Ryoji Ikeda’s installation ‘micro | macro’ (2015) presents an audiovisual experience that combines the intricacies of quantum physics with immersive media technologies. The work looks to critique humanities’ perceptual strive for self-understanding, placing the viewer in contrast with the truly incomprehensible scale of the universe. Ikeda’s purposeful consideration of the immersive qualities of the piece play a crucial role in allowing ‘micro | macro’ to reveal humanity’s insignificance, with an array of multisensory elements producing an abstract environment for self-reflection. Fundamentally, it is through Ikeda’s creation of this fully immersive space that one can begin to consider the unfathomable scale of modern science. ‘micro | macro’ therefore effectively reveals the complexities of the microscopic and macroscopic worlds through a variety of immersive media technologies.
Whether in our recent fascination with the ‘James Webb Space Telescope’ imagery, or rather, the first discovery of the constellations, it’s clear that humanity has an innate fascination with the unknown. Ikeda understands this natural curiosity, being a focal point of several of his installations. For example, his 2006 work ‘datamatics’ looks to render and display ‘unfathomable data’ (Nechvatal, 2017). These are near-infinite streams of ones and zeros that make up everyday technology and go mostly unseen to the vast majority of the population. Similarly, his 2018 installation ‘the radar’ traverses the constellations, highlighting the exponential scale of the universe and its contents. However, it is not just revealing the unknown that compels Ikeda’s works but rather exposing the viewer to modern science’s intricate and complex nature (Necsus, 2016). Ikeda’s installations do not focus on providing a concise and accessible representation of information, but rather develop an environment where the sheer magnitude of this data can be experienced. In this regard, ‘micro | macro’ is no different. The piece looks to immerse the viewer in an abstract depiction of the ‘plank scale’, a mathematical unit of measurement for both the smallest and largest degrees (Necsus, 2016). This enormity of scale is exhibited within an immersive environment consisting of 3 large DLP projectors and an array of thoughtfully placed speakers. With this, the ‘micro’ universe is depicted on the floor and the ‘macro’ on the screen in front of the viewer. However, the beauty of the work doesn’t simply lie in these media devices but rather in Ikeda’s understanding of the affordances of the technologies used. This knowledge enables Ikeda to construct an environment that fully immerses the viewer, subsequently providing an abstract yet distinctive representation of the cosmic scale.
A fundamental piece of ‘micro | macro’s immersion can be attributed to the installation’s active engagement of the audience. Ikeda uses a distinctive array of visual and auditory technologies to completely immerse the viewer within the space, crafting an environment to investigate the complexities of the macro and micro universes. The sheer scale of the installation is one of many ways the piece looks to engage the individual. The projections, sitting at nearly 10m high (Sedition Art, 2018), create a three-dimensional space that a viewer can traverse, allowing the work to be experienced from a variety of perspectives. Alongside this, these projections also provide an excess of visual information, encouraging the audience to choose their own focal point within the scene rather than presenting all the information at once. Crary’s (1988) investigation into the immersive qualities of the diorama reinforces this idea, theorising that ‘Breaking a localised point of view perspective painting allows the spectator an ambulatory ubiquity.’ It is this uniqueness in perception enables an individual to fully connect with the space, immersing themselves within the environment of the installation. This immersion is only furthered still by Ikeda’s attention to the composition of his visual stimuli, contrasting different focus areas of the installation to provide a sense of choice in viewer perception. Between the juxtaposition of colour in the installation, or the contrast of motion between the ‘micro’ and ‘macro’ worlds – the work encourages the audience to handpick the elements they’d like to engage with. Consistent cuts to black are also intertwined throughout the piece, providing a point of reflection and grounding the individual with this space. It’s clear that Ikeda purposefully utilises a variety of visual tactics to invite the user to participate in the work, resulting in a fully immersive environment for his message to flourish.
However, it isn’t only visual stimuli that gives ‘micro | macro’ immersive depth. Roginska (2018) expressed that realistic spatial audio is an integral component of developing an immersive experience – an aspect of the work highlighted by Ikeda. The installation uses an array of speakers and tones to construct the environment, both heightening the visuals and presenting their own message. The panning of audio is highly evident, resulting in a soundscape that can be perceived differently depending on the viewer’s location. Consequently, every individual has a unique understanding of the piece, ultimately creating an environment that feels both natural and alive. Roginska (2018) also suggests that ‘immersion within sound refers to the psychological sensation of being surrounded by specific sound sources, as well as ambient sound’. Ikeda understands this, creating a rich soundscape that features both a primary layer of sound alongside a track of ambience. Notably, the piece incorporates a variety of low drone tones to provide a sense of atmospheric ambience. These frequencies are then placed in contrast with high-pitched beeps, their position and sound being synchronised with corresponding visual elements. Furthermore, Ikeda also affixes a perpetual ticking sound throughout the work, helping not only to reinforce the linearity of the piece and grounding the observer but simultaneously becoming representative of the infinite vastness of the universe. It’s clear that ‘micro | macro’ pays close attention to the immersive details of the environment as, without them, the resulting work will not nearly be as effective.
