Diorama Table

Concept: Keiko Takahashi
Date: 2007

Have you ever seen ropes turn into railroad tracks or forks morph into cars? You haven’t? Then step up to the “Diorama Table” and check it out for yourself!

The “Diorama Table” blends art and everyday life. Here, familiar objects are transformed into interactive images. If you place lengths of rope onto the table, they link up to form railroad tracks and trains travel along the quickest route. If the rope is arranged in a circular pattern, it’s transformed into a pond with ducks paddling across the surface.

Spoons, forks or chopsticks make cars appear on the tabletop, driving to destinations unknown. When plates and cups are set down, houses, flowers and trees begin to sprout up around them. And when pieces of candy fall onto the table, a dog immediately runs over and gobbles them up.

The “Diorama Table” functions by means of a tracking system that registers changes on the tabletop and reacts to them with interactive images.