As light passes through matter, it paradoxically obscures vision—This contradiction inspired the creation of MIRAGE CUBE.

This spatial installation explores the relationships between light, transparency, and reflection, drawing from the concept of a “world of translucent opacity” in Architectural Optics. Through close observation of water tanks, Nishi noticed how reflections of light on water—though transparent—transform space like a mirror. To materialize this phenomenon, he developed a unique acrylic cube capable of retaining water, where light refracts and reflects intricately, generating a prismatic, iridescent environment.

Within this work, the boundary between transparency and opacity wavers, constantly reconstructing the viewer’s perception. As light travels through the inner structure, it blurs the focal point of vision, transforming space itself into a phenomenon.

MIRAGE CUBE marks the origin of Nishi’s optical exploration—an experiment that redefines light through architectural structure, where optical phenomena and poetic spatial composition converge to evoke a deeply perceptual experience.