FAN-SEE: A collaborative website for fans

Fan-see is a crowdsourced video project which recreates a fans' version of the Fancy music video to show the creativity and engagement of K-pop fans.

Yiqi Chang

https://youtu.be/lcLzSzxvZCQ

Description

Fans can select any frame from the Fancy music video and redraw it in their ways. Then, fans are asked to upload their drawings to the website. All the frames will be pieced together to recreate a fans’ version of the music video. Fan-see’s goal is to present the K-pop fandom as a group of active audiences. K-pop fans engage with the K-pop industry and act as participatory consumers. They not only consume music but also create their artworks ranging from drawings to videos. Borrowing the frame-by-frame music video style from the Johnny Cash project that was created in memory of the American musician Johnny Cash, Fan-see tries to showcase transnational K-pop fans’ involvement in community and creativity.

IMA/IMB Shanghai
INTM-SHU.401.2
Capstone Studio (Shanghai)
Culture

A Reflection on Lookism

An interactive face fortune telling/plastic surgery consultation that reflects on lookism and gwansang in South Korea.

Jessica Chon

https://youtu.be/cHf-VaSzmQ4

Description

Inspired by the cultural phenomena of lookism and gwansang, A Reflection on Lookism serves as a medium for users to question the significance of appearance in their daily lives. Lookism is appearance-based discrimination, while gwansang is Korean face fortune telling. Both are significant cultural aspects of South Korea, and I was particularly moved by the connection between the two. People feel the need to succeed and believe that they need to meet specific beauty standards to do so. As they undergo cosmetic procedures to improve their appearance and seek reassurance that their looks will be accepted by society, face fortune tellers cannot reaffirm this fortune, as their natural faces have been altered. I convey this irony through my consultation that is hosted on a simulated plastic surgery clinic website I created. The consultation is held virtually in a tent that is meant to mimic a fortune telling stall in South Korea, but with more “high-end” elements to give the professional feel of a clinic consultation.

The reason I combine both a clinic and stall is because when I enter fortune telling tents in Korea, there is a mixed feeling of hesitation and excitement because fortune telling, I believe, is mysterious in itself. As for the hesitation, trying to experience something that is so “powerful” and mystifying in such an unexpected tent seems strange. I want users to feel this emotion to capture the fortune telling experience. On the other hand, I also wanted to recreate the intimidation I feel when entering medical clinics. At times, I find going to a doctor intimidating. Everything is pristine and you’re suddenly hyper-aware of your medical knowledge and lifestyle habits. I want users to also feel this type of uncertainty that I feel when I go to medical clinics.

IMA/IMB Shanghai
INTM-SHU.401.2
Capstone Studio (Shanghai)
Culture,Narrative/Storytelling

Visual Emotions: A Multi-sensory Documentary Photography Series

It is an audiovisual installation that creates a sonic viewing experience for digital photography.

Zeping Fei

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jp_sksC-dq8

Description

Visual Emotions: A Multi-sensory Documentary Photography Series is an audiovisual installation that creates a sonic viewing experience for digital photography. Photographic contents were shot on one of the oldest and most vibrant morning markets in Harbin and audio contents were recorded separately during each shooting process. Field recordings are analyzed as audio spectra in Touchdesigner that affect positions, colors, brightness, and sizes of pixels in rendered photos. In my photography world, each shutter press is triggered by an emotional resonance between the self and the environment, and the use of audio data translates these personal emotions that arise from each situation and are unique to each photograph. By engaging both visual and auditory sensations from the audience, this project proposes an alternative to displaying and viewing photographic works and. This work aims for arousal in people’s photography viewing experience and opens up more space for imagination and interpretation of visual and audio information. It intends to reflect on how economic instability caused by COVID-19 is gradually affecting common people’s living conditions. This series translates the artist’s emotional resonance with the pandemic, speaks for the calmness within ordinary as well as the longing for hope within helplessness during the toughest time in human history.

IMA/IMB Shanghai
INTM-SHU.401.2
Capstone Studio (Shanghai)
Sound,Art

Our Time Compared and Visualized: Optimistically Looking Forward

A series of clay dioramas that show human life in three different time periods: the industrial revolution, the modern day and in a post-labor utopian future.

Patricia Wier

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJJ9XcH_3So

Description

The chief purpose of my project is to present my idea of a utopian future in which robots do all work. It explores what could drive humans without work. Also, it explores what humans do with their time in three different time periods: the industrial revolution, the modern-day, and in this utopian future. The time periods are presented to help the audience better understand the stark differences between them and the potential for the future. Many dramatic things were happening in regards to labor during the industrial revolution, including machines replacing humans to some degree. My utopian idea is addressing the common perception that machinery taking over jobs is a bad thing and it challenges pessimistic views of the future.

I chose the diorama form because these kinds of ideas are, in my experience, usually presented in written form. Presenting this project in diorama form speaks to an audience in a different way. A diorama is a more concrete, immersive, and clear presentation of my idea. Although similar ideas to mine exist, my idea is in a new form and puts certain issues such as humans’ new purpose at the forefront. The diorama form was cemented in museums soon after the industrial revolution so that adds to my longing to include that time period. I would like people to have a more optimistic view of the future and understand several ways in which machines can continue to improve our lives.

IMA/IMB Shanghai
INTM-SHU.401.2
Capstone Studio (Shanghai)
Art

Extinction Party – Spring Show

An educational puzzle game that explores the history of life on Earth.