Once ‘micro | macro‘ has fully immersed the audience within its environment, the piece begins to climax. Here, Ikeda dives into the true purpose of his installation, deploying an array of multisensory stimulation to overwhelm the audience. Visually, the viewer is greeted with an assemblage of planetary imagery flashing in quick succession. This strobe-like technique results in a ‘blending and fusion of the image’, not unlike Crary’s (1988) experimentation with that of the afterimage. These visuals develop an environment where the audience struggles to focus properly. Rather, one can only sit back and experience the intensity of the work. Simultaneously, we see the micro projection begin to move exponentially faster, revealing a blur of raw and infinite data and in turn crafting a vivid and intense sensory landscape. Finally, the soundscape introduces a variety of new tones, building upon the already rich and diverse multi-channel audio experience. Most notably, a variety of static noise is introduced, acting as a blurred signifier of information overload (Nechvatal, 2011) again reinforcing ‘micro | macro’s attack on the senses.
This purposeful overstimulation of our senses play an integral role in showcasing the vast and complex nature of quantum physics. ‘micro | macro’s tactile use of multisensory technologies overwhelm the viewer, providing so much auditory and visual information that we, as an observer, can’t be expected to retain it all. Moreover, this occurs in an environment that the individual has already been fully immersed in, resulting in the undivided attention of the viewer and the consumption of even more stimulatory content. Evidently, this results in a paradox. As theorised by Crary (1988), when perceived senses ‘reconvene‘ in a body, one is able to properly understand the space they find themselves in. Essentially, this overstimulation of the senses not only overwhelms the viewer but simultaneously continues to immerse them within the environment, thus resulting in the undertaking of even more information. This attack on the senses becomes representative of the cosmic scale, with the residual feeling of ‘information overload’ acting as an abstract depiction of the infinite micro and macro universes.
Unfortunately, this violent climax feels dulled when the work is viewed online, and for several reasons. Firstly, as discussed, a large part of the experience’s immersion relies on the viewer’s ability to explore the space it’s presented in. Whether by walking around or shifting one’s viewpoint to watch specific parts of the screen, this sense of atmosphere is lost when the installation is viewed through a browser or limited to the camera’s movements. Similarly, when viewed online, the projections of the ‘macro’ and ‘micro’ universes cannot be viewed simultaneously – resulting in a disjointed experience. As suggested by Andrè-Marie (1886), perception always blends with a preceding or remembered perception. The lack of synchronous viewing thus results in an entirely different experience than seeing the piece in person, as both our remembered and preceding perceptions are entirely altered. This isn’t to say the piece is completely unwatchable online, but simply not as immersive. Ideally, in my opinion, this experience would work best in person or in VR, as the 3rd dimension plays a vital role in actively immersing the audience.
Although I haven’t experienced the installation in person, I’m still a huge fan of this work. Unlike my experiences with other immersive works, its fast moving and abstract environment felt fresh and new. Ikeda innovates the medium through his work – with his flawless integration of physics and art highlighting their undeniable relationship and, in doing so, creates a new genre of media art altogether.
Immersive media is so much more than simply a tool for entertainment. The effective use of multimedia technologies can provide a distinctive space where niche and compelling topics can be depicted. Ikeda’s acute understanding of immersive environments and their makeup, allows him to provide a true insight into the complexities of scientific concepts. ‘micro | macro’ is a prime example of this, embracing an array of audio sensory technologies to express the intricacies of the cosmic scale – simultaneously revealing the insignificance of humanity in the process.
References
Andrè-Marie, A 1866, ‘Philophie des Deux Ampères 1st edn’ Dider, Paris pp. 263.
Crary, J 1988, ‘Techniques of the Observer’ October, vol 45, pp. 3-35.
Nechvatal, J 2011, ‘Immersion into noise, Open Humanities Press’ Ann Arbor, Michigan. pp. 14.
Nechvatal, J 2007, ‘Review of Ryoji Ikeda Datamatics [ver 2.0]’ [online] Available at: <https://post.thing.net/node/1812>
Necsus 2016, ‘Ryoji Ikeda at ZKM.’ [online] Available at: <https://necsus-ejms.org/ryoji-ikeda-zkm/>
Roginska, A & Geluso, P 2011, ‘Immersive Sound: The Art and Science of Binaural and Multi-Channel Audio 1st edn’ Routledge, pp. 5-39.
Sedition Art 2018, ‘Ryoiji Ikeda, micro | macro.’ [online] Available at: <https://www.seditionart.com/magazine/ryoiji-ikeda-micro-macro>
