EIJI SUMI
i-Light Singapore
The Weight of Democracy
“Here and There” is an interactive installation based on the simple mechanism of a seesaw, also known as a teeter-totter. Participants step onto a long platform that pivots around a central point, causing the structure to tilt up and down depending on the distribution of weight along its length. The movement of the installation follows a fundamental law of classical physics: an action at one point produces an effect at another. The rotational effect of a force—known as the moment of force—is determined by multiplying the force applied by its distance from the pivot.
Through this elementary physical principle, the work becomes a living metaphor for democracy. Each participant occupies a position in space, and each position carries a different degree of influence depending on its distance from the center. The balance of the structure is therefore not determined by a single individual, but by the collective configuration of many bodies acting together. Small shifts in position can alter the equilibrium of the entire system.
As participants move, negotiate space, and respond to the changing tilt of the platform, they experience a direct physical sensation of collective decision-making. The installation transforms abstract political concepts—balance of power, representation, and critical mass—into a tangible bodily experience. Participants become aware that their presence and position inevitably affect others, just as others affect them.
The title “Here and There” refers to the relational nature of influence. What happens “here” inevitably produces consequences “there.” In this sense, the work reflects on the original spirit embedded in the word democracy, derived from the Greek demos (people) and kratos (power): the power of the people emerges only through the dynamic relationship between individuals within a shared system.
As more participants enter the structure, the platform oscillates between equilibrium and imbalance. These shifting conditions create moments of instability, negotiation, and cooperation. The installation thus becomes a spatial choreography of social interaction, where the physical sensation of weight, distance, and movement mirrors the fragile and constantly evolving balance of democratic society.
In “Here and There,” a simple playground apparatus becomes a socio political device—revealing how the distribution of presence, action, and responsibility among many individuals shapes the balance of the whole.
by Eiji Sumi
Boundary of society in conflict through the balance act of play
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_DdKJCsQaka5cPRIYHrj_8IGbb-gNWeb/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=114279128973515907795&rtpof=true&sd=true (Please clickabove for further reading)