Topher Blair

https://vimeo.com/415729116

Description

What do you do when the world falls apart? Extinction Party is an educational puzzle game that explores the history of life on Earth by looking at the five major mass extinction events. It will take the form of a 3-foot high standing pentagon shape, with each side of the pentagon containing fun ways for participants to explore what life looked like before and after the extinction, and how why scientists think it happened in a certain way.

My thesis project is one side of this theoretical sculpture, which will be playable as a computer game. The game will be a proof of concept for a larger physical sculpture, which would be installed in a museum. I hope that both kids and adults will enjoy playing with it.

IMA/ITP New York
ITPG-GT.2099.00001, ITPG-GT.2193.001
Thesis Part 2: Production, Video Sculpture
Education,Play/Games

Bobst

How can the library experience be better?

Jaekook Han

https://expandingexperience.kr/Bobst

Description

“School libraries exist throughout the world as learning environments that provide space (physical and digital), access to resources, and access to activities and services to encourage and support student, teacher, and community learning.”

– IFLA School Library Guidelines, 2015

The Elmer Holmes Bobst Library is the main library at New York University, the core place where research takes place. Students and faculty visit the Bobst Library for their study and to interact with library functions as listed by the IFLA guidelines.

When I visited Bobst Library last semester, I had an unpleasant experience, where I spent a long time wandering around the library trying to find the right room and right bookshelf. There was no clear physical or digital way-finding indicator. This experience made me wonder if there are ways to help students and faculty navigate the library more efficiently. This marks the beginning of the project, Bobst.

Bobst focuses on the core function of the library, which is searching and finding a book.

The app shows you where to go and where to check, you can also keep and manage a record of the books you want. Furthermore, you can check the seat availability in the library to study. The original website asks users to open a new page to find book information, while the app’s intuitive user interface design reduces the steps it takes to find a book.

IMA/ITP New York
ITPG-GT.2099.00002
Thesis Part 2: Production
Mobile,Product Design

Noise and lulu's dream

I am using the noise data outside my window at night to visualize how reality is being reboardcasted into my dream.

Lu Lyu

https://youtu.be/ADVmVhAmMfw

Description

I never dream when I first come to new york. New York is noisy. However, during this time, the noise outside seems to be the most accessible reality of the outside world. By capturing data of the noises outside my window, I start to see my sleep is a combination of reality and my dream. So I am trying to visualize it.

IMA/ITP New York
ITPG-GT.2273.001, ITPG-GT.2053.001
The World, Pixel By Pixel, Data and Publics
Sound

Composition in Confinement

Composition in confinement is a new media performance where the world outside is re-interpreted is search of a personal physical voice for our current beauty.

Defne Onen

https://vimeo.com/412842543

Description

I find that I’m really interested in the untold story of the two procedures of artistic and technical aspects of a project growing together and learning from each other; being in constant dialogue.

What does this growth look like in my work? Can I depict this in a performance? Can I turn this dialogue into an underlying structure that I can keep using?

How can I build an immersive environment, a choreographed world or a performance within my home to bring my body and my mind together? How can I depict this world through light and movement?

IMA/ITP New York
ITPG-GT.2175.001, ITPG-GT.2102.00004
Choreographic Interventions, Thesis
Performance

Tofu

Tofu is a VR interactive installation that presents the consumption experience of convenience stores and street food in the city in a surreal way. It reflects consumers’ different relationships with food and the disappearing local marketplace culture behind this confrontation.

Nianqi Zhang

https://vimeo.com/412757973

Description

Tofu, an affordable ingredient with hundreds of shapes and cooking methods, is a common ingredient in China from ancient times and shows the evolvements in our eating habits. The virtual reality installation Tofu is showing these changes in a surreal way: The first chapter provides a scene of how young workers buy food in a convenience store. Players will find themselves getting off work in a city, entering a convenience store, and choosing different tofu products with appearing packages and marketing strategies. The second chapter is about the decreasing local food marketplace. The convenience store suddenly collapsed into soybeans, exposing players to a street food carnival where chili, fried tofu and other street food are wildly floating in the city. The third chapter shows how tofu is made in rural villages. The player will see villagers making the simplest tofu. In each chapter, players can grab and eat different forms of tofu, unlocking the voice narratives.

The piece is aiming to bring viewers a reflection on the changes in our consumption culture: In today's rapid urbanization, unified brands reconstruct our local life with their convenience and brand images. The market is promoting the disappearance of our neighborhood culture. City residents are enjoying the consumption of grand stories and values, but have little interest in getting to know the history of the street we live in, which is actually harmful to the diversity of our cities.

IMA/ITP New York
ITPG-GT.2102.00003
Thesis
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Form2Shape

Form2Shape is a tool that enables communication and web designers to create abstract graphics while learning about the history of design. I extracted abstract 2D shapes from iconic industrial designs of the 20th century that designers can easily customize and use in their own work.

S.J. Zhang

https://www.s-j-zhang.com

Description

Form2Shape is built for digital designers who want to learn more about 20th century industrial design history. Since all digital designs ultimately extend into real life, I believe learning broader design principles ultimately will make better digital designers. In a world where designers share templates and assets over the internet, new projects rarely have to start from scratch. That led me to think that it might be possible to slip in a piece of design history education to designers during the asset hunting process. So I built a tool where designers can quickly find abstract shapes, customize and use them. The twist is that all the shapes are inspired by iconic furniture and product designs of the 20th century. I hope when they pick an arbitrary shape for the look, they would spend a minute learning about where it came from.

IMA/ITP New York
ITPG-GT.2099.00003
Thesis Part 2: Production
ToolService,Product Design