Ambient Weaving, Developed by ZOZO NEXT, Wins Honorary Mention at One of the World's Largest Media Art Events

Ars Electronica, an arts, advanced technology, and cultural festival held in Linz, Austria, is one of the world's largest media art events. At the STARTS (Innovation at the Nexus of Science, Technology, and the ARTS) section of Ars Electronica 2022, held from September 7 to 11, 'Ambient Weaving,' co-developed by ZOZO NEXT Inc. in collaboration with Yasuaki Kakehi Laboratory at UTokyo and Hosoo Co., Ltd., received an Honorary Mention. But what is 'Ambient Weaving'? We spoke to Satoshi Nakamaru, who led the project at ZOZO NEXT, to find out more.

'Ambient Weaving' combines cutting-edge digital technology with traditional Nishijin-ori weaving techniques, creating textiles that express environmental information, and embody the environment itself. Ars Electronica 2022 will feature three pieces from the project.

A Fusion of Traditional Craft and Advanced Technology

"One of them is a work called 'Wave of Warmth' that uses thermochromic dye, which changes color with heat. It visualizes the invisible environmental information, temperature, through the medium of textile."