Final Critique: One area I'd especially like feedback on is how the work comes across to people and if it fits their idea of a reflection space. How the reflection box is perceived and what a space is differs from person to person, but getting different insights will really help inform my decisions as I build the work.
Summary
Specularity, an interactive infinity room, beckons viewers to shape their unique experience by engaging with its reflective environment. Covered entirely in mirrors, entrants encounter their reflection alongside an interactive display. This mirrored surface presents three distinct options for viewers to select, influencing their immersive encounter. They can opt to engage with their reflection, by crafting a digital persona, embarking on guided introspection, or by utilizing the room to cultivate a meditative experience. In this symbiotic relationship, the room relies on the viewer's presence for operation, while the viewer, in turn, relies on the room to craft their experience.
Proposal
While crafting my proposal, I kept my guiding question in mind: If you swapped with your past self and gazed into this metaphorical mirror, would you recognize yourself? In other terms, how frequently do you engage in self-reflection? I want to emphasize the significance of introspection, as navigating daily life can become overwhelming, and ceaseless pursuit of goals often leads to burnout, posing risks to mental health. My proposal is to create an interactive infinity room to provide a space for self reflection. The room will be built in the manner of a traditional infinity room, with mirrors on all sides. The mirror opposite the entrance doubles as a smart display. Once inside, the viewer is welcomed by the display, presenting three choices: "persona," "introspection," or "meditate." Viewers are encouraged to explore these options to shape their experience. There is no right or wrong experience; only the one they choose to create.
Considering an open gallery space at the Hammer Theatre for the DMA exhibition, the only major requirements for my installation are a 10x10 ft space and access to an electrical outlet, preferably on the floor. Ideally, the room should be visible from all four sides, avoiding adjacency to a wall, allowing observers to walk around it. The exterior will be painted black, to keep it simple and invite curiosity. I will include a discreet sign on the exterior for interactivity guidelines. For the actual build, I’ve split it into two processes: the physical build and the digital build. The physical build will involve prototyping the structure, constructing the frame, and attaching the mirrors to the interior. Materials sourcing includes finding wood for the frame, a suitable display, and appropriate mirrors for the interior. For the digital build, I’ll prototype the interactive interface using Figma. I’ll utilize Adobe CC programs to create the graphics for the interface. Once I have a working prototype, I will convert it into an HTML website and host it on a Raspberry Pi to be set up on a display. Some considerations include accessibility, structural soundness, and functionality.
My hope for this project is to provide a space for interactees to enter a state of self reflection and that they exit the space with a better understanding of what introspection can do for their wellbeing.
Installation Layout
Key Materials
Physical Build
Digital Build
Key Benchmarks
Methodology for project management: Notion and Gantt Chart(weekly progress)
Basic Budget (est.)
Material costs = $600
*The most cost heavy material are the mirrors and display. An option I will test as an alternative is to use reflective mirror film on wood, so I would only need to buy one mirror. The other option is to borrow a display.
Other costs(photographer, reception, buffer) = $300
Note: These are out of pocket costs estimated on the higher end, there are other alternatives such as borrowing a display from DMA which could bring the cost down.
Image Documentation
“There is no glory in a grind that literally grinds you down to dust.” - Elaine Welteroth