Lighting the way

Personal Statement

When I burnt out and I needed to recharge myself, I went out to walk in the natural environment. In the moments when I interacted with nature, I had catharsis and it made me feel the biggest healing and smile. Since COVID hitting, I was stuck at home for almost two years. It made me crave travel and the interactions with nature. Meanwhile, I found out that the bathtub is my healing place in my little apartment. So, my imagination started from what if I can bring the natural environment into our indoor space and it starts from my bathtub like a portal?

The biggest inspiration is from the journey of the Pilgrimage Routes to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. It was a spiritual 40 days journey I took to walk the french way. I walked alone in 2011 and 2019. It was a very meaningful to have time for self-reflection along with the elements of nature in the way. Also, I remember the euphoric and meditative moments during this journey, such as walking through the tunnel with the amazing background scenery,  walking the infinity green field with birds singing, walking a wet trail right after stopped raining, walking with the sun rising, being chased by hail and finally getting totally wet.

Water is another inspiration for me feeling soothing and relaxing. So, I collected these moments that I am absolutely recharged from being a part of nature with the sound that I recorded in that moment. I recreated these experiences into a light and sound installation in VR as a little path in symbolic and abstract way.

ROLE

Concept, Interaction Design, Art Direction & Visual Design, Production, Spatial sound design, storytelling

YEAR

2021

TOOLS & TECHNOLOGIES

Unreal Engine, Audition, Premiere Pro, Oculus Quest2, Cinema4D

Sound collaborator

Pippa Kelmenson


Project Summary Description

I am exploring the desire I have had this year for my pre-Covid means of relaxation, escape, and connection through the re-creation in VR of the healing power of my personal immersive experiences in water, nature and the city.

Thesis3.007.jpeg
Thesis3.008.jpeg

WHY Do I think about this idea?

When I burnt out and I needed to recharge myself, I went out to walk in the natural environment. In the moments when I interacted with nature, I had catharsis and it made me feel the biggest healing and smile. Since Covid hitting, I was stuck at home for almost two years. It made me crave travel and the interactions with nature. Meanwhile, I found out that the bathtub is my healing place in my little apartment. So, my imagination started from what if I can bring the natural environment into our indoor space and it starts from my bathtub like a portal?

Thesis3.010.jpeg

designed the little path in symbolic and abstract way by using sound and light.

Thesis3.011.jpeg

Inspiration

The biggest inspiration is from the journey of the Pilgrimage Routes to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. It was a spiritual 40 days journey I took to walk the French way.

Thesis3.012.jpeg
Thesis3.013.jpeg

walking through the tunnel with the amazing background scenery, 

walking the infinity green field with birds singing,

walking a wet trail right after stopped raining,

walking with the sun rising,

being chased by hail and finally getting totally wet

Thesis3.014.jpeg

Soothing and relaxing. Recreated these experiences into a light and sound installation in VR.

Thesis3.015.jpeg

Influences

Thesis3.017.jpeg

The work <Utopia> was made in 2019, physical interactive light installation. I made a poetic light with playing music.

Thesis3.018.jpeg

And then I made an abstract interactive light sculpture <The forest> with the concept of the nature in 2020.

Thesis3.019.jpeg

These artists above are I was inspired by. 

Olafur is an artist using nature objects in public space.

Alex’s work is good example of surrealistic space and installation.

Jonathan’s work is showing the textures and architecture can be used in abstract way in VR.

Thesis3.021.jpeg

People can walk through the tunnel and hear the specialized walking sound. I mixed and redesigned the sound from my actual journey and music from musician Pippa Kelmenson.

Users can touch, interact, see, feel the sound in the light sculpture with spatial sound design like existing in the natural environment of the journey.

Next step The next step is going to be making a social space with more interactions and more installations inspired from other natural objects in stories. I will listen more stories and create new things that makes people enjoy.

Thank you