Tokyo, Japan – This week, two prominent Japanese creative collectives, 3 Temple Circus and BASSDRUM, are co-hosting an interdisciplinary exchange event titled “3tc roundabout” in Tokyo. The gathering brings together artists, technologists, and experience designers to explore the future of immersive storytelling and sensory-driven installations. Central to the program is a presentation sharing insights from their recent visit to InfoComm China 2024, one of Asia’s largest professional audiovisual and integrated experience technology trade shows, held in Beijing earlier this year.
The event, scheduled for Thursday and Friday at a venue in Shibuya, aims to foster cross-pollination between experimental art practices and emerging AV technologies. According to organizers, the discussions will focus on how real-time rendering, spatial audio, and interactive lighting systems are reshaping audience engagement in live performances and public art. Attendees can expect live demonstrations, panel talks, and a curated showcase of prototype installations developed during the collectives’ residency periods.
3 Temple Circus, known for its fusion of traditional Japanese performance aesthetics with digital interactivity, has previously collaborated with institutions such as the Yamaguchi Center for Arts and Media [YCAM] on projects exploring embodied interaction in urban spaces. BASSDRUM, meanwhile, has gained recognition for its large-scale sound-responsive environments, often incorporating custom-built subwoofer arrays and haptic flooring to create full-body sensory experiences. Both groups have participated in international festivals including Ars Electronica and Sonar+D, where their work has been noted for pushing the boundaries of what constitutes “experience design.”
Their joint presentation at “3tc roundabout” will include a debrief from InfoComm China 2024, where they evaluated new developments in laser projection, AI-driven content generation, and low-latency networking solutions for multi-venue synchronization. InfoComm China, organized by AVIXA (the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association), took place from April 10 to 12, 2024, at the China National Convention Center in Beijing. The show featured over 300 exhibitors and attracted more than 25,000 professional visitors from across the Asia-Pacific region, according to AVIXA’s official post-event report.
Among the technologies highlighted in their talk are advancements in real-time ray tracing for live visuals, edge computing modules designed for outdoor deployment, and open-source frameworks for synchronizing light, sound, and motion across distributed nodes. These tools, the collectives suggest, are lowering the technical barriers for artists seeking to create responsive, large-scale installations without relying on proprietary systems.
“We’re seeing a shift from pre-rendered spectacles to truly adaptive environments,” said one representative from 3 Temple Circus during a pre-event interview shared via their official social channels. “The ability to modify visuals and audio in real time based on crowd movement or biometric input is no longer limited to research labs—it’s becoming accessible to independent creators.”
BASSDRUM’s contribution will focus on the evolution of sub-audible frequency applications in public art, particularly how infrasound and tactile feedback can influence emotional resonance in shared spaces. Their recent experiments, documented in a 2023 collaboration with the NTT InterCommunication Center [ICC], explored how frequencies below 20 Hz—though inaudible—can be perceived through bone conduction and affect viewers’ sense of presence.
Bridging Art and Technology in Public Space
The “3tc roundabout” event reflects a broader trend in Japan’s cultural sector, where public funding bodies such as the Agency for Cultural Affairs and local governments are increasingly supporting pilot programs that integrate ART (augmented reality technology) and XR (extended reality) into urban revitalization projects. In 2023, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government launched the “Art x Tech Tokyo” initiative, allocating ¥500 million over three years to support experimental works that combine digital media with public engagement.
Such programs aim not only to showcase innovation but also to address challenges in audience retention and accessibility. By embedding interactive elements into familiar urban landscapes—train stations, parks, underpasses—collectives like 3 Temple Circus and BASSDRUM aim to reach demographics that may not typically visit galleries or theaters. Early data from similar initiatives in Osaka and Fukuoka suggest dwell times increase by up to 40% when sensory-responsive elements are introduced, according to a 2023 study published by the Japan Society for Kansei Engineering.
Nevertheless, challenges remain. Power consumption, weatherproofing, and long-term maintenance continue to pose hurdles for permanent outdoor installations. During a panel at InfoComm China 2024, engineers from Barco and Christie noted that while LED efficiency has improved by nearly 30% since 2020, large-scale immersive environments still require significant infrastructure investment. Open discussions at “3tc roundabout” are expected to address these trade-offs, particularly in the context of sustainability and community stewardship.
Global Context: The Rise of Experience-Centric Design
The focus on “experience creation” aligns with a global shift in the creative industries toward outcome-based design, where success is measured not by object permanence but by audience impact, emotional resonance, and behavioral change. This paradigm is evident in sectors ranging from museum curation to retail design and urban planning.
At the 2024 South by Southwest [SXSW] Conference in Austin, Texas, a dedicated track on “Immersive Experience Design” featured speakers from Meow Wolf, Superblue, and teamLab Borderless, all emphasizing the importance of narrative coherence in multi-sensory environments. Similarly, the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions [IAAPA] reported in its 2023 Industry Outlook that 68% of new attraction concepts now prioritize immersive storytelling over traditional ride mechanics.
In Japan, this trend is mirrored in the growing popularity of “teamLab Planets” and “Mori Building Digital Art Museum: teamLab Borderless,” which have drawn millions of visitors since their openings. While these installations rely on centralized control systems and high-end projection mapping, independent collectives like 3 Temple Circus and BASSDRUM are exploring more modular, decentralized approaches that could allow for greater adaptability and local relevance.
Their work also intersects with academic research in human-computer interaction [HCI], particularly in the fields of affective computing and embodied cognition. Studies from institutions such as MIT Media Lab and Keio University’s Empathic Computing Laboratory have shown that synchronized audiovisual stimuli can influence group cohesion and emotional synchrony—a phenomenon sometimes referred to as “entrainment.”
What’s Next for 3tc roundabout Participants
Following the two-day event, organizers plan to compile a public digest of key takeaways, including technical specifications, artist reflections, and links to open-source tools discussed during the sessions. This documentation will be hosted on a dedicated microsite and shared under a Creative Commons license to encourage further experimentation.
No formal follow-up event has been announced as of this writing, but both 3 Temple Circus and BASSDRUM indicated in separate statements that they are exploring possibilities for a traveling version of “3tc roundabout” to be presented at regional arts festivals in 2025. Potential venues under consideration include the Aichi Triennale 2025 and the Setouchi Triennale, though no official invitations have been confirmed.
For those interested in staying updated, the collectives maintain active profiles on Instagram (@3templecircus, @bassdrum_jp) and regularly post development logs on their respective websites. All information shared during “3tc roundabout” will be attributed to named speakers and verified through post-event transcripts, which will be made available upon request.
As the boundaries between art, technology, and lived experience continue to blur, events like “3tc roundabout” serve as vital forums for testing ideas, sharing tools, and imagining what comes next—not just in galleries or trade shows, but in the streets, squares, and shared spaces where culture truly lives.
We invite readers to share their thoughts on the future of immersive design in the comments below and to spread the word to fellow creators, technologists, and curious minds who believe that the next breakthrough in experience creation might start not with a headline, but with a conversation.