In April 2025, EXPO 2025 Osaka opened its doors at the iconic EXPO Hall, known as “Shining Hat.” Amid the grandeur of this global event, Chinese artist LEOW unveiled a mesmerizing masterpiece called Future Weave. This grand projection‑mapping work transforms the pavilion into a sensory field where rhythm and structure elegantly intertwine. As the only independent Chinese artist invited to illuminate the Shining Hat façade, LEOW’s artistic vision will be showcased twice nightly through 13 October 2025, channeling his perception of time and speculative spatial thinking onto a global stage.
The Method of Fusion
LEOW believes that when the BIG and the SMALL cease to oppose each other, they form the very fabric of perception—an approach he calls The Art of Fusion. This philosophy is at the core of Future Weave and is a testament to his pioneering thought process.
Sound is the trigger: tempo sets the spatial cadence, melody feeds algorithmic visuals, and the pavilion’s surface behaves like a breathing organism. According to LEOW, “I don’t project onto a building. I let the image grow out of sound.” His approach treats rhythm as structure, pushing Future Weave beyond decorative mapping toward what he describes as “architectural audiation.” The structure itself seems to breathe and pulsate with every beat, making the building feel alive to its own music.
From Film Scoring to Spatial Art
LEOW’s journey to this unique artistic approach began in the UK, where he studied film scoring, and continued through his experience at Los Angeles’ Remote Control Productions. His background in music deeply informs his projection art, where sound is not merely a background element—it is the foundation upon which visuals are constructed.
In 2021, LEOW founded the Asian Tribe Project, uniting musicians, coders, and visual artists across Asia. His experimentation with immersive experiences spans domes, heritage sites, and digital galleries. Future Weave represents his most ambitious city-scale experiment yet, a manifestation of sound and light at an unprecedented scale.
Team & Craft
To span Shining Hat’s vast 60‑metre curve, LEOW assembled a three‑tier “loom” of artistic expertise:
- Jason Li — 3‑D artist building the spatial narrative lattice
- Liu Huiwen — bio‑visual designer extending generative ecosystems
- Guo Xiaotong — color‑flow artist weaving emotional gradients
The collective craftsmanship of the team brought Future Weave to life using percussion motion‑capture, custom GLSL shaders, and high‑brightness laser projections. These elements merge to generate a ‘light cloth’ that ripples, folds, and unfurls, driven entirely by a compound‑meter score that synchronizes visual and auditory elements seamlessly.
Experience & Significance
At 19:30 and 20:10 each evening, the iconic Shining Hat façade at EXPO 2025 Osaka bursts into life with the captivating sensory display of Future Weave. The rhythmic soundtrack triggers an intricate choreography of lights, transforming the entire structure into a pulsating canvas that harmonizes sound and space. Visitors gather along Yumeshima’s central promenade, drawn by the magnetic spectacle, immersing themselves in streams of light where rhythm and architecture seamlessly blend.
Future Weave transcends conventional digital art by placing rhythm, rather than photorealistic visuals, at its core. This bold choice not only challenges established norms but also invites viewers to rethink the potential of sound-driven aesthetics. The interplay of rhythm and space evokes a thought-provoking question: if rhythm can actively shape physical environments, how might it redefine the relationship between people, technology, and the spaces they inhabit?
By integrating architectural audiation, LEOW pushes the boundaries of projection mapping, turning the Shining Hat into a living entity that responds to musical cues. In doing so, he explores the profound idea that rhythm can serve as a new visual language, offering a glimpse into the future of digital art. Through this groundbreaking installation, LEOW reimagines a Japanese landmark, bringing his visionary perspective to a global audience.
Key Details
- Artist: LEOW (Dian Wang) / DDD STUDIO
- Work: Future Weave – sound‑driven projection mapping, short loop
- Venue: Shining Hat façade, EXPO 2025 Osaka, Yumeshima Island
- Dates & Times: 13 Apr – 13 Oct 2025 · 19:30 & 20:10 nightly
- Showcase: Shining Hat Projection Mapping Program
- Line‑up: Artists from 21 countries; LEOW is the sole invited Chinese independent artist
- Presented by: Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition & Projection Mapping Association of Japan
- Website: dddstudio.net
- Instagram: @LEOWDDD
What’s Next: The Tension Between BIG and SMALL
LEOW’s upcoming work is set to continue exploring the structural philosophy of “BIG and SMALL,” an idea that has become a cornerstone of his artistic expression. In 2025, he plans to unveil the first batch of his framed Superreal Stitching series—a collection that seeks to intertwine visual minimalism with expansive storytelling. Each piece in this series reflects his core philosophy: that grand narratives can emerge from minute details, much like how a single thread contributes to the complexity of a woven tapestry.
In addition to Superreal Stitching, LEOW will collaborate with renowned Japanese floral artist Plantica | Takashi Kimura. This partnership represents a daring fusion of digital artistry and natural aesthetics, blending generative visuals with organic floral patterns. Together, they aim to blur the boundaries between technology and nature, using light and structure to emulate the growth patterns of living organisms. Their project is anticipated to be unveiled later in 2025, setting a new standard for cross-disciplinary artistic innovation.
Future Weave is more than just an art installation—it is a statement of what is possible when rhythm, architecture, and visual storytelling converge. As LEOW continues his exploration of sound-driven digital art, EXPO 2025 Osaka stands as a testament to the evolving narrative of perception and space in the digital age.
Published by Joseph T.
