Smart Illumination Yokohama 2017

You too can be a queen! ? "Kaohame the World"

At the opening event, a second-grade elementary school girl living in Yokohama took on the challenge of ``Kaohame the World,'' which is projected onto the 51-meter-tall Yokohama Customs when you put your face into a hole. Yokohama Customs is a five-story building that resembles an Islamic temple, and is affectionately known as the "Queen's Tower."

``Good evening! Have I become a queen? It's so funny,'' the girl said, smiling cheerfully and seeming to be having fun, blinking her eyes and spinning around.

The same work is said to have been installed in Shanghai, China, and in real time, the smiling faces of children in Shanghai saying "Hello!" were projected onto Yokohama Customs.

“Kaohame the World” by Kyota Takahashi

Mr. Takahashi: ``I like face-mounted signs that anyone can participate in and enjoy.We aim to connect Yokohama with overseas in real time and have a unique international exchange with smiles.With the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and other events being held, the international I think that the importance of open dialogue and exchange is increasing, but there is a hole here that allows us to smile. Through this work, I would like to send smiles to the world and propose new ways of communication."
The power supply for this work is provided by Toyota Motor Corporation's hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle ``MIRAI,'' which is also the official vehicle of Yokohama City.

“UVLS” by Takayuki Mori

This work is based on sculptures from Greek mythology, like plaster statues made of polygons made of threads that glow in response to ultraviolet light. At first glance, it looks like it was made digitally, but in reality, many triangular surfaces are created by hand using insect pins, and threads run between the pins.
Mr. Mori: ``I thought it would be possible to bring the two-dimensional digital world such as computers into a three-dimensional space, and I thought it would be possible to bring the two-dimensional digital world such as computers into a three-dimensional space. I created this piece because I wanted people to feel the space."

“Night Sky Kotatsu” by Takato Kimura

The kotatsu table uses a curved mirror that can be seen on the road, and there is a hot water bottle inside, so it is a warm piece to sit on.
Mr. Kimura: ``When you sit down, you can see a 360-degree view of Yokohama, and if there are planes in the sky, you can see the planes.This kotatsu is a table that you can't put anything on or eat on even if you enter it. You will probably feel that something is missing and start a conversation with the person you are sitting with.This work creates a place where you can sit and warm up while looking at the scenery of Yokohama, which you usually stand and look at, and talk with the people you meet. The pattern on the kotatsu cover is a photo of a plant placed on it and exposed to the sunlight.Although this work does not use light, it seems like the sunlight is trapped in this cover. It has become.”

“Musical Chairs” by Naho Kawabe

Mr. Kawabe, whose production base is in Hamburg, Germany, wanted to work on a piece related to Zou-no-hana Park, which is exactly where Western chairs were made by shipwrights and spread throughout the country during the opening of the port. I focused on that.
Mr. Kawabe: ``The name Musical Chairs is a game of musical chairs.Chairs have been used since the time of ancient Egypt.The history of chairs that humans have made up until now can be explained by hanging colorful chairs. I want you to feel a glimpse of that.”

“Magical Mixer Project” by Taira Ichikawa

Mr. Ichikawa has been working on mobile planetarium mixer trucks since his student days, and this is an updated version of a piece he made about 30 years ago. This is a mixer truck equipped with a planetarium projection device that can be driven on public roads.
Mr. Ichikawa: ``Normally, a planetarium is something that is viewed while being confined inside a dome, but you can pop out of the dome and project a planetarium anywhere that a car can go. I want people to see the art of light that can only be seen here.”

“ON/OFF” by Lilian Bourget

Created by Lilian Bourget, who came from France and creates works that magnify familiar objects in everyday life. It seems that this huge light bulb can actually be turned on and off.
The power supply is provided by the Prius PHV, a plug-in hybrid vehicle.

"The primitive projector" by Jaime Ibanez & Jornto Duix

This is a project from the Netherlands in which one person plays sound and the other manually projects animation while dealing with light and shadow. Jaime Ibanez will operate the screen, and Jornt Duix will perform and weave a fun story.

We asked Tsutomu Okada, art director of Smart Illumination Yokohama 2017, about the highlights!

-This is the 7th year the event will be held, so please tell us the highlights of this year.

The easiest to understand is ``Kaohame the World'' by Kyota Takahashi, where you can experience the world's largest face-fitting experience. Although it is an event in Yokohama, it can also be connected to Shanghai, China in real time, so I think it can be said that it is a work that can be enjoyed on a global scale. This year, we have invited five groups of foreign artists: Ukraine, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Austria, and France, so that everyone can enjoy a variety of works. I hope that while viewing the exhibition, you can think about what they think the future should be like, how light should be, how we should live, and what forms of communication should be.

-Please tell us what kind of world view you would like to pursue from now on.

On November 2nd, an international symposium was held at the Yokohama Port Opening Memorial Hall with invited guests from Spain and Taiwan on the theme of ``The effects of art in cities.'' I would like to work on the impact on the city while making full use of energy-saving technology from a global perspective and leveraging the creativity of artists. It would be great if this kind of thinking spread around the world and the rate of global warming slowed down.

From Magcal Editorial Department
The contents introduced this time were the contents of the "Core Festival" from November 1st to 5th, but after the 5th, Smart Illumination Yokohama 2017 will continue at various locations in Yokohama until the end of the year.
Date: November 1st (Wednesday) - December 31st (Sunday), 2017
*The holding period varies depending on the program, so please check the website.
Venue: All over Yokohama city
There will be illuminations, a Christmas-themed art project, and a light-up at the Kanagawa Prefectural Government Building, so please dress warmly and go out.