null2: Boundary-Dissolving Bodies and Architecture towards Digital Nature

This paper presents a case study of the thematic pavilion null2 at Expo 2025 Osaka-Kansai, contrasting with the static Jomon motifs of Taro Okamoto’s Tower of the Sun from Expo 1970. The study discusses Yayoi-inspired mirror motifs and dynamically transforming interactive spatial configuration of null2, where visitors become integrated as experiential content. The shift from static representation to a new ontological and aesthetic model, characterized by the visitor’s body merging in real-time with architectural space at installation scale, is analyzed. Referencing the philosophical context of Expo 1970 theme’Progress and Harmony for Mankind,’this research reconsiders the worldview articulated by null2 in Expo 2025, in which computation is naturalized and ubiquitous, through its intersection with Eastern philosophical traditions. It investigates how immersive experiences within the pavilion, grounded in the philosophical framework of Digital Nature, reinterpret traditional spatial and structural motifs of the tea room, positioning them within contemporary digital art discourse. The aim is to contextualize and document null2 as an important contemporary case study from Expo practices, considering the historical and social background in Japan from the 19th to 21st century, during which world expositions served as pivotal points for the birth of modern Japanese concept of’fine art,‘symbolic milestones of economic development, and key moments in urban and media culture formation. Furthermore, this paper academically organizes architectural techniques, computer graphics methodologies, media art practices, and theoretical backgrounds utilized in null2, highlighting the scholarly significance of preserving these as an archival document for future generations.

💡 Research Summary

This paper offers a comprehensive case study of the thematic pavilion null2 at Expo 2025 Osaka‑Kansai, positioning it as a radical departure from the static symbolism of Taro Okamoto’s Tower of the Sun (Expo 1970). While the 1970 pavilion celebrated progress and harmony through fixed Jomon motifs, null2 embraces a “Yayoi‑inspired mirror” concept and a dynamically transforming spatial configuration that integrates visitors as living content. The authors trace the historical trajectory of Japanese world expos—from the Meiji‑Era introduction of modern fine art to the post‑war economic boom and the formation of urban and media culture—demonstrating how each exposition has acted as a cultural and technological milestone.

The core of null2’s design is the dissolution of architectural boundaries through immersive digital media. Transparent OLED panels, high‑resolution real‑time ray‑tracing, and a 6‑DoF tracking system capture a visitor’s position and gestures. These data feed an AI‑driven style‑transfer pipeline that renders a “digital tea‑room” in which traditional wabi‑sabi textures are re‑imagined as responsive particle fields. As a result, the visitor’s body is not merely observed but becomes an active element that reshapes the environment in real time, embodying the philosophical notion of the body merging with space.

Technical analysis reveals four interlocking layers: (1) visual‑haptic fusion, where high‑definition graphics are coupled with tactile feedback to create a multisensory experience; (2) a cloud‑based data architecture that archives interaction logs and environmental parameters for future research and preservation; (3) a philosophical synthesis that aligns Eastern concepts of “mu” (emptiness) and “kō” (void) with Western post‑humanist thought, arguing that computation naturalizes the boundary between human, nature, and culture; and (4) socio‑economic implications, showing how null2 transforms the traditional expo role of symbolizing economic development into a platform for generating digital knowledge assets.

By reinterpreting the tea‑room—a historically constrained, intimate space—through limitless digital extension, null2 creates a new exhibition paradigm: a triadic relationship among visitor, algorithm, and architectural structure. This model shifts the visitor from a passive observer to an active co‑creator, blurring the line between representation and participation. The paper concludes that the extensive technical documentation and interaction data produced by null2 constitute a valuable archival resource for future studies in digital nature, human‑space integration, and the preservation of immersive media installations. In doing so, it reaffirms world expos as enduring sites of cultural, technological, and economic convergence, now enriched by the possibilities of computational aesthetics.