“Woodzenture”

 

The concept of “Woodzenture” installation:

This is a concept of a healing space where it serves to comfort and reminds people that by setting realistic goals, we can overcome setbacks in life. Wood will be the main medium in this interactive space because of the warm natural beige colour that can potentially give off a zen feel when the participants enter the space.

These hanging wooden baskets represent different goals in life. The size and shapes of the baskets represent the vibrancy of life. Wooden baskets will be hanging down at different heights representing near and far life goals where some goals are easy to reach and some are harder.

 

Hanging Wooden Baskets to represent goals in life:

The baskets contain various incentives which represent milestones in life. Participants are encouraged to use the unique tool attached underneath the basket to reach up in attempt to pick up something from the basket.

In a way, participants are exhibiting the autonomy to choose and set the goals in their life by selecting the basket to try the activity. With the baskets hanging down and the active action of reaching up, it represents a synergy of effort to strike a balance while pursuing our goals.

After succeeding for a basket, participants are encouraged to try different baskets as life goals should be set continuously, achieving one after another.

 

How to interact!

 

PROCESS: 

Initial Experimentations:

With the idea of life goals, my initial experiments started out with using balloons hanging at different heights instead of ice cream sticks baskets.

The concept of Interactive Space Project:

These balloons represent different goals in life. The colours represent the vibrancy of life together with the desire to strike a balance in everything we do.

 

Balloon Curtain: [Represents the birth of life]

Participants can choose to enter the installation via the balloon curtain. These are long balloons filled with some water to simulate the realistic weight of a curtain.

Hanging Balloons to represent goals in life: [some goals are easy to reach while some are harder]

1) Circular wire meshes with balloons hanging down from it at different heights. The balloons contain different materials in it. For instance: water, beans, flour, foam beads etc. Participants are encouraged to reach up and squeeze the balloons to feel the texture.

Long-Standing Balloons: [Desire to strike a balance and proactively attempting to reach your goal]

2) The floor will be filled with standing long balloons with a weight at the bottom. Participants are encouraged to lift these long balloons and place in under a chosen hanging balloon where the felt texture is preferred.

HOWEVER…….

There are technical issues faced such as balloons bursting suddenly and fast deflations, making the balloon material unsustainable and unsuitable for this project. Hence, upon searching for other suitable materials, I found that popsicle sticks (cheaper wood) may be a possible material for this project.

 

Ice Cream Sticks Journey:

After researching further and thinking about how to express my concept using popsicle sticks, I have decided to make my own popsicle sticks baskets. I used about approximately 2000~ popsicle sticks.

More time was spent thinking about the design and orientation of the sticks than making the basket itself because I need the baskets to have a few characteristics: Uniqueness (different life goals-size/shape), Sturdiness (will be putting in “goals” so it needs to at least withstand the weight when hung), Able to withstand drilling of the base (for hanging). On average, I can make about 1 basket a day or if I am fast in coming up with the design, a maximum of 2 baskets a day. [Each basket requires about 2-3 hrs for gluing.]

As there are 11 baskets in total, I have chosen 2 baskets making sessions to show in the process video along with the making of “goals”- gluing velcro on the wooden balls and sticking velcro on each sweet. The purpose of making glue dots on wooden balls (featured in the last part of the video) is actually to let the dots act as a stopper to prevent the balls from rolling all over ADM if anyone happens to drop them.

After the first few basket making sessions, I realised that it is easy to stick the sticks in the “wrong manner”. As it is a layered structure, it is important to remind and check that the sticks are always in balance. Each individual stick has to rest on the other in a straight line, it cannot be a diagonal top-bottom layer as that will result in a heavily imbalanced structure.

Drilling for hanging: 

    

Putting in the “goals”:

Setting up the basket station for wooden balls and blocks:

Participants are free to take ” incentive goals” with them if they managed to pick them up, e.g. biscuits, jelly, sweets etc. However, if they picked up wooden balls and blocks, they are encouraged to return them at the basket station.

Popsicle Baskets: