Silent Neighbors: Encounters with the Inhabitants of the Shibuya River
Silent Neighbors – 渋谷川に棲まうものたちとの邂逅 –
東急株式会社と生命美学プラットフォームmetaPhorestが主催する”Silent Neighbors – 渋谷川に棲まうものたちとの邂逅 –”の作品展示が行われます。 2月13日〜2月15日に開催される「DIG SHIBUYA 2026」のOfficial Partner Programとして、渋谷リバーストリートにて展示されます。 是非お越しくださいませ。
展示コンセプト
コンクリートに覆われたように見える渋谷川には、藻類や微生物、護岸の隙間に根付く植物や小さな生き物など、多様な生命が静かに息づいています。 本プロジェクトは、こうした生態系の姿を映像を中心とした屋外インスタレーションとして可視化し、都市の中にひそむ環世界を体験的に捉え直すことを目指すものです。 metaPhorestは、普段は見えない水中環境の調査や、採取した試料の顕微鏡観察、微生物のDNA解析など、生物学的リサーチを重ねて生態系への理解を深めてきました。 これらの知見をもとに構成した映像インスタレーションによって、都市の中にひそむ自然の姿を浮かび上がらせ、人と環境の関係を捉え直す場をつくります。
日時
2026/2/13～2026/2/15（予定） 15:00-22:00（予定） ※遊歩道上での展示は10:00-22：00 ※強風、荒天等により中止の場合がございます。
会場
渋谷リバーストリート
主催
東急株式会社 metaPhorest 渋谷川展示チーム (松村寛季・藤岡慧・齋藤帆奈・中島徹・石橋友也・岩崎秀雄)
プロジェクトマネジメント
onpa 羽生和仁
協力
早稲田大学 岩崎秀雄研究室 株式会社TASKO 本田創（暗渠家） 合同会社トワイエイゾ 株式会社BIOTA メタバーサルネイチャーテクノロジーズ株式会社 科学研究費補助金 基盤研究（B）『モアザン・ヒューマンの美学』
DIG SHIBUYA
・主催 SHIBUYA CREATIVE TECH実行委員会 独立行政法人日本芸術文化振興会 文化庁 ・共催 渋谷区
Exhibition Concept
Even in the Shibuya River—an urban waterway seemingly encased in concrete—diverse living organisms continues to thrive. This work shines a light on the activities of microorganisms and small creatures inhabiting the underwater depths and revetments, spaces that often go unnoticed by the human eye. Through the use of multiple cameras and microscopic observation, these hidden lives are visualized and brought to the surface. By integrating real-time footage, environmental soundscapes, and projections, the installation bridges the gap between the city’s passersby and its invisible ecosystem, offering a transformative perceptual experience of the Shibuya River.
Art Works
① Multi-Scale Scanning: A Record of the Ecosystem Hidden in the Shibuya River
This work visualizes the underwater ecosystem of the Shibuya River, rarely seen by the public, using footage from biological surveys and microscopic observations. It records the river's activities from three distinct perspectives—“a bird's-eye view from land,” “scenes beneath the water,” and “the microscopic world under the microscope”—and projects them onto a screen on the river's surface. It presents the presence of an ecosystem existing in the heart of the city as a single visual experience. Through these three viewpoints, it records the movements of microscopic organisms easily overlooked by the naked eye and traces of life hidden within the riverbank's protective structures.
② Interactive Float
Based on the Shibuya River's flow velocity data for that day, a visual representation of the water current appears on the river's surface. Thus, the river's movement and speed—difficult to perceive in the nighttime urban space—are visualized as a digital flow of light, emerging as a perceptible presence within the city. The projected water current synchronizes with the actual river's inherent rhythm and direction, also serving as an indicator for reading the flow.
③ Shibuya River Microscope
Various man-made objects have found their way into urban rivers, becoming part of the environment. This work involves constructing a homemade microscope using waste collected from the Shibuya River to observe its water. The lens repurposes a broken smartphone, while the stand incorporates microphone stands and metal fittings from platform boots—elements evoking Shibuya's identity as a cultural hub. Observing the river's water through this microscope allows us to traverse between the world of artificial objects that compose urban life and the microscopic world unfolding within the water—navigating the space between nature and culture.
④ Revetment Spirits
Along the banks of the Shibuya River, numerous drainage channels help divert rainwater and maintain the river's flow. Look closely, and you'll notice each channel has its own unique character. From the drainage channels downward, deposits spread out in a flared pattern, displaying various colors like black, dark brown, yellow-green, deep green, and white. Here, a small yet rich ecosystem thrives, gathering numerous microorganisms, algae, plants, and protozoa. Don't they look like spirits wearing cloaks, with the drainage ditch as their head? At night, they take turns being illuminated. It's delightful when you happen upon your favorite spirit.
⑤ Urban Microbial Ecologies
Beneath the surface, algae and man-made objects (like paper) intertwine, creating a strangely fascinating scene that unfolds unseen. This hybrid “nature,” unique to the city, may be nurturing its own distinct microbial ecosystem. Based on this hypothesis, we are conducting microscopic observations and DNA analysis to investigate what kinds of microorganisms have taken up residence. We are also advancing DNA analysis on the colorful ‘Revetment Spirits’.
Co-hosted and Supported by
Co-hosted by: Tokyu Corporation / metaPhorest Supported by: Tokyu Corporation / Waseda University, Hideo Iwasaki Laboratory