Delving into the Project 'Ambient Weaving' that Incorporates Invisible Environmental Factors into Fabric

Ars Electronica, held in Linz, Austria, is one of the world's largest media art events, celebrating art, cutting-edge technology, and culture. At the 'STARTS (Innovation at the Nexus of Science, Technology, and the ARTS) Prize 2022,' aimed at promoting collaborative practices of science and technology in the art sector, 'Ambient Weaving,' co-developed by ZOZO NEXT Inc., Yasuaki Kakehi Laboratory of UTokyo, and Hosoo Co., Ltd., was honored with the Honorary Mention and will be exhibited at Ars Electronica 2022, held from September 7 to 11.

Following the interview with Satoshi Nakamaru, who was in charge of this project at ZOZO NEXT, we had a chance to hear from Professor Yasuaki Kakehi, who leads the Yasuaki Kakehi Laboratory at UTokyo.

Could you tell us about 'Ambient Weaving,' which won theHonorary Mentionat Ars Electronica, and share what you strongly focused on, such as the concept of the work, how it's presented, expressive aspects, etc.?

'Ambient Weaving' is a project that seeks new possibilities in fabrics by overlaying cutting-edge materials and their manufacturing and control technologies with traditional crafts and aesthetics. Especially in this project, we have been working on incorporating invisible environmental factors, such as heat, humidity, and flow, into the fabric. It's a prototyped attempt to address how fabrics can serve as an interface between people and the environment, and how fabrics can act naturally as part of environmental factors from various perspectives.