top of page

  Unspoiled Territories  

Unspoiled Territories is a body of work which includes idea proposals, installations and drawings.  Hiromi utilizes the unknown to let our imaginations go fill the mystery/blackbox.

Installation photos and videos: Courtesy of Ashton Rodgers

Please click for individual work close-ups and information.

Manifesto and Three Key Ideas for Unspoiled Territories

                                                                     Hiromi Stringer

Manifesto

No one should ever be able to reveal the contents of animals’ dreams. 

These areas should be kept unspoiledso that one’s imagination can fill

 the space with the most * images in his/her mind.

(For *, chose an adjective which can describe your image the best.)

 

 “When there are secrets, the Flower exists; but without secrets, the Flower does not exist.”[1]

 

Once opened, contents of the black boxes/secrets/mystery might be unexpectedly and disappointingly ordinary. I believe we are much more than the accumulation of knowledge or algorithms. Therefore, let sleeping dogs lie, and use the black box to stretch your imagination.

 

 

  • Knowledge

Scientists say that various animals dream, and those dreams are made of memories and experiences. Research and scientific analysis of test subjects’ visual imagery while asleep have been constrainedbecause of their private and ephemeral nature. However, some researchers have already started to develop dream-decoding procedures by analyzing brain activity utilizing AI.[2]Although I found this new technology very fascinating, at the same time, I cannot help but feel strong resistance. 

  • Black box

I feel that there is an attitude in which everything should be largely explainable these days. This may be because of the infiltration of the Internet, making a wide variety of knowledge available at our fingertips. However, still, some things remain in the realm of the unknown. Life itself and the world in general are filled with numerous black boxes. Just as ancient people rationalized the mysteries of their day with their stories[3], I want to fill the black box with my imagination. (According to Wikipedia, which always gives me quick answers for day-to-day questions, an abstract concept for a black box is: 

      In science, computing, and engineering, a black box is a device, system or object which can be viewed in terms of its inputs and outputs [or transfer characteristics], without any knowledge of its internal workings. Its implementation is "opaque" [black]. Almost anything might be referred to as a black box: a transistor, an algorithm or the human brain.)[4]

 

  • Snoring/sleep breathing sound 

A dog’s snoring/sleep breathing sound is one of the most peaceful sounds in our environment. Based on our several thousand years of mutually prosperous coexistence, we can hypothesize thathuman beings have developed a special sensitivity to have a subconscious awareness of the sound of dogs’ snoring/sleep breathing as an index for a safe environment. Thus, it is no wonder that the sounds of snoring/sleep breathing carry secret knowledge of the world. There are other black boxes of which we are totally unaware. Manifestations of those include the dreams of other animals, such as fish and arthropods. Listen carefully for the smallest sound (of snoring/sleep breathing) you can hear.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

            [1]Fushikaden(English title: The Transmission of the Flower Through (a Mastery of) the Forms) by Zeami Motokiyo, written at early 15thcentury. 

Another translation for the statement goes“If it is hidden, it is the Flower; if it is not hidden, it is not the Flower” 

 

            [2]Horikawa, T., Tamaki, M., Miyawaki, Y., & Kamitani, Y.“Neural decoding of visual imagery during sleep.” Science,340(6132), 2013: 639-642.

In 2013, the scientists were already utilizing neural decoding techniques to analyze the images of dreams during sleep. Researchers showed various images to participants and examined their brain activities using fMRI. While the participants were sleeping, their brain activities were again monitored, and machine-learning models predict the contents of the visual aspect of their dreams. (Recently, artist Pierre Huygue created an installation Uumweltutilizing this technique.) The digital images of visualized dreams are available at the researchers’ instagram account at #kamitanilab.With regards to our fast-paced development of technology, might more accurate images be available in the near future? 

 

            [3]Uneasy dragons or upset monsters were created to explain turbulence of the seas or a severe oceanic current. An earthquake was caused by a giant catfish which dwelt deep under the surface of the earth.

 

            [4]Wikipedia contributors, "Black box, "Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Black_box&oldid=867257234 (accessed November 19, 2018)

bottom of page