Artist Workbook #1 Dorita Takido

Artists’ Survival Methods

No.012

Dorita Takido

In our new series, Artist Workbook, we interview artists working in a diverse range of media. For our first installment, we speak with Dorita Takido, who blends technology and design to create communication experiences.

2021.05.26

Acting on the Senses Creates New Experiences

――Could you start by introducing your most well known works?

Slime Synthesizer, from 2014, is a musical instrument that produces sound when the slime is touched and changes pitch as you play with the shape of the slime. It’s played in a whole new way than any musical instrument before it.

――You won the New Face Award at the 18th Japan Media Arts Festival for this piece.

Next is Bug’s Beat, which gives viewers the experience of hearing the footsteps of insects in real time. I was surprised to learn that, when people who hate insects experienced this piece, their feelings about insects might change.

――In recent years, you have been creating art that act on the senses, haven’t you?

Yes. In The Power of Muscle with Plants, I explored what plants would want to do if they could move.

The More You Focus on Yourself, The More You’re Loved

――How have you developed the ability to see beyond the here and now?

I grew up in a strict family, and it was important to me to at least keep my mind free. That’s why I don’t worry about what has been before and why I don’t hesitate to give instructions to make a project better.

――What are your thoughts on balancing work and artistic pursuits?

At the company I work for now, I am able to take time off for exhibitions and creating art. I’m the kind of person who holes up at home if I have nothing to do, so I want to do both, my work and my art. I'm greedy. But I think it’s okay to focus on yourself and want to do it all.