For my thesis project,  I’ve created the “Molding Life” interaction installation, which are the “back to back” and “face to face” prototypes, made of steel pieces with a thin layer of soft felt inside them. These two positions I chose are not something that people are used to posing in every day. Because of the small, constrained shapes, warm-toned felt, and ambiguous touching or non-touching state, even in a extraordinary heightened state of self-consciousness, people would still hopefully feel relaxed and rested. I want audiences to slow down and take some time staying inside the installation, and feeling the other and the warm small spaces, which are meant for just two people, in public. 

 

In today’s society, humans have little opportunity for taking a moment to be “off” in a comfortable and enjoyable environment. In the scarcity of having such a physical place of retreat, we often escape to our “online home” and use this virtual place of residence to represent our identities to a larger degree than our traditionally homes. We are used to living in this overwhelming information world. Being productive and efficient is one of the most important standard requests for modern people who work for a living. When the hustle and bustle of the physical city gets too intense and we have a natural reaction to have a “time out”, is it possible to physically create your own feeling of “home” within a city – a place where you can take the time to feel yourself reflected in your surroundings, offering a moment for contemplation? I am providing people with their own personal place of retreat without having to leave the city – not online, but rather within a physical moment of peace and quiet amidst the noise.

 

Available at Gallery Z, Providence, RI