Living Lens

Living Lens / Mai Ohira, Takafumi Morita, Yasuaki Kakehi - Photo: Yasuaki Kakehi

Yielding

Exhibit

Living Lens

Mai Ohira (JP), Takafumi Morita (JP), Yasuaki Kakehi (JP)

Living Lens is a kinetic and lighting installation in which droplets of water move like living creatures. Driven by the principle of electrowetting, the droplets glide silently, never maintaining a fixed shape which evokes a sense of organic life. Light projected from above passes through each droplet, casting dynamic forms onto the floor below. The interplay between precise control and the inherent materiality of water reveals the textures that emerge in the space between technology and fluid.

  • Photo: Mai Ohira

    Mai Ohira

    Mai Ohira is a researcher and media artist who explores the sensorial and expressive potentials of fluidic materials. She focuses on creating physical interfaces that blur the boundary between control and unpredictability, using techniques such as electrowetting to choreograph the motion of water.

  • Photo: Saho Takahashi

    Takafumi Morita

    Takafumi Morita is a media artist, HCI researcher and assistant professor at The University of Tokyo. Liquid is inherently formless, adapting its state according to its surroundings and returning to its original state. Fascinated by this flexible nature, Takafumi is deeply engaged in exploring new forms of liquid-based expression.

  • Photo: Yasuaki Kakehi

    Yasuaki Kakehi

    Yasuaki Kakehi is a media artist, HCI researcher, and professor at the University of Tokyo. His work spans interactive media engineering, material science, media art, and design, with exhibitions at Ars Electronica Festival, YCAM, ICC, and LVMH Métiers d’Art La Main. He has received accolades including an Honorable Mention at the STARTS Prize 2022.

  • Photo: Masanobu Kanazawa

    Masanobu Kanazawa

    Masanobu Kanazawa is an HCI researcher and media artist. He focuses on creating new value and insights through the use of electronic devices and manufacturing technologies. By integrating technology into familiar everyday objects, he creates new movements and experiences.

Credits

Research Collaborator: Eiji Iwase | Special Thanks: Masanobu Kanazawa | Supported by JSPS KAKENHI (Grant Number JP24H00708)