Pulsating Light

Stepping into a forest, one becomes aware of the coexistence of life and death.
Plants, animals, and all organic matter return to the soil when their role is complete,
eventually becoming nourishment for microorganisms and new plant life — which grow, and in turn return to the soil once more.
The soil is both the starting point and the destination of this cycle.

A place where the beginning and end of life converge.
Its boundaries are ambiguous and ever-shifting, yet the more ambiguous they are, the richer the forest appears.
PULSATING LIGHT is an attempt to look toward that invisible richness.
Stepping into a forest, one becomes aware of the coexistence of life and death. Plants, animals, and all organic matter return to the soil when their role is complete, eventually becoming nourishment for microorganisms and new plant life — which grow, and in turn return to the soil once more. The soil is both the starting point and the destination of this cycle.

A place where the beginning and end of life converge. Its boundaries are ambiguous and ever-shifting, yet the more ambiguous they are, the richer the forest appears. PULSATING LIGHT is an attempt to look toward that invisible richness.

Overview

At the heart of the work is a tree root with complex, branching forms. Polished and coated in lacquer, portions of the root have been replaced with transparent resin branches, within which LEDs flicker independently at random intervals — casting light as though the branches themselves are breathing.

Roots normally lie hidden beneath the soil, never revealing themselves. This work deliberately turns its gaze toward that unseen presence, asking what lies beneath the surface beauty — the quiet transience of life itself. The down jacket that envelops the root embodies the concept of soil while carrying the inherent context of clothing.

The work does not exist as a self-contained object; it takes on different expressions depending on the context of its surroundings. Placed in a forest, it dissolves into the gradient of life and death around it. In an urban setting, it emerges as something foreign within the artificial light and rhythm of the city. The garment covering the root may change according to each location, and with each change, the work acquires new context.
PULSATING LIGHT is a work that takes on the atmosphere of its place, drawing the viewer into the transience of life present there.

Elements

The root uses a single tree root in its natural form, with all its complex branching intact. The surface has been carefully polished and coated with lacquer, allowing the texture of the wood grain and the luster of the lacquer to meld together, evoking a sense of accumulated time.

The resin branches are five of the root's branches replaced with transparent resin. A small LED is embedded at the base of each, and when lit, the entire branch appears to glow from within. Each LED flickers independently at random, with moments when all five ignite simultaneously in a surge of light. Tree-like formations of air bubbles are sealed within the resin, and when illuminated, the patterns that emerge create an atmosphere of organic life.

The down jacket embodies the softness and warmth of rich soil. Densely packed with cotton, its full, rounded volume yields to the touch. Made from functional outdoor fabric with details such as zippers, buttons, and ribbing, it carries the full wearability of a garment made for the human body. To envelop one's inner self and draw a boundary with the outer world — this is the essence of clothing, and it is a role this work quietly assumes as well.

Craft and Technology

This work incorporates a broad range of contemporary technologies: 3D scanning, 3D printing, CG-based component design, and AI-assisted coding for lighting control. At the same time, every stitch of the down jacket is the work of a skilled garment artisan.

The latest technology forms the core, while human hands cover its surface. Technology pulses unseen within; craftsmanship wraps around it. This process is a matter of deep interest. In an era defined by AI, the significance of human traces appearing on the surface of a work cannot be overstated. Technology and craft are not opposites — they coexist within this work as forces that illuminate and resonate with each other.

Looking Ahead

PULSATING LIGHT continues to seek dialogue with an ever wider range of places and contexts. Expressions that reflect the breath of the city, fabrics with patterns that emerge only under certain light, materials that take on an artificial brilliance — as the work changes what it wears according to place, it continues to transform.

The boundary between life and death is always ambiguous, always shifting. The richness that becomes visible when we turn our attention to that shifting —
that is the question this work continues to ask.

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Planning/Director/Designer : Takuma Sasaki
Costume Designer : Koshiro Ebata
Stylist : DAN (kelemmi)
Lighting Planning & Design : Satoshi Yanagisawa (Triple Bottom Line)
Lighting System & Mechanical Design : Yoshihiro Hirata (R2)
Technical Support : NICHINAN GROUP

Creative Director : Ryo Kitabatake
Producer : Ko Yamamoto
Project Manager : Ren Ishikawa

Photographer: Yuya Shiokawa

Concept movie
Cinematographer: Yuya Shiokawa
Colorist: /////////
Sound: /////////