To represent her sensation that spoken words are somewhat tactile and occupy a certain space, Japanese artist Hisako Kroiden Yamakawa created Kododama, an installation of interactive voice containers.

Objects made of polyester and rubber float in the exhibition space, their shape inspired by the voice bubbles of comics.

When a visitors picks up a stethoscope and touches the voice bubble object, s/he can listen to messages which have previously been stored inside the bubble by others. To record a message into the bubble the user touches the nozzle of the voice bubble and speaks into the microphone integrated, while a small light indicates the recording process. The recording also triggers the voice bubble to inflate through integrated compressors and pump. But the bubble gradually deflates when users listen to the messages through the stetoscope.

Related: planting sounds in the city, communication via urban audio tags.