Cosmic Lab is a multimedia studio formed by audiovisual artists and creators based in Osaka, Japan.
They combine art and technology to develop powerfully immersive audiovisual experiences.
We discovered this amazing collective thanks to ADAF 2020 and we fell in love straight away.
Cosmic Lab possibly represent the archetype of the audiovisual artist, rooted in the art world and the underground clubbing scene.
As many Japanese new media artists, they are not afraid of experimenting and mixing up techniques and styles. As far is it’s punchy, alluring and visually stunning they will use it in their performances.
From immersive VJ sets to operatic projection mapping, from AV live graffiti to cutting-edge interactive installations. Cosmic Lab always achieves to captivate the audience and mind-blow even the more AV experts. Here our top picks from their impressive portfolio of audiovisual projects:
Live Paint Showcase: “Magnetic”
As we said: no fear of experimenting. Here we see a very interesting fusion between hip hop and audiovisual culture.
At the opening event of MAGNET by SHIBUYA 109 “ShibuGekiSai”, Cosmic Lab and Doppel collaborated on a performance combining live painting and video projection.
The 3D video cubes are animated in motion graphics by the audiovisual artists guiding the graffiti artists on the patterns they will fill with their spray cans.
The DJ spins tunes throughout the performance linking graffiti and projection through the overall hip hop groove.
Buddhist Chant and Light Performance
An audiovisual feast and a once-in-a-lifetime experience to celebrate the Koyasan’s 1200th anniversary (The center of Shingon Buddhism).
We see something truly remarkable and unique: a fusion among the vibrating tones of the Buddhist chant, Japanese drums and an elaborate projection mapping.
Under the musical inputs and the AV latest technologies the great Pagoda comes alive. The result is spectacular, mesmerizing and sumptuous to honor the ancient tradition of Japanese Buddhism.
QUASAR
Here Cosmic Lab went a few steps ahead by reinventing the way of making AV live performances through a new tool called QUASAR.
It loosely reminded us of the Reactable Machine, developed in Barcelona in 2003 to make music through physical interaction.
In this next-generation AV instrument, each musical measure is not interpreted in a linear fashion, but as an endless loop.
Also the tangible interface gives a physical structure to the AV content making possible to build rhythm and layers in all new intuitive physical way. Impressive!
