SonarPLANTA 2017
Phosphere. Daito Manabe
At SonarPLANTA 2017, Fundació Sorigué and Sónar debuted the immersive and interactive “phosphere” created by Daito Manabe, a major name in digital art, and his technical-creative new media art studio, Rhizomatiks.
The “phosphere” (“sphere of light”) installation is a monumental piece featuring robotised hybrid architecture where synchronised mirrors, smoke machines, light beams and up to 24 video projectors are combined to build an unusual experience: an immersive environment augmented by three-dimensional elements that change according to the spectator’s point of view, as they can modify the sound and image using balls that contain light sensors.
Using the most advanced digital technology, “phosphere” reproduces the crystallisation processes of certain minerals in a physical space, alluding to the world of geology surrounding Fundació Sorigué’s PLANTA project in Balguer (Lleida). The work’s motion is also inspired by data compiled from the magnetic fields around the Earth.
The Japanese new media art studio, Rhizomatiks Research is run by Daito Manabe and Motoi Ishibashi and based in Tokyo. It is their laboratory devoted to exploring the new artistic possibilities that technology can offer. They work in the field of new media, data art and other research and development projects that have yet to be seen on a global scale.
The founder of Rhizomatiks, Daito Manabe, is considered to be one of the best-known digital artists in the world. As a creative programmer and interaction designer, his work always pushes the boundaries of these disciplines towards technological and creative territories that are yet to be explored.
