tokyo art culture

One isolated orbit—two artists converse through monitors in a retro-futuristic satellite

Refn and Kojima have been in communication for over a decade, and now they present their collaborative installation, Satellites.

Nicolas Winding Refn is a Danish film director born in 1970, who gained recognition at age 24 with his film Pusher. In 2011, he won the Best Director Award at the Cannes Film Festival for Drive.

Hideo Kojima is a renowned Japanese game creator best known for Death Stranding. He is also recognized as an innovator in visual storytelling, blending cinematic techniques with game media to create immersive narratives.

Satellites features six retro-futuristic TV monitors designed to resemble UFOs. Each screen displays Refn and Kojima engaging in conversations about technology, creativity, identity, communication, death, and what remains after death. Refn speaks in English, while Kojima speaks in Japanese.

The installation is divided into some spaces. One is styled like a living room, with two TVs facing each other, surrounded by sofas and shaded lamps. Visitors can sit and watch the dialogue unfold in a cozy, domestic setting.

Another room is arranged like a bedroom, where two TVs are aligned at the foot of a bed. Visitors are invited to lie down and watch the conversation in a more relaxed, intimate atmosphere.

In the other part of the exhibit, a large collection of cassette tapes is displayed—each containing recordings of Refn and Kojima’s dialogues, AI translated into multiple languages. Visitors can use cassette players to mix and play the tapes, creating their own unique version of the conversation.