A stunning installation in Tokyo's Sumida River created quite a visual spectacle, but it has an important message too.
Kicking off the inaugural Tokyo Hotaru festival, 100,000 solar-powered LEDs were sent down the Sumida River last week. During the 18th century catching "horatu," Japanese for "firefly," was a popular past time on the shores of this expansive river.
Inspired by the fireflies that once inhabited the river, the LEDs were created to resemble those glowing creatures of flight that will always remind me of warm summer nights in Georgia. This luminescent sculpture speaks to a time before urban life and polluted waters pushed these tiny creatures from their homes along the banks of the Sumida. The LED horatu were provided by Panasonic and designed to illuminate upon contact with the water. To prevent further pollution of the Sumida, large nets were used to capture the LEDs further down the river.
Source: Spoon & Tamago
Photo Credits: makure, Mai Suzuki, tokyo-hotaru.com, Jeremy V. and ajpscs
Category: Art + Design, News | Tags: art, firefly, LED, LEDs, Lighting, river, sculpture, Sumida, Tokyo
About the Author:
Karen MacKay is an industrial designer and glass artist currently focusing her work on urban agriculture solutions and habits for urban wildlife. Karen’s interest in art began as early as her first memories. Throughout high school and college she explored various mediums, including painting, drawing, sculpture and glass blowing. In 2002 Karen graduated from the University of North Carolina Asheville with a BA in Philosophy and recently graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a Master of Industrial Design. Since an early age, Karen has maintained a passionate relationship with both art and nature. She loves to spend time in the outdoors, usually with her dog Abbey. As a designer, her expertise in sustainable design integrates her passion for all things natural and her insatiable desire to create. Karen has worked as a sustainability consultant to various design and architecture firms and is currently continuing to develop a vertical farming device for in-home use.
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