Digital Sensing: the Multisensory Qualities of Japanese Interactive Art

The paper presents examples of digital art in Japan and examines its roots in traditional East Asian philosophy giving the senses a prominent role in perceiving the world and enabling a perfect symbiosis between humans and machines. The research reflects on the expansion of this culturally and traditionally inspired spirituality from its original context in the socio-cultural interpretation of the natural world to contemporary digitally mediated environments. This is accomplished through analysis of digital interactive work by specific artists located in Japan, such as Kumiko Kushiyama, Masaki Fujihata and Ryota Kuwakubo