Final Project

Project Proposal

Construct & Destroy

concept:

Construct and Destroy is a thought-provoking interactive artwork that uses projected video and interactive elements as a medium to explore the human quest for construction and destruction. The work features a figure building blocks in the video, and while in the midst of construction, the viewer can interact with it. By pushing the hovering circle, the viewer is personally involved in the cycle of construction and destroy. This visual and interactive combination is a symbol of the constant search for the delicate balance between creation and destruction, allowing the viewer to contemplate the inherent nature of mankind in the art space.

layout & improvement

Based on the previous concept, I’ve been working on creating a more immersive experience for the audience. I’ve introduced additional visual elements with more lighting and auditory elements through music to engage the audience’s sensory perceptions. I’ve incorporated a spotlight to ensure that people notice the hovering circle, especially for those who might be solely focused on watching the videos and overlook the interactive nature of the piece. Additionally, a text guide will be show on the floor when audiences enter in the spotlight area, providing instructions for the audience.

tools & software

progress

The connection between the distance sensor and Arduino has been successfully established during in the class.

Additionally, I’ve integrated this setup into TouchDesigner. The next steps involve recording the videos and determining the hover circle to trigger the interactive collapse in TouchDesigner.

Furthermore, I plan to use the distance sensor in TouchDesigner to initiate the appearance of a text guide on the floor.

Final Project

GOOD LIFE

Xuemei Ge

concept

Good Life is an interactive artwork that aims to reveal the real meaning behind Asian people’s pursuit of “good life” under the pressure of the cultur-al environment. Through audience interaction, the work shows how sociapressure squeezes the individual, and hopes to provoke thoughts on thedefinition of happiness……

Intruduction

1. Inspiration

People want to live the life they pursue. Different countries and different people have different definitions of what is a good life, but in some countries, the “good life” they pursue is defined and limited by social and cultural environment, they have to start a family early, take out a loan to buy a house, raise children to care for themselves in their old age, etc. They have been taught since childhood that this is the life you want to pursue, and then they work day and night, giving up their dreams, exhausting their bodies, numbing their minds, and becoming an unfeeling machine. Is the “good life” they pursue really what they want?

So I wanted to create an interactive work that would expose this, and in the process of interacting with the work, the audience would be luckily provoked to think about it and find the good life they really want to live……

2. Visual part

Tools：Touchdesigner / HeyGen

Pre-interaction visual part:

The use of three bubbles in the overall visualization is to express that they are in their own bubbles, thinking that they are pursuing something higher, but in fact, they are very fragile and unreal.

The three bubbles represent the three standards of happiness in our society: marriage, family, career. The three groups keep repeating the standard of happiness they are looking for ……

…… LEFT: “ I have to find someone to marry and start a family before I turn thirty and become a good wife……” MIDDLE: “We have to buy a big house and pay off the loans until we’re 60. We also have to have a baby so he can take care of us when we are old.……” RIGHT: “ I have to find a good job and try to make lots of money. That’s the way to be successful……” ……

For the AI Avatar:

Character expressions with happiness and cheerfulness were intentionally generated through AI, hoping to express an unreal sense of happiness.

Post-interaction visual part:

By squeezing the heart, the overall color turns red and the person is squeezed out of shape. These images are my way of expressing that these people who are pursuing the “good life” as defined by the society, are in fact under tremendous pressure, which has already crushed them into deformity and breathlessness.

The rows of vertical lines in the image also want to express that they are actually trapped in a cage, even though they shout loudly and press hard, they are still trapped in this cage.

The overall image design intentionally designed this contrasting contrast, on the surface it looks as if they are all smiling and living as if they are happy. But in reality, they have been pressurized by this pursuit and have no freedom. ……

Heart visual part:

A fluctuating circle is used to reflect the level of pressure, making the pressure visualization more directly shown to the audience. It can also be used as an instruction.

The Visual Creation Process：

3. Interactive device — Heart

Tools：Blender / 3D Print

I chose the heart as the interactive device because I was touched by the news of many cases of sudden cardiac deaths in China due to overwork and stress. If I were to use one of the organs in the human body as a representation of pressure, I think the brain and the heart might be the best ones, but the brain doesn’t seem to have the squeezing action, but the heart squeezing is a very good way to represent pressure.