MESH ART PROJECT

Weaving Words into Unknown Landscapes

With daily activities like working now possible from home, travel for homecoming visits or tourism is increasingly shifting to digital alternatives. As physical movement declines, the connection between people and places may weaken. This project explores new ways to reimagine those relationships.

Have you ever left a message in a guestbook at a museum or in a café notebook, marking your presence in a place? Returning years later and rediscovering your own words can evoke a subtle yet deep connection to that location. MESH ART PROJECT revives this nostalgic experience using modern technology.

By typing a message on a smartphone, your words are physically placed in a distant town, becoming part of its landscape. Whether a wish, prayer, confession, passing thought, or joke, every phrase creates a unique fusion between language and scenery. This project connects people and places through words, forging new relationships.

Can People Co-Create Across Distances to Preserve Culture and Tradition?

With long-distance travel made difficult due to COVID-19, virtual platforms like the metaverse offered new ways to experience distant places. Kotoyama Hyakkei explores whether people can collaborate beyond physical and psychological barriers to sustain culture and tradition.

Through digital networks, both locals and individuals with ties to a place can connect, share ideas, and contribute fresh perspectives. This interaction drives innovative tourism concepts and enhances regional appeal. The project has been developed as a prototype interactive installation, serving as an experimental approach to co-creation.

Moving forward, Kotoyama Hyakkei will collaborate with municipalities and art events across Japan to build new connections between people and communities.

New Digital Connections

Participants browse images of distant landscapes on a dedicated website and submit words inspired by what they see. These words are then 3D printed, transforming them into tangible objects.

The printed words are placed within the landscape, gradually forming a symbolic mountain of words that links individuals to remote locations. Each participant’s name is credited on the project website as a contributor.

As more people join, the growing collection of expressions and their connection to these landscapes invites reflection. What does the place look like now? What words would you leave behind? Participants engage by imagining their own ties to these distant places.