Coded Fireplace

"Coded Fireplace," presented in 2023, is a prototype development project for a small digital interior device that transforms any screen into a fireplace-like display. Under the creative direction of Dentsu Lab Tokyo, the project involved artists Kitachisato Design, Mugi Hashimoto, and Toshiyuki Nagashima, with NEORT contributing technical direction, curation, and software engineering.

The device connects via HDMI and converts screens into canvases for continuously evolving generative art. It operates quietly on an internal battery without the need for power buttons or settings. Parameters such as CPU usage, temperature, and battery level influence the visuals, creating flickering light and shapes that appear to breathe on the screen. As the battery depletes, the imagery gradually fades, simulating the experience of burning logs within a computer.

Recently, there has been a shift in perceiving screens not merely as windows for information but as elements that fill space. This trend is reflected in the popularity of long-duration fireplace broadcasts by Norway's NRK and ambient content like campfires, waves, and rain sounds on platforms such as Netflix and YouTube. These works invite viewers to disengage from efficiency and purpose, instead appreciating quiet light and the passage of time within a space. "Coded Fireplace" embodies this ethos by positioning generative art between image and space, reimagining it as interior decor. Similar to how Erik Satie's "Furniture Music" and Brian Eno's "Ambient Music" pioneered new media between sound and space, this project explores new relationships between visuals and environment.