Category Archives: Research

Project Development and Planning Week 6 – Webinar All about Mycology and Field Trip to SAM

Webinar All about Mycology

Notes taken:

  • Mycology: Scientific study of mushrooms
    • Book on Identification and Biology of Mushrooms
      • Look similar, under microscope, but different structures spores gills and reaction to stains
    • The potential, behind the scenes, not just on the surface and looming beyond smaller people
    • Fungi represent urgency, currently hot topic
    • Film on Netflix, Fantastic Fungi, propelled to general common awareness / interest
      background in patent
    • Appeared on Facebook, mushroom coffin, to return to world as natural way as possible
    • Not deter people from joining or showing interest in mycology
  • Some counties on trying out using mushrooms to treat depression
    • Patients are able to get out of thought process by taking the mushrooms
  • Education for bio solutions
    • Use of plastics, with bio solution alternatives
    • Plants use of chemical fertiliser (obtain from rocks or chemical processes) not sustainable, but use of fungi as fertiliser can be useful but quality not consistent
    • Sustainable packaging, break down at correct time, reach customer at correct time
      • Durability, understanding of it
      • Where humidity plays a part
  • Not allowed to collect specimens without permit from parks and nature reserves, foraging not able to make it in Singapore

Field Trip to SAM

I feel the curated tour was very useful and I would have been lost as to how concepts and ideas for certain artworks came to be and why they were showcased as such. How could fungi affect and be in play with media to create something new and organic.

I also learnt more on the use of space and how having living organisms as part of the art:

  • Differs from time to time
    • Sound does or does not play
  • Changes over time
    • Fungi continues growing
  • Have to be properly prepared for exhibition space
    • Grown to certain extent before showcasing
    • Have to be contained due to spores, may spread in space and to other artworks

After the webinar and curated tour I now have a different perspective on fungi having learn their potentials.
My initial thought were fungi being a not so good counterpart to plants. Them growing at damp dark conditions and having once in primary school homework was to create bread mold which I found kind of gross.

I could somewhat perceived the feels of walking in a forest, which a more man-made aspect with the deliberate implementation of fungi and wooden planks, but also the use of the lighting creating a dim atmosphere with spots of light shining through as if bigger plants/trees in the forest were in the emergent layer and we were on the forest floor.

 

Reading Response Week 3 – Designing for the Digital Age

This reading goes through a more in depth process of goal-directed product and service design in which they explain through each phase of the process. I feel the creation of personas in origins of the goal-directed design was incredibly useful especially in the communication to visualise and understand the users or client’s needs.
I also  the use of principles and patterns can be applied and seen in many design specializations, for example, the use of certain mechanics that have shown to work well together to create successful games. This though may lead to speculations of this rather grey area, whether to what extent is considered plagiarism in games especially the use of mechanics, or is there any sense of originality for games. And are the visuals, art style and narrative the only aspects that differ one game from the other.
The process for another example can be seen as the play testing phrase, like the use of personas or play testers that fit the market to see if requirements are met and what can further improve the game.
Though I have been studying in interaction media, art and design itself, I had trouble summarising or describing what I do. Hence, I feel this reading has helped me get a clearer or better understanding, be it the difference between an artist and designer, and certain concepts or definitions of interaction design.

Singapore Art Joystick & Rage Quits! Week 2

While scrolling through the list of exhibitions, Joystick and Rage Quits! caught my eye with the relation to games.

Description Online

Entering the Space

Comparing to the other exhibitions I have visited (e.g Happy House, Bad Imitation, Permission to Dream), the space used for this exhibit was relatively smaller. But at first glance, you can see a lot of movement and sound such as the changing of the screens, the games showcased through the arcade machines, and the videos of raging players.

Space

With the main entrance, and having works displayed in the middle, the route to walk around the exhibitions seems one-way or linear. Starting from either sides and going one roundabout.

Mixed Media

Works were display in the middle of the room and the one that caught my eye and recognised were small sculptures by Qimmyshimmy (as I have seen her works through Instagram). She has showcase the Tamagochi’s gameplay in which you have to take care (in this case the feeding aspect) of your virtual pet in the literal sense with the use of the realistic mouth coming out of the device.

Sides of the room

Using the walls of the space, 5 Screens are used to display works digitally. The works constantly change, relaying from one screen to the other. Right below the screens are QR codes that lead to the artists’ websites/showing the further information of the work displayed. I feel this allows easier access to the description or more information without the displaying of big blocks of text. However, this may be confusing as to figure out which QR code corresponds to which work.

With placing electronics/consoles and using television sets (to feature other works) on the ground, visitor’s eyes can travel in a zig-zag like pattern (from the works on screens on the wall to the works on the floor)

Rage Quit Display’

This display shows various videos of players rage quitting through a television set, being frustrated of the game and possible leading to them throwing or wrecking their game consoles. The display showcased as if were a crime scene, the use of number labels on each broken electronic and striped tape, possibly hinting something horrible has happened.

 

Interactive Works
AR Graves

You were able to lift the small tombstones to reveal a QR which you can scan. It brings you to the respective AR filters, showing zombie Minecraft characters.

Arcade Machines

There were two arcade machines near the entrance featuring two games we could play, Turbo and TimeOut (which was an fyp by Christopher Lee from ADM)

VR Art

Guided by the staff there the VR headset was situated in front of the work (by Eric Foenander) showcased on the wall. Through the VR headset we were able to see the work come to life with music (by CTRL:UNIT). I