Questions:

• Interaction created for participants
• Intention of this interaction
• Can you identify the anatomy of this interactive system?

The Leap of Faith by Teng Kai Wei

Faith is taking that first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase, trusting that it will lead you to your desired destination. Oftentime, we underestimate the importance of how every little step we take paves the way to a complete and fulfilling life journey.

Teng kai wei shows how we grow stronger from difficult situations, and how the experience gained allows us to navigate better and closer to our dreams. That, in itself, is the sweetest life brings- when we take the leap of faith.

This installation is awarded under the singapore night festival’s open call.

The interaction for this art piece starts from seeing the big Chinese character for ‘people’, representing one’s lifetime. Coming closer, it is as though you are approaching the inside of your life. Each step lights up when you step on it, indicating how you succeed lighting up and completing that step in life. When you leap from one step to one that is further away, it is seen as though you have succeeded in overcoming a difficult hurdle in life. The interaction created seems to allow someone to experience going through their life from start to end, sometimes allowing them to cross different paths (different decisions they make in life) in a physical representation. Every step taken is important in paving out life journey, and we are the ones making that decision each time. I assume that this art piece is a creation from pressure sensors and touch sensors which triggers the lights. While I couldn’t really complete the path properly because there were so many kids playing, but looking at the kids repeatedly play makes me wonder if it would be possible to interpret that as the kids not giving up in going on their path of life.

 

Ember Rain by Starlight Alchemy

 

Create a mesmerizing downpour of sparkling embers as you pedal on a bicycle in this interactive fire sculpture. The sparks generated represent catalysts of ideation and innovation, while the tower’s lotus-shaped petals symbolize the rebirth, purity and beauty of ideas flowing through space.

Ember Rain is meant to symbolize the rebirth, purity and beauty of ideas flowing through space whenever you work hard into creating them. The sparks, raining down when one pedals on the bicycle linked with a pulley system to shake the sparks down, are beautiful and illuminated in the night sky. The audience will get to feel that they have to physically, tirelessly work their feet off in order to keep the beauty of ideas flowing- nothing is free in this world. These embers are mesmerising to look at, showing how the human brain is so capable of creating equally beautiful ideas. The harder you paddle, the more sparks will rain down and prove themselves true. This intimate humanity is also further emphasized by how the cycling was not exactly smooth (has obstacles), how the sparks imitate a flower growing, and how you have to work for the wishes you put into the bucket.