Events

Oto・Iro installation  - OIST Tunnel Gallery from February 3, 2025

Immerse Yourself in the Colours and Sounds of Okinawa 

An installation by the OIST Sonic Lab Project, showcasing the intersection of sound, colour, and well-being through the nature of Okinawa. 

Step into a world where the vibrant essence of Okinawa’s nature comes to life through a harmonious blend of sound and colour. Oto・Iro invites you to experience the island's rich natural beauty as it echoes through the OIST Tunnel Gallery. 

This unique installation features original field recordings from across Okinawa, interwoven with synthetic sounds and projected colours. By combining these elements, the work evokes the sensory richness of the island’s diverse landscapes, offering a multi-dimensional experience. 

The project was born from an initial idea by Nick Luscombe, the artistic director of OIST Sonic Lab and grew via a collaborative dialogue between other members of OIST and key partners, including Dr. Shunichi Kasahara from Sony CSL, Prof. Izumi Fukunaga of OIST and Paul Bavister from University College London.  

As you walk through Oto・Iro installation, we hope you will feel a sense of calm and renewal — a brief yet meaningful moment of tranquility in the rhythm of daily life. 

This installation will open at OIST Tunnel Gallery on February 3, 2025, more information will be available soon.

An Okinawa Sound Portrait 
for Hyatt Regency Seragaki Island, Okinawa

September - November 2024

Featuring recordings made all across Okinawa’s main island, our sound portrait blended many different aspects of this richly diverse, sub-tropical sonic landscape: from the cries of Okinawan birds such as the rail and the ryukyu robin, to the hidden underwater, percussively clicking delights of the coral reef, and much more in-between. The work represented a cycle of activity during 24 hours across Okinawa, underpinned by the calmly rising and falling ocean sounds of Seragaki Island.  

The creative process was informed by our initial research into sound and well-being, and was rooted in the idea that reconnecting with nature’s cycles and rhythms through sound can ground us and instil a sense of peace.

The composition also featured the unique and evocative sound of a delicately drifting sanshin - the signature instrument of Okinawa - performed by Mutsumi Aragaki. 

The soundscape was complemented with a series of beautiful sketches by renowned Okinawa-based artist Ichiro Kikuta, which gently appear and fade out to mirror the unfolding sounds.

Credit:
Nick A. Luscombe, Ichiro Kikuta, Mutsumi Aragaki, James Greer, Izumi Fukunaga

Additional materials were kindly provided by Cassondra George, OKEON, Jeffery Jolly, Timothy Ravasi, Shunsuke Hanamata, Kenji Takehara.

We are grateful for the support from OIST Graduate University and JST-funded Bioconvergence Center for Innovation at OIST. We thank the Hyatt Regency Seragaki Island for the venue and KEF speakers for the equipment loan.

The Science of Sound and Wellbeing

Mon, 6:30 PM | 港区虎ノ門１丁目１７−１ | By CIC Japan

October 7, 2024, 18:30 - 20:30, (17:30 Reception start)