Takafumi Ide

Takafumi Ide
Instructional Support Technician

hover [サマヨヲ], 2019, arduino, bamboo, DMX light, electrical cable, motion sensor, rice straw, straw rope, sub-woofer, temperature sensor, 180 x 372 x 72″

hover [サマヨヲ], was exhibited at the Nakanojo Biennale 2019 in Japan. The exhibition theme was “Anthropocene” (the age of humanity). Based on the theme, I created a work that reacts live, focusing on the temperature rise due to environmental changes caused by human beings and the traces of humankind that appeared in the stratum. As the venue, I chose an abandoned warehouse, which was once full of straw rice bags, but now is devoid of such. The town was confronted with the problem of an aging and declining populace, and the Japanese rice industry was sluggish.

The main material of the work is bamboo and rice straws donated from the locals.
With support from the volunteers, I assembled it with reference to the style of “Haza-kake” that can be seen in areas where the rice industry is thriving in Japan. I installed three motion sensors in the space to detect the presence of the viewer and activate the system. The color of the light that illuminates the straw is programmed to instantly measure the outside air temperature and the ground temperature at a depth of 5 cm with a temperature sensor. The light becomes reddish when the outside air temperature rises, and bluish when the outside air temperature falls. In addition, a subwoofer is installed at the venue, and the bass frequency that echoes throughout the venue is determined by the difference between the outside air temperature and the ground temperature.

This project was supported by SBU President’s Distinguished Travel Grant and UUP Individual Development Awards.