Currently, DIG SHIBUYA 2026 (February 13th-15th), an urban cultural event that combines technology and art, is being held around Shibuya Station. Public spaces such as city plazas, streets, and pedestrian decks become stages, and passersby themselves become part of the artwork - this is the highlight of the event. Among them, art from Montreal, Canada, stands out with a particularly strong presence. This article focuses on the experience of participating and reports on two noteworthy works.

MAPP's participatory mapping turns fingertip drawings into Shibuya scenery

MAPP, an art collective from Montreal, Canada, held a live event at Shibuya Ward Chatan Park on the evening of February 13th.

MAPP is a group that has expanded projection mapping to a more free and open form of expression with the vision of "turning the city into a playground." Their main feature is the use of a bicycle equipped with a projector called the "MAPP_BIKE." As they move around, they can project images onto the walls and ground of buildings anywhere, turning the city itself into a canvas for live painting.

Left: Children familiar with using tablets skillfully draw illustrations with their fingertips. Right: Using the MAPP_BIKE, a bicycle equipped with a projector, they can instantly project the illustrations they draw onto the ground or wall.

At Chatan Park on the day of the event, parents and children were drawing animals, faces, patterns, letters and other images on tablets. The data was animated on the spot and immediately projected onto the walls and ground of buildings. The lines and illustrations they had drawn swayed, rotated and spread out in time with the music.

The children cheer with delight as their own illustrations are projected onto the screen. They pinch in (to shrink) and pinch out (to enlarge) the illustrations in response to the children's actions, improvising to add movement to the illustrations.

Furthermore, the movement of people passing by and the surrounding scenery overlapped with the artwork. Children cheered as they jumped, lay down, and ran into the light. This is truly an art piece that is completed through participation.

Unlike traditional projection mapping, which requires a large-scale setup, MAPP_BIKE is light, flexible, and improvisational. The unique appeal of MAPP_BIKE is that it allows you to experience the sensation of your body becoming one with the images.

When the familiar park scenery is layered with layers of imagination, the streets of Shibuya take on a completely different look. The innocent cheers of the children speak volumes about the value of this work.

Coincidence turns into harmony: Participatory art "Hello! Duetti"

Another notable work is Hello! Duetti, an installation by Montreal-based art and design studio Daily Tous Les Jours, making its Japan debut. The venue is on the National Route 246 Crossing Deck, which connects SHIBUYA SCRAMBLE SQUARE and SHIBUYA STREAM, where the Toyoko Line platform once stood.

The sound changes depending on the speed and direction of the "bench" rotation.

The work is comprised of two devices: a "bench" that plays a chorus when it rotates, and a "bollard" that turns the actions of stepping, touching, and walking into rhythm. There are no special instructions on how to use it; simply approach the work and shake or touch it like a playground toy, and sound will be produced. One person's movements are responded to by another, and an accidental harmony is born. "Duetti" means "duet" in Italian. As the name suggests, this work is completed by the presence of others. Music that cannot be produced alone arises between strangers passing by.

The bollard produces various sounds depending on the walking motion, such as clockwise or counterclockwise, walking speed, and pressure.

Studio member Melissa Mongiat said, "When people think of Tokyo, Shibuya is the first place that comes to mind. I hope that busy people on the move can suddenly stop and relax for a moment." The artwork is visible not only to people passing by on the deck, but also from station platforms and train windows, creating a little "space" and "vitality" in the streets of Shibuya.

What Montreal's artists have in common is that rather than presenting finished works, they design "experiences and landscapes that can only be created through human involvement." Passersby become participants before they know it, co-creating the city's landscape. This is the unique appeal of this project.

The addition of art and projects like this to Shibuya's public spaces, which continue to be updated through redevelopment, naturally brings people closer together. The moment you stop and wonder, "What is this?", you've already become a part of it. We encourage you to experience it for yourself in the streets of Shibuya.

Interviews and writing

Editorial Department: Takashi Fujii

Shibuya registrar. In addition to Shibuya of Culture information, seasonal news and topics, it will spell write that feel every day.