exhibition

Obscured Apparatus

The devices and equipment surrounding us are driven by narratives prioritizing convenience. Even the term sustainability is often framed within a human-centric logic of “reuse”—the efficient circulation of resources. This project is a speculative endeavor that detaches devices bound by such teleological frameworks from the imperative of being “useful,” exploring how we might re-encounter physical objects.
Machinery relinquished by former owners as “purpose unknown,” or single-channel junk speakers left isolated—accumulating in a realm that is neither disposal nor circulation, these “suspended devices” are housed in new enclosures while retaining their original functions, creating a void within a world where matter is consumed merely as “tools.”
Having lost their purpose while retaining their functionality, these objects deviate from human-centric cycles, serving as interfaces that prompt us to redesign our relationships with physical things.

overview

Devices relinquished as “purpose unknown” at secondhand shops or online auctions, along with junk speakers reduced to a single channel (left or right only)—these are collected, disassembled, repaired, and transferred into new enclosures while retaining their original functions.
The mysterious devices become “useless” objects whose identities remain obscured despite maintaining their functionality. Meanwhile, the speakers are transformed: rather than serving as stereo equipment for listening to music, they become objects that exist simply to “sound” within a monaural setting.
These objects are arranged alongside modules that function as temporary walls or pedestals, partitioning the space spontaneously. While displaying these items, such modules act as structural frameworks that hold their relationships in a transient, reserved state.

member

Comprising three members: Muku Kobayashi, who creates kinetic objects that resemble devices with unclear purposes; Takuya Yamamoto, who operates “callbox”—a gallery space measuring roughly 1.4 m²—and designs spaces under the name ordinary sculpture; and Yusaku Arai, a musician whose wide-ranging activities center on music, spanning from ambient music to conceptual workshops.