Shinshiki / 神色 (2023–25)

for immersive audio-visual installation

WORK DESCRIPTION

Shinshiki / 神色 (Forms of Divinities) is an immersive audio-visual installation with multichannel video projection and spatialized sound. The work draws on the traditional Japanese concept of Ma—a space believed to be where kami (divinities) descend.

In the worldview of the ancient Japanese, an enclosed space was seen as a vacant, sacred zone. Even tangible objects, though appearing solid, were believed to contain an inner emptiness—a sacred void into which kami (divinities) could descend, filling the space with spiritual force. The acts of preparing such a space, known as Ma, and waiting for kami to manifest deeply shaped Japanese perceptions of space and time, later influencing their artistic expression. The Japanese also believed in yaoyorozu-no-kami (“eight million divinities”), where “eight million” symbolizes infinity—the idea that kami could descend into all things in nature and become objects of worship: trees, fire, waterfalls, rocks, the sun, mountains, and more. Even today, there are approximately 80,000 shrines throughout the Japanese archipelago, and many of them conduct matsuri (seasonal ceremonies and rituals) to honor diverse, local kami.

In Shinshiki, the primary sound sources are Western string instruments (violin, viola, cello), while the visual elements are symbolic objects, actions, and phenomena drawn from ancient Japanese animistic contexts that express awe, reverence, and gratitude toward kami. Through real-time computer graphics, the visual sources appear as dynamic 3D objects and events on the screen and are rendered spatially throughout the exhibit space, creating a continuously transforming scenery. Similarly, the soundscape consists of both acoustic and electronically transformed sounds of the string instruments.

The work does not depict concrete forms of divinities. Instead, the transforming scenery presents a series of five spaces (Ma) woven into the fabric of the cosmos, each rooted in diverse animistic contexts, onto which the audience can freely embody unique animistic divinities in mind—and together, these unseen presences collectively fill the exhibition space in harmonious coexistence. In the ancient Japanese worldview, there is no absolute kami to which all others are subordinate; rather, all kami coexist and evolve harmoniously, permeating the entire cosmos. The artists hope this vision of harmonious coexistence will resonate with audiences, inviting reflection on the potential for unity amidst the divisions that shape our world.

Years of Development and Production: 2023–25

Artwork produced by Studio Programsounds