"Mirror World" is an ambitious exploration of the intersection between reality and the digital realm, employing a 1:1 mapping of the tangible world into a captivating digital form.

This innovative art project introduces a digital skin overlaying our everyday reality, revealing an alternate universe coexisting with our quotidian surroundings. A mixed reality viewed without any smart glasses, this immersive experience grants spectators a unique perspective on the existence of objects in this augmented world.

 

The inspiration behind this project draws from influential science-fiction anime films of the 1980s to the early 2000s, particularly focusing on futuristic cityscapes and architectural marvels. As a concept artist in the VFX movie industry, I have been intricately involved in crafting both unreal and realistic environments since 2003, influenced significantly by the anime genre.

 

In an attempt to transcend character-driven narratives, I stripped away the technological intricacies of movie-making and utilized only a camera lens to narrate stories within a silent world—a world reflecting my vision of "reality." Echoing the sentiments of director Mamoru Oshii, who emphasized the significance of the silent world as the director's core vision, "Mirror World" captures the essence of urban landscapes beyond the surface drama.

 

These photographs present a diverse vision of future cities and landscapes, representing the myriad countries I've called home over the past two decades. Each image encapsulates the dual sensation of familiarity and novelty, akin to being "a tourist in my own town." Employing mirroring techniques, the project aims to offer a fresh perspective, transforming popular landmarks into new sekai-kan1—an entirely new world waiting to be discovered. "Mirror World" stands as a testament to the ever-evolving relationship between the tangible and the virtual, inviting viewers to contemplate the intricate dance between the real and the imagined.

 

1 In Japanese, the expression sekai-kan (which can be literally translated as 'world view) is used to describe the function of production design - to create worlds.