Believe it or not, this is the first Japanese artist that's appeared since we started AAL. Come to think of it, there weren't many Japanese artists exhibited at this year's ARS. I'd like to discuss this a little more if I have the chance to some time.

A monitor is imbedded in the surface of a table, and a really lame CG character swims by with a plate on its back. On the plate are natto (fermented soy beans), shaved ice, eggs, a hookah, as well as other food and drinks. Placed on the tabletop/monitor is a cup-like thing with a straw.

When you move the cup above the moving character, it suddenly stops moving and fidgets around on the spot. Then, as you suck on the straw, the sucking sensation is as if you're sucking up whatever is on the plate. You can't taste anything, but the pressure in the straw and the vibrations that you feel on your lips is uncannily similar to what you'd imagine sucking up food with a straw to feel like.

Apparently the creators of this gadget actually sucked up real food in order to replicate the sensation. Feeling as if you really sucked up food with a straw... I guess you could call this a virtual reality of sorts? Which means that the viewers of this clip will have to experience this virtual reality within a virtual reality of the video...

Personally, playing with this gadget was really interesting and it's a unique idea that nobody has tried yet, but the lame, cheap-looking digital character brought it down a notch. Maybe the lameness is intentional, or maybe they just don't have any sense of style. It's too hard to tell.

And another thing - this should probably be categorized as technical research rather than "art". Seeing work that exudes social critiques, or the creator's intention and so on, provokes you to think reflectively about your position as the audience. But I think that these works are better (and more easily) appreciated when considered as a result of technical breakthroughs or great discoveries, rather than as art. This piece was a fresh reminder of the ambiguity of the term "media art", and the difficulty of curating such festivals as ARS.

Enjoy this artwork.