Silent Whisper
Junru Chen
Advisor: Sharleen Smith
“Silent Whisper” —an immersive analogy of human societies to magnetic systems, advocating for the importance of external observation in understanding cultural and social dynamics
Abstract
“Silent Whisper” is inspired by my trip to Iceland. When I was standing among glaciers, in the middle of nowhere, I saw that time was frozen within it. The trail of wind, illustrated by volcanic ash, was compressed into the glacier chronologically. With the absence of human societies, people were battered by the howling wind and snow, swaying like wild grass, which made me suddenly realize how small individuals are. Through interactive visual effects, physical installations, and multi-sensory experience, “Silent Whispers” triggers people's awareness of the invisible forces that shaped them into who they are, which are so taken for granted that they rarely realize they exist.
Technical Details
Physical Installation: Magnets, Iron Powder, Stepper Motor, LED, Arduino, Pinewood, Acrylic, Glass Bottles, DC Power
Visual Effect: Kinect 1414, OpenFrameWork, Touch Designer, MadMapper
Research/Context
In the text "The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind," Gustave Le Bon suggests that distancing oneself from the crowd facilitates critical thinking. Human societies are like a magnetism system. where individuals, much like particles, are continually drawn towards the stronger magnet. While some particles may escape the magnetic field as the system moves, they are easily recaptured by the magnetic force upon nearing it again. Humans, as vessels of their culture, education, and childhood experiences, can best engage in critical thinking by stepping back from their origins to assume the role of an observer. Consequently, I introduced a reversal of orientation in the interaction of visitors within the space. When audiences enter the space for a closer inspection of the magnetic system, they only perceive partial visual effects. However, when they choose to stand outside the space as witnesses, they can have a complete view.
Further Reading
The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind, Gustav Le Bon;
Life And Death Are Wearing Me Out, by Mo Yan;
What Life Could Mean To You, Alfred Adler;
Misogyny, by Chizuko Ueno;
100 Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez;
The Third Polar