Events / Design
November, 2022

Now through January 25, 2023, INTERSECT BY LEXUS – TOKYO is exhibiting "Ethereal Cycles," a spatial installation work using thermoacoustics and light. The installation was created by Natura Machina, an artist collective that develops work around the theme of "nature".

Their newest artwork, “Ethereal Cycles,” is based on a recent exploration of the thermoacoustic phenomenon of Rejke Tubes, which convert thermal energy into air vibrations. Within the installation, a group of glass cylinders are suspended from a grid-like frame. Then, when electric heating wires embedded inside the tubes begin to generate heat and light, the surrounding air currents are drawn into the top and bottom of the tube. This action causes cycles of pressure to become sound which echoes throughout the room.

Each section of the installation happens sequentially under a programmed rhythmic cycle, producing a dynamic sensation of light and sound, which is also affected by the movement of visitors. Through this work, they hope audiences will understand the texture of the air, the presence of space, and the circulation of energy between and around the neatly lined frames.

In pursuit of the “Lexus Electrified” vision, this installation offers a new experience of converting electric energy into sound and resonates with Lexus’ efforts to deliver innovative and amazing experiences through electrification.

About Natura Machina

An art collective led by US-based artists, Mikhail Mansion and Kuan-Ju Wu, as well as Yasuaki Kakehi, an interactive media researcher and artist in Japan. The Soundform series, including this work, has won the Excellence Award in the Art Division of the 23rd Japan Media Arts Festival and has been exhibited at various exhibitions, including Ars Electronica Festival 2019 (Linz, Austria), Sense Island 2021 (Yokosuka, Kanagawa).

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