What will you dream about in this room tonight?

On the ceiling of these rooms, above the beds, are pieces that depict artist Sato Sugamoto’s idea of a “dream.”. These dreams, created from approximately five kilometers-worth of braided string, float above the heads of the two beds like enormous clouds. Their swirling colors and lines represent how the thoughts of the people sleeping in these beds will be released in their dreams and mix together into a complex pattern. The dreams of the two people sharing this room both intermingle with and affect each other.

The view of the piece as you lie on the bed is different from seeing it from the side. The bright braids and patterns really catch the eye. You can see the person’s true feelings, represented by colorful strings, hiding and swirling within their monochrome dreams. What are “dreams” to the artist? Let’s ask Sugamoto himself.

ーーPlease introduce yourself.

My name is Sato Sugamoto. I’m an artist based in Tokyo. The theme of this piece is the diversity of thinking. I started this project because I wanted to create a visualization of what’s inside people's heads, so I make thoughts into 3-D works of art.+

ーーWhat methods do you use to turn them into 3-D pieces?

Mostly I use string. String represents trains of thought.

ーーPlease tell us the meaning behind the rooms’ titles and the pieces.

The pieces are called “Double Dreams”. “Double Dreams” has two meanings; first, that dreams have two sides to them: the surface, and the underside. Second is the idea that two people’s dreams come together, mix, and spread throughout the room.

ーーPlease tell us the title of the piece in room 502.

The title is “Double Dreams -saturation-”.

ーーWhat do you mean by “saturation”?

Saturation is both brightness of color and the oozing of that color. In room 502, I wanted to show how our true feelings get stronger and reveal themselves in our dreams. I chose monotone strings for the exterior, but colorful hues for the inner part of the piece.

ーーEach of the rooms have their own titles, right? What’s the name of room 602?

This room is titled “Double Dream -inversion-”. The string in this piece represents both the surface levels of dreams and their undersides, but inverts them to express an element of surprise. For example, a very bad dream that actually has a really good meaning. That’s the kind of “unexpected” I wanted to portray.

ーーFor both rooms, I get the impression that you put a lot of consideration into the view of the piece as seen from the inside. Could you explain more about that?

I wanted to create the piece to look completely different from the bed and from the side. It surprised me how much I wanted that, so I changed out the colors, even used traditional Kyoto braids, to create an even more complex, dynamic coloring. I tried to express the idea of the dreams of someone sleeping in that bed magnificently blossoming out by making the string flow in even greater ways.

ーーWhat would you like to say to the guests staying in this room?

First, thank you for staying here. I created this piece to look totally different depending on whether you’re standing to the side or lying underneath it. Please stay here with two or more people, and enjoy the exchange of ideas that occurs as you sleep and chat.