Japan Dérive

Medium

Unity, Xbox controller
AI-generated 3D models
Original sound design
Interactive exploration

Description

Baudrillard defined a map as a "precession of simulacra," or in other words, a "mise en scene of events with no apparent cause, a free-floating mediascape in which the endless reproduction of cultural forms speeding by on screens."

The work combines photography, AI generation, 3D scanning, sound, and glass to create a floating island in Unity that can be explored. The glass work of Japanese glass artist Yuki Sato is used as a clue to set the tone of the randomness of creation. New York-based multimedia artists Lin Feng and lriz Lin use travel tracks in Japan as a map.

Lin Feng creates the islands and the vaguely familiar objects through a new digital medium, while lriz creates a sound diary with collected local sounds that are deeply connected to each object to evoke memories of their travels.

The content reflects Lin's one-month journey through Japan, encompassing experiences across Tokyo, Yokohama, Kanazawa, Kyoto, Naoshima, and Teshima. Everyday objects, cultural activities, sculptures, text, and sound, weave between cities, countryside, and islands.

This work was created as a sound diary based on what was seen, heard, and felt in a month-long journey in Japan, capturing diverse sounds of Japan — the pulse of Tokyo's bustling streets, the siren of Yokohama's port, the dropping rains in Kanazawa's gardens, the timeless elegance of Kyoto's ancient melodies, and the whispers of Teshima wind and the waves of the Seto Inland Sea at Naoshima.

AI-Assisted 3D Modeling

Sketch

Japan Dérive
Location: SOBASYTA Co.,Ltd. Tokyo Office & Gallery
1009 Hosokawa Building, 1-1-17 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052
Date: March 14 – March 15, 2025

Japan Dérive
Location: Pratt Institute
200 Willoughby Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11205
Date: December 2 – December 9, 2024