root

About this Place
This field is a former site of a mountain that was excavated to collect the soil (core material) required for dam construction in Oita, Japan. Covering an area of approximately 16,000 square meters, this large field is open to the public and serves as an open space that anyone can use. However, this region has been designated as a depopulated area and is one of the areas with a significant decline in population. As a local initiative, a sustainable development plan to prevent depopulation is currently in progress.

Experience
Audiences can enjoy speculative animations through an AR app. The app operates based on the audience’s GPS information, allowing them to view changing landscapes from different locations as they wander around the vast field.

Story
The spirits of the mountain, cut down by the dam construction, still hover in the sky, peering down upon the earth below. The roots that were once entrenched in that mountain have been torn from their familiar soil and now struggle aimlessly. These roots strain to return to their former soil, gazing up at it. Meanwhile, other roots, yearning for new connections, actively seek to establish new bonds. Whether they wither away or find new soil remains a mystery to all.

Technical Description
The 3D Modeling is created using VR Drawing Software Adobe Medium and Blender, and the AR App have been developed using Unity with the AR+GPS Location Plugin.

Exhibition Information
“Notsuharu Art Collection” 
Oita, Japan  Aug 18 – Sep 20, 2021
Organized by City of Oita

The city of Oita invites artists from within and outside the city to the surrounding areas where the population is shrinking, the birth rate is declining, and the population is aging. The city is working on the “Art Region Promotion Project” to revitalize the area.