One of my happiest memories as a kid was when I used to skip school with my friends and then go to the park to collect plant leaves and make handmade specimens. Not sure if I really loved plants at that time, but I at least experienced a little rebellious coolness from skipping class and coincidentally developed a sense of observing nature. Later I studied landscape architecture, and began to do more research and practice on plants, environmental design, and climate change. Rather than limiting my understanding of plants as a part of the human-designed environment, I wanted to enrich an awareness of contemporary issues and expand the notion of systems that meet the needs of today’s society.

Scanned copies of collected plant specimens (2010)

For Week 1-2, I have been brainstorming for my thesis. In-class exercises, group discussions, watchings and listenings, and the life design workshop have been helpful resources for coming up with potential concepts. Considering the interestingness, originality, challenge, and relevance to IMA, my current idea is to explore more equal modes of real-time communication between humans and non-humans species (e.g., plants) through interactive media.

Specifically, I think that the relationship between humans and nature is unfair, as if everything is designed for humans beings. From architects to urban planners, it has always put humans at the center and rarely carefully designed natural spaces. It seems that humans are at the center of all man-made or unman-made worlds. We should not be so anthropocentric. Plants are living beings too. Humans should learn a way to communicate with plants as equals.

Link to in-class possible design exercises

Link to my IMA projects

Link to my past portfolio

Link to an inspirational project