Tanseisha Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: MINATO CITY, Tokyo / Director: Takahashi Takashi / hereinafter referred to as Tanseisha), which creates spaces for commercial and cultural facilities, has developed MR (Mixed Reality) (*1) content that can be viewed with Magic Leap 1, the wearable headset that Docomo began selling for the first time in Japan, as part of a collaboration with NTT Docomo Inc. (hereinafter referred to as Docomo) to create spatial value using ICT technology. We propose a new cultural experience model that is realized by combining 3D digital technology and MR technology.
This content uses 3D digital technology to digitally archive exhibits and installations that are scheduled to be removed after a certain period of time, allowing them to be viewed even after the exhibition period has ended using "Magic Leap 1." The highly accurate spatial recognition function of "Magic Leap 1" makes the works appear again in space, providing a realistic viewing experience that is difficult to achieve with photographs or Video.
This time, we are recreating "Bamboo Installation -Gather-" (released in 2019) by Chikuunsai Tanabe IV, a participating artist of "B-OWND," an art and craft platform that we provide services on. We are also planning to hold an event at a later date where you can actually experience it.
Going forward, the company will work to improve usability and expand its content, as well as develop content for use in a variety of spaces such as entertainment facilities and museums, and to create spaces with high experiential value using xR (*2) technology. Tanseisha will promote innovation through research and development of spatial Spatial Production that apply cutting-edge content technology, and will work to create spaces that lead to new experiences that incorporate digital technology, and to propose services that help solve customers' problems.
Development and experience concept
Development Concept
Content experience concept
*1 MR (Mixed Reality) is a technology that enables a device to grasp the shapes of the real world and overlay digital Video onto them.
*2 xR (x-Reality) is a general term for AR (Augmented Reality), VR (Virtual Reality), MR, etc.
News Release
Development Background
Since July 2018, the two companies have been collaborating to combine Tanseisha's accumulated know-how in spatial creation with DOCOMO's ICT technologies and solutions to create spatial value that promotes digital transformation.
This initiative is part of that effort, and aims to create value in the xR market, generating synergy with real spaces, in the coming 5G era and the new post-COVID era.
Comment from Toshinari Sawabata, Content Development Manager (Head of the Spatial Media Planning Department at Tanseisha Cross Media Innovation Headquarters)
We were one of the first to focus on MR, which dramatically improves the value of the viewing experience as a digital archive, and have been working with Docomo from an early stage on this development in preparation for the release of "Magic Leap 1" in Japan. We will continue to put into practice proposals and initiatives that provide moving experiences in various spaces that combine the real and virtual, which will likely continue to evolve in the future. Please look forward to our continued collaboration with Docomo to create spatial value.
Overview and key points of MR content
〔overview〕
This content uses MR to recreate removed installations, providing a new viewing experience. Installations that occupy the entire space are said to be an art form in which it is difficult to re-experience the actual exhibit through Video and photographic records alone. Therefore, by creating a 3D digital archive of the installation and using the Magic Leap 1, which has a highly accurate spatial recognition function, it is possible to create an immersive experience as if the work were actually there.
〔point〕
- A three-dimensional model will appear in the same position as when the work was exhibited, allowing you to view the work from the same angle as when it was originally created.
- Supplementary information such as videos of the work being made and videos introducing the artist can also be viewed on the application, allowing viewers to enjoy the work in a way that suits their interests and level of depth.
[Content details]
You can view the "Bamboo Installation -Gather-" through "Magic Leap 1" in mixed reality (MR) content that has been recreated with high precision using photographic data from the time of the exhibition.
This work was created by Tanabe Chikuunsai IV, an artist participating in "B-OWND," an art and craft platform provided by our company, and was exhibited at Tanseisha's Creative Meets headquarters from August 19th to September 27th, 2019.
"Bamboo installation -Gather-" production scene
(Tanseisha Head Office Creative Meets, August 15, 2019, Photo: Hiroshi Ishigami)
Comment from artist Tanabe Chikuunsai IV
The installations are made using the natural material bamboo, applying traditional bamboo craft techniques. At times they are as large as 12 metres, a size that is unparalleled in traditional bamboo craft, and are produced all over the world. When the exhibition is over, the bamboo used in the creation is carefully unraveled and woven into new works at the next location. See how the installations, which have been created around the themes of "disappearing beauty" and "circulation," are reborn in new forms using modern technology.
〔profile〕
Born in Sakai, Osaka in 1973 as the second son of the third generation Chikuunsai Tanabe. After graduating from the Department of Sculpture at the Tokyo University of the Arts, he studied under his father, the third generation Chikuunsai Tanabe. While inheriting the traditional techniques of his father, he has exhibited large bamboo installations at art museums overseas.
Comment from Seiichiro Yoshida, Director of B-OWND (General Manager of Business Development Division, Cultural Spaces Business Division, Tanseisha)
Due to the impact of COVID-19, opportunities for artists to engage in activities and experience art have decreased, with exhibitions being canceled or postponed and admission restrictions being placed on Museums. This initiative uses ICT technology to create new appreciation experiences and new possibilities for art that transcend time and space. xR technology is also being increasingly used in the e-commerce field, and we can expect to see collaboration with the B-OWND site in the future. The power of art is needed now more than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic. B-OWND will support artists' activities while incorporating cutting-edge technology, and contribute to the promotion of culture and the arts in Japan.
[What is B-OWND?]
This is a blockchain-based platform for arts and crafts provided by Tanseisha.
Related information
『B-OWND Magazine』2020.7.3
Tanabe Chikuunsai IV "Bamboo Installation -Gather-" Playback!
Previously published information
Please note that this may be subject to change without prior notice.