Reading the Air

The term “Kuuki Yomenai” (空気読めない), a Japanese expression that literally translates to “unable to read the air,” describes an individual’s insensitivity to the ambiance or the collective mood or feelings within a social context. Leveraging machine learning techniques, this motion-to-audio installation “reads” the ambiance by transforming human actions into multitrack music within the given space, with a particular focus on the output’s responsiveness and continuity. It illustrates the dynamic, reciprocal relationship between the ambient elements and the participants of a space: the former shapes the participants’ states of mind and behaviors, while the latter, in turn, actively defines the evolving soundscape. By initiating this feedback loop, the project not only deepens the sensory experience through a vibrant interplay of sound and behavior but also allows for translating abstract perceptions into more discernible media.