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Celebrating with Home Appliances!
Between Exhibition Rooms 1 and 2, there is a mysterious float resembling a contemporary art installation. This float itself functions as a generator, and its energy is used to play various unused electronic devices as instruments, part of the “Electrónicos Fantásticos!” project. Upon closer inspection, one can spot items like a fan, barcode scanner, and traffic light among the components.
Electronicos Fantasticos! (also known as “NICOS”) is a project led by artist/musician Ei Wada, involving people from all walks of life to resurrect discarded electronics as new “electromagnetic instruments.” Through these efforts, the project gradually shapes a unique orchestra.
If you’re curious about how these instruments actually sound when played, be sure to check out the screen visuals as well. Remarkably, it all comes together as real festival music, and from a distance, you might not even realize that the parade consists of household electronics. I had to laugh at the half-moon-shaped “Okesa hats,” like the ones you see in Awa Odori, which are made from solar panels.
They’re also accepting festival ideas that incorporate household electronics. You can write your idea on a designated “imagination sheet” and drop it in the box—it just might come to life and echo through the festival someday!
