Overview

Home of the Little Folk is an interactive artwork that encourages visitors to become aware of the distance between themselves, other people, and the artwork itself.

The traditional Japanese lantern inhabited by a tiny person grows dimmer when someone approaches and becomes brighter as they move away. Through this mysterious behavior—opposite to that of an ordinary lighting fixture—the artwork invites visitors to reflect on the idea of distance.

Story

A tiny person lives inside this lantern.

This tiny resident has the ability to bring light to lighting fixtures. In search of a safe place to live, they travel from one discarded lighting fixture to another, eventually settling inside one they particularly like. For now, this lantern seems to be their favorite home.

However, they live with the constant fear that their home could disappear at any moment. To avoid being discovered, they live quietly and secretly inside the lantern.

When someone approaches, the tiny resident is startled and quickly hides. Please watch over them gently and try not to frighten them.

Website

The Dwelling of Dwarf | ODENKI

Target Audience

Created during the COVID-19 pandemic, the artwork uses visual and indirect interaction to encourage social distancing.

Rather than relying on instructions or verbal reminders, it guides visitors toward maintaining an appropriate distance through an enjoyable experience—until they realize that they have naturally stepped back.

Value for the Audience

The artwork provides visitors with an opportunity to reflect on their distance from other people, as well as the role of physical distance in the experience of viewing an artwork.

Technical Features

• Time-of-Flight sensors installed on all four sides detect approaching visitors

• The brightness of the lantern changes according to the visitor’s distance

• A built-in projector displays the tiny resident from four different perspectives: front, back, left, and right

• Built-in LEDs recreate the gentle flickering of a traditional lantern