Oto・Iro Installation

An immersive audio-visual experience that blends art and science, and features original field recordings from all over Okinawa.

Oto・Iro (Sound ・ Color) transforms the OIST tunnel into an immersive audio-visual experience that blends art and science, and features original field recordings from all over Okinawa.

It’s part installation, part experiment.

We are testing how natural and synthetic sounds can influence our emotions and state of mind, especially when mixed with projected colors. Help us by walking through the tunnel and sharing your experience via the terminals at each end!

As a small token of our thanks, we hope you will feel a sense of calm and renewal each time you pass through — a brief but meaningful moment of peace in your day.

OIST Sonic Lab
Supported by COI-NEXT, The Global Bioconvergence Center of Innovation

Please note: As part of a study on wellbeing, cameras will be installed and operating in the Tunnel Gallery at six locations during the installation. The images captured will be immediately and automatically processed to discard any identifiable information before a researcher sees the image. Only the coordinates of people’s locations will be recorded.

Oto・Iro Installation is held from Monday February 3rd, 2025 to Thursday March 3rd, 2025, at the OIST Tunnel Gallery.

Updates

OIST Sonic Lab Showcases “OTO/IRO Installation” at PCST Conference in Scotland

On May 28, 2025, the OIST Sonic Lab presented its project Oto・Iro Installation at the PCST Conference 2025 in Aberdeen, Scotland.

The PCST (Public Communication of Science and Technology) Conference is one of the world’s leading platforms for science communication. Approximately 30 participants—including university PR professionals, science communication researchers, and communicators from around the globe—attended the “Performance” session where the installation was featured.

Set in a dimly lit venue, the presentation combined immersive visuals with both natural and synthetic soundscapes, making it one of the most distinctive experiences at the conference. Oto・Iro Installation is part of an ongoing project that explores the intersection of sound, visual media, and well-being research. Following its debut installation in February, a second iteration is scheduled to take place at OIST in August.

Presenting the project in Aberdeen offered a valuable opportunity to engage with science communication professionals and gather insightful feedback. Many attendees commented on how Oto・Iro Installation conveyed complex ideas without relying on words or charts, effectively breaking down language barriers that often hinder the communication of science. The unique nature of the OIST Sonic Lab—where artists and scientists collaborate in an open, interdisciplinary environment—also sparked interest, particularly as such an approach is rarely seen at universities in Japan.