New York–based audio designer Devon Turnbull has unveiled his latest project, Between Space & Sound (Ma no Oto), at the Karimoku Research Center in Tokyo. The exhibition, open from February 21st through June 5th, 2026, is a deeply considered sound installation that investigates the relationship between space and sound through craft, architecture, and acoustic philosophy.
Presented in collaboration with Karimoku Furniture and Turnbull’s own brand OJAS, the project forms part of Survey 03: Form Follows Feelings. At its core lies a central question: What is function, and how does it relate to feeling?
A sound installation rooted in craft and emotion
More than a display of high-end audio equipment, Between Space & Sound positions sound as a physical and emotional presence. Turnbull, invited as lead researcher for the collaboration launching in 2025, worked closely with Karimoku’s artisans, visiting the company’s Aichi factory to translate his intricate speaker designs into sculptural wooden forms.
The result is a trio of newly developed speakers—Sanjo, Rokujo, and Nurikabe—realized through advanced 3D-machining and veneering techniques. Historically known for plywood constructions, Turnbull’s OJAS systems here evolve into complex wooden curvatures, pushing beyond functionality into a realm where acoustic objects become spatial experiences.
Displayed alongside a custom seating system designed by Turnbull, the speakers are framed by monumental wooden horn structures, also produced using cutting-edge three-dimensional processing. Together, they create a resonant environment that encourages visitors to feel sound as much as hear it.
Interpreting the Japanese concept of Ma
The exhibition unfolds as an architectural meditation on the Japanese concept of Ma—the idea of interval or negative space that exists between physical forms, moments in time, and even within human perception.
On the first floor, The Archive introduces Sound House, a tranquil listening room inspired by the intimacy of a traditional tea room. Wrapped in a halftone UV-printed exterior, the structure reads as both instrument and architecture. Custom acoustic panels dampen external noise, while a turntable and the Rokujo speakers anchor the room’s contemplative center. Visitors are invited to sit, listen, and experience the subtle tension between sound, silence, and the space in between.
The second floor, Materials Lab, operates as a public listening space featuring a powerful wooden horn speaker system. Typically fabricated in metal, these horns have been fully realized in wood through Karimoku’s advanced 3D-processing technology—an achievement that underscores the harmony between precision engineering and artisanal woodworking.
In the basement Study area, the complete collection—Sanjo, Rokujo, and Nurikabe—is presented in variations of pewter gray and pure oak finishes, demonstrating how material choices transform not only aesthetic expression but acoustic perception itself.
Throughout the exhibition, Turnbull’s guiding philosophy remains clear: form is not merely dictated by utility, but by emotion. This immersive sound installation ultimately suggests that audio design, when approached through the lens of the Japanese concept of Ma, can reshape how we inhabit space—bringing rhythm, presence, and a renewed sense of richness to everyday life.
