Resonating Trees – Forest of Tadasu at Shimogamo Shrine

teamLab, 2016, Interactive Digitized Nature, Endless, Sound: Hideaki Takahashi

Resonating Trees – Forest of Tadasu at Shimogamo Shrine

teamLab, 2016, Interactive Digitized Nature, Endless, Sound: Hideaki Takahashi

The trees along the approach to the Shimogamo Shrine, a World Heritage Site shine brilliantly. Each tree’s light is autonomous, shining brightly and then fading.

As people pass nearby, the light of the trees changes color, and a tone specific to that color resonates out. The light of an individual tree spreads radially to the neighboring trees. In the same way that the light is transmitted between trees, the tone also propagates through each tree, spreading continuously.

If light resonates out from the far end of the approach, it means that there is a person or forest animal over there. Perhaps people will become more aware than usual of the presence of other living things in the same space.