I headed straight to the newest attraction—which carries on and evolves the unique atmosphere of the signature pavilion “null2 (NullNull),” a major sensation at the Osaka-Kansai Expo—and experienced its digital art space firsthand!
“null2n (NullNull Nexus),” a permanent museum theater produced by media artist Yoichi Ochiai, will have its grand opening on October 14 on the 5th floor of Yokohama Landmark Plaza. Prior to this, an opening ceremony and a press preview were held on October 9.
A series of surprises and moments of bewilderment! An immersive experience lasting about 60 minutes as you explore six rooms
“null2n” consists of six rooms, and the journey through this mysterious world takes about 60 minutes.
Since visitors tour the facility in groups accompanied by an attendant, we recommend purchasing tickets in advance to ensure a smooth entry. Tickets can be purchased online through the official special sales website, and time slots are available approximately every 20 minutes.
By the way, since I haven’t experienced the “null2” pavilion at the Osaka-Kansai Expo, this is my very first “null” experience. I’d like to start by noting that my impressions are those of a complete beginner—quite different from those of people who stood in long lines to enter the packed pavilion at the Expo!
The first room: “Gate: The Trembling Mirror of the Empty Sky.” “null2n (NullNull Nexus)” has appeared with an eerie atmosphere inside the Yokohama Landmark Plaza shopping complex. The first space you encounter upon stepping inside is called “Gate.” According to Mr. Ochiai, this is “an entrance resembling a trembling pond, made of the same mirror film used for the exterior of the Osaka Expo.” Visitors are immediately overwhelmed by the unusual low-frequency vibrations and sounds permeating the space. It serves as a prologue to an unsettling world, as if you’re being dragged from reality into another dimension. Incidentally, the mirrored membrane used on the floors and walls inside the venue is an extremely fragile material. For this reason, visitors must put on white non-woven fabric shoe covers over their shoes at this first “Gate” before entering.
The second room is titled “Room 1: Confusion—Goodbye, Homo sapiens.” So, first up is the room just past the gate: “Room 1: Confusion—Goodbye, Homo sapiens.” …Honestly, I don’t even understand the title (laughs). As Mr. Ochiai himself said, “I wrote it in hiragana so even a kindergartener could understand, but people still tell me, ‘I don’t get it’ (laughs),” it seems this is a space designed to leave you bewildered, without any logical explanation. As for what kind of experience awaits you, I encourage you to go there and let yourself be thoroughly bewildered.
The third room: “Room Two: Harmony—A Dream Beyond the Boundaries of Sight.” In this next room, complete darkness awaits. It’s been since the “Okaidan Meguri” ritual at Zenko-ji Temple (Nagano City) that I’ve experienced such utter darkness! This is an “anechoic chamber” that eliminates all visual stimuli and in which sound does not echo at all. Within this soundless space, real-life sounds—such as people’s conversations—are played, allowing you to experience a spine-tingling, vivid sensation as if the sounds were emanating directly from right next to your ear or inside your brain. I felt as if I might be left behind if I didn’t keep my eyes open, but whether my eyes were closed or open, the view remained the same (i.e., pitch black), which was quite scary. It might be the ultimate space for “recentering” oneself—a place where you can sense your own physical presence through sound.
The Fourth Room: “Room 3: Surprise—A Longing for Mass” In stark contrast, the next room, “Room 3: Surprise—A Longing for Mass,” is, in Mr. Ochiai’s words, a room where “objects with mass are lined up in a row.” On both sides, tools and inventions once used by someone are displayed in rows—approximately 180 items in total. It is a “gallery” where visitors can walk around freely while viewing the exhibits. Although you cannot touch the tools, the mere fact that “something is there” somehow brings a sense of relief.
The fifth room, “Room 4: Tobu—Dreams of a Latent Space.” Room 4 is a mirror room similar to Room 1, and it is described as “a space that visualizes the very steps of AI learning.” It’s said that as many as 50 workstations are running at full capacity to generate images in real time. With its immense computing power and waves of light, this room is said to give you the sensation of literally “blowing your mind” until your brain is completely exhausted.
© Source travel watch