Tele-Interference Counterpoints (in Chiba) is a project by Yuga Soma-Uéno that collects and repairs fluorescent lamps in Chiba City destined for disposal, combines them with radios and speakers, and then “revives” them in the form of a light and sound installation.

The project comprises two main phases: collecting fluorescent lamps from around the city and then developing this into an exhibition of blinking lights using the collected lamps.

The backdrop to the project is the so-called Fluorescent Lamp Problem of 2027, prohibiting the manufacture, import, and export of conventional fluorescent lamps from that year. The market is currently in a state of transition, with increasing numbers of people replacing their fluorescent lighting and disposing of the old lamps at the same time. 

Yuga Soma-Uéno has collected discarded fluorescent lamps from various places and used them in his previous work. The collection phase of this project not only collects the lamps but also incorporates into the process of replacement and disposal an element of communication through lectures and dialogue about fluorescent lighting that involves the local community. The goal of the phase is to share and record impressions and experiences of soon-to-disappear fluorescent lamps, while reaffirming mutual understanding of how fluorescent lighting actually works through lectures and workshops.

In the exhibition phase of the project, the collected fluorescent lamps are adjusted so that they flicker, and then combined with radios, speakers, and other devices to build an exhibit. Combining a multichannel fluorescent light, an AM radio, and speaker, the installation harnesses the phenomenon by which electromagnetic waves emitted by fluorescent lights tend to interfere with radio waves on medium wave bands. The radio picks up and produces sounds from the various noises generated in real time by the old, flickering fluorescent lights. Alongside the new countenances continually created by the light and sound that accumulate and overflow, the work demonstrates the phenomena evinced by the inherent nature of things and their “thingness” as counterpoints by placing electromagnetic waves in opposition with the functions of tools as well as the audio and noise of radio, and colliding these elements together.

In parallel with the exhibition, the contexts and process of the mechanisms and types of previous fluorescent lamps as well as the shared memories and experiences related to the materials recorded during the collection phase and at events and workshops are made public and shown.

The flickering light and sounds evoke a sense of nostalgia and pathos, though for some generations may also seem like a novel medium. Soma-Uéno aspires to present the impressions and thoughts of various people, and the ever-changing time and space as they combine, in multilayered ways across the two phases. Through the fluorescent lamps once so familiar to us, but which are now disappearing, the project explores the role of art in connecting different objects, objects and people, people and the community, consumption and circulation, and memory and the future.

Event Overview

• Dates: September 19 (Fri) – November 24 (Mon, substitute holiday), 2025
• Opening times: 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
• Closed Wednesdays
• Venue: 9F Daiichi Yamazaki Bldg.（2-9-28 Fujimi, Chuo-ku, Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture 260-0015）
  [No parking / Elevator available]
• Free admission

Other Events

• October 25（Sat）, 2025, 2:00–4:00 p.m.「Radio Wave Soundscape! Listening to the Sounds of Invisible Radio Waves」
  ※Details to be announced.

Visitor Information

The venue, Daiichi Yamazaki Building, is a building with an eyeglass store on the first floor. Please use the elevator at the rear entrance to access the venue.

Heatstroke Prevention Measures

Please take measures to prevent heatstroke by staying hydrated and wearing a hat, etc., according to the environment. If you feel unwell, please notify a nearby staff member.

Photography and Video Recording

Photography and video recording will be conducted on the day for promotional and record-keeping purposes. Media outlets may also conduct interviews and filming. Photographs and videos taken may be published on the Chiba International Art Festival website, social media, brochures, and other promotional materials, as well as on television, magazines, and other media. We kindly ask for your understanding in advance.