Melting Distance

Interactive Installation

2021 | 3-Week Project | 2 People Team

Role
Engineer, Designer
Tool
Arduino, Blender, Rhino

Even though we are separated by invisible barrier at this special time, the desire to build the connection between us is unquenchable. One day, the iceberg melt, the bridge built, and we are connected again.

Background

In the context of the pandemic, because of the need for social distancing, many places setup a transparent divider between people. Although our sense of sight and hearing is not affected, the most important physical connection and interaction between people is separated. In this project, we try to convey that even though we are separated, the desire for us to build our connection with beloved is unquenchable.

Ideation

At the beginning, the idea is to design a dividing board in between two people, which people can interact on two sides. And visually they are connected, but physically separated by the board. And we came to the idea of having a transparent box and having some visual effect in the box to indicate the connection.

Dividing boards

Then, we decided to use ferrofluid to indicate the invisible connection between two. And designed the installation in the shape of iceberg as the metaphor of the interaction is freeze during pandemic.

When two people on the two sides of the installation use the magnets to connect the ferrofluid between them, icebergs will be illuminated. When they interact with each other in different ways, there will be different lighting effects. The purpose of this project is to rethink the way people interact with each other and to encourage an alternative and safe way to deepen that connection.

Ferrofluid