The Projects

Black Friday is a virtual experience in a department store that explores the beauty there is in the deterioration of man-made, of nature reclaiming its space and thriving within and without human encroachment. It also encourages the player to reflect on our consumerist tendencies through a poetic narrative. The typography of the narrative mimics retail spaces that constantly fight for our attention, forcing us to look at the next offer before we’re done looking at one. It reminds the player of malls being the architects of our false desires, wanting you to take in more than you came in for.

This scene centers around the idea of bringing rehabilitation to an abandoned space that has fallen into disrepair because of neglect and poor economic conditions for the owners. Additionally I sought to give the users an engaging and rewarding way of bringing new life and vitality to this space. As the user enters the space they are confronted with the conditions of what a once thriving mall would look like after several years of neglect, leaving nature to reclaim what once resided in the area.

Regeneration is a room that explores the participatory process of dynamically reclaiming space, immersed in the desolation of past capitalist prosperity. Participants are prompted to select a plant to fill the room with, and to design this space with their creativity. The space can be used to meditate as the participants stand inside their traces of nature or look through the glass panes. The later visitors can make additions to the room as a powerful continuation of life and hope.

The interaction reveals itself as you walk closer to the store front located in the top back corner of the shopping mall. The sound of turbulent wind appears as you walk closer and what appears to be particles of snow begin to spill into the mall from one of the store fronts. Looking into the store front, the player is greeted by a transitional space usually seen in traditional japanese architecture. This is a space that acts as a gateway to nature which lies on the back most wall of the room. Upon entering the space, the sound of wind and snow becomes louder. As you touch the back wall you are immediately transported to the middle of a frozen lake during a snowstorm with towering mountains in the distance.

Butterfly Garden allows the visitor to transform a cold and empty space into one full of flowers, butterflies, and ambient lighting. They are encouraged to take their time and enjoy the environment. The project aims to focus on mental health, especially mindfulness and meditation, and provides a soothing "outdoor" space where the visitor can take a moment to relax and remember the beauty of nature, even if it is virtual.

The Twilight Years is a virtual reality otherworld, encouraging the player to travel via screen past the cracked, fading veneer of capitalism to an ethereal, dreamlike realm. The experience of teleporting via screen to another realm while we can only see each other through screens is a form of wish fulfillment, a commentary on our pandemic experiences. In this scene, the player may wander amongst dusty shelves, play music, and bring life to the otherwise dying mall.

This Arboretum is reminiscent of a small garden space that lets the player experience a therapeutic environment surrounded by natural elements like flowers and butterflies by having designated areas to observe and indulge in the growth and comfort. The concept attempts to utilize a set of small motions and interactions to give a sense of breathing, caring, nurturing, and an opportunity to associate with nature that we do not see in our day-to-day life.

The cinema is desolate, empty rows of seats show no signs of the premier of Pixar’s Onward from March 2020. Clicking on the cassette player next to the movie theatre allows one to toggle through the collection of videos displaying stock footage of people commuting, working, gathering, and then eventually shift to videos of the events of the current pandemic. The ambient lighting from the spotlights surrounding the movie theatre also correlate with the content appearing on the screen, using the average color of each frame as the color for each light source. Each seat is able to be clicked on to move the player to the seated position.

Aquascape Aquarium is bringing a therapeutic experience that stems from loneliness and feeling alienated in an abandoned aquarium underground that is home to many fish schools. The scene calls to question the isolated worlds that we are living in while virtually staying connected thanks to the internet and contemporary technology. This scene is inspired by the New World Mall Building in Bangkok, Thailand. Similar to the marine ecosystem in this space, we can observe networks of people ever connected but separated by external forces.