Interconnection | an installation of weightless discs illustrates the unstoppable forces of nature

April 14, 2014

“Interconnected, ” which was designed for Lexus as part of Milano Salone 2014, demonstrates the constant give-and-take in nature, as well as our planet’s delicate balance.

The Brooklyn-based designer Takeshi Miyakawa (previously) was recruited by Tamura to assist in the complex structural design process. “I thought it was a piece of cake but it turned out to be one of the most challenging project I’ve ever worked on,” wrote Miyakawa. The pair were also joined by music composer Aya Nishina, who created an accompanying soundtrack for the installation.

VIA Spoon-Tamago

Photos from Japan’s 2014 Cherry Blossom Season

April 10, 2014

This year’s cherry blossom season – thanks to some heavy rains over the weekend – is just about wrapping up in Japan. 2014 was made all the more poetic as “5% parties” bid farewell to the old tax rate and welcomed in the new 8% rate under short-lived, fleeting cherry blossoms.

For one reason or another, this time of year is particularly difficult for me to travel to Japan and, once again, I am here in NY watching Instagram photos appear in my feed and then quickly disappear; transient as the cherry blossoms themselves. Here is a small selection of some of my favorites that I’ve come across recently. And you can see more over on visual aggregation site Bored Panda.

Last year was also special when a seasonally-rare snow made for some pretty amazing pictures too.

VIA spoon-tamago

Falling Records by Tori Ori Ori

March 25, 2014

Obsessed by the analog machines of the past, Japanese musician Ei Wada mastered the craft of tweaking the sounds from old tape recorders. He performed wild shows with the Open Reel Ensemble, from the stage of TEDxTokyo to last year’s Issey Miyake catwalk, creating unique sounds from analog sources.

The artist recreated the analog magic for the visitors of last month’s Media Arts Festival in his work Toki Ori Ori Nasu. With their wheels slowly turning, 4 old-fashioned recorders poured their tapes into narrow glass containers, creating ever-changing twisted shapes. Once the tapes came to an end, the spectators were in for a surprising musical treat

Among the elaborate high-tech installations of the festival, this surprisingly simple tribute to analog media resonated well with the audience. The tape patterns mesmerized those who came near the work, and crowds rushed to the recorders as soon as the tapes rewinded. We can thank Ai Wada for showing us that after decades of use – and years of abandon – old media still has surprises in store for us.

Via spoon-tamago