Paper clouds - press reviews on music by midori komachi
Forbes
Selected as “Best Pavilion” in “9 Highlights of London Design Biennale”
"Taking over the glorious Nelson Stairs in Somerset House is the best pavilion at this year’s London Design Biennale. Paper Clouds: Materiality in Empty Space presents an ethereal delight, featuring suspended clouds and a dress made of Japanese washi paper with stone speakers constructed from 350 million year old fossils that play new music by violinist-composer Midori Komachi. " - Joanne Shurvell, Forbes
The Japan Times:
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/06/15/art/london-design-biennale-japan/
‘The rustle of washi against skin joins the ensemble, culminating in an exhilarating, John Cage-like experimental score reverberating through the five-story rotunda.
“Sound is lighter than air,” writes Komachi, quoting acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota, in the exhibition pamphlet. Yet her plucking carries weight, like the sekimori ishi (boundary stones) that anchor the washi clouds, imported by Sekisui House Kuma Lab Codirector Toshiki Hirano, who also designed Komachi’s washi dress.’ – Yuki Sumner, The Japan Times
Living Etc:
https://www.livingetc.com/features/london-design-biennale-2025
‘Amplified, like the sky projecting its color onto bodies of water, by the teardrop-shaped mirrors placed on the floor, it was activated by a stirring original piece of music, including live performances, by violinist and composer Midori Komachi, dressed for the occasion in a sculptural dress obtained from the same material.’ – Gilda Bruno, Living Etc.
Japan Society:
https://www.japansociety.org.uk/review?review=903
‘The music, which seemed to carry a kind of spaciousness akin to the Japanese concept of ma (間), gave the environment a sense of depth and stillness. This interplay between sound and space resonated strongly with the exhibition’s underlying theme of suyari-gasumi.’ -Sanae Inagaki, The Japan Society
Visualista:
Featured in ‘Five Unmissable Pavilions from the 2025 London Design Biennale’
https://www.visualista.co.uk/post/five-unmissable-pavilions-from-the-2025-london-design-biennale
‘Japan’s Paper Clouds is a breathtaking blend of design and performance. Developed by SEKISUI HOUSE – KUMA LAB, with sound by violinist-composer Midori Komachi, and curated by Clare Farrow Studio, the work examines the structural and poetic power of Washi paper.
Softly glowing paper clouds drift above visitors’ heads, animated by ambient music and occasional live performances. At its heart is a paper costume — fragile yet resilient — reinforcing the idea that strength can exist in the lightest of materials. A profound study in restraint, Paper Clouds evokes both awe and serenity.’ – Alla Yaskovets, Visualista
FLO London:
‘The pavilion features a recyclable paper dress, designed like traditional armour and worn by violinist Midori Komachi, whose composition blends the subtle sounds of paper with music. Combining architecture, fashion, and sound, the pavilion reflects on the delicate connections between body, material, and environment.’
Archipanic:
https://www.archipanic.com/portfolio/2025-london-design-biennale/
‘Japan – Paper Clouds: Materiality in Empty Space by SEKISUI HOUSE – KUMA LAB with a haunting score by violinist-composer Midori Komachi. The exhibition is a poetic tribute to The Nelson Stair and the surface textures, translucency, lightness and inner strength of Washi paper. Ethereal floating paper forms float up in the space. KUMA LAB’s first Washi dress prototype explores the potential of paper in sustainable architecture and fashion. The installation also comes alive with music, offering young performers a chance to learn and share non-Western traditions through live performance. ‘
Aesthetica Magazine:
https://aestheticamagazine.com/london-design-biennale-5-pavilions-to-know/
‘Paper Clouds, which cascades over Somerset House’s Nelson Stairs, celebrates the material’s durability, texture, translucency and lightness, whilst highlighting its structural potential across architecture and fashion. It promises to be an ethereal and immersive experience, with a soundtrack by violinist and composer Midori Komachi that includes audio of Washi paper interacting with the body.’