apart before you realize it. The circle of companions expands, contracts, overlaps, and changes as connections continue to form. This interactive exhibition is inspired by the structure of human communities and relationships. Come play with mates in your favorite color! We created both a hat-based experience, where you wear a pointed hat, and a pose-detection version, where you interact by moving your whole body.