Tampopo - Instalation

Trying to launch all the seeds of a dandelion into the air with a single breath is a common experience most people can relate to, especially as a nostalgic activity recalled from childhood. Blowing dandelions is a simple action that occupies folklore in many cultures and is often a metaphor for ‘making a wish’.

Tampopo (Japanese for dandelion) is an interactive video installation where viewers are able to interact with the projector screen by blowing. It also creates echoed blowing sounds in the space, creating a mystical experience of blowing giant dandelions. In this work, the microphone acts not only as a metaphor between the real and virtual, but also creates a simple sculptural interface between the user and the screen. It acts like a conduit from one world to another while the work becomes a portal to the mystical domain of myth, memories and youthful emotions.

In a multi-screen setup, viewers can interact with other viewers by blowing each other’s dandelions, as each microphone input affects not only one but other dandelions through the use of multi-user networking system. This multi-user capability could be used over the internet, blowing each other’s dandelions from remote locations.

Kentaro would like to thank Takeshi Shimada from SNAP Japan, a collaborator on this project. Without his special talent, this project couldn't be realized.


Tampopo - Instalation from chrischne on Vimeo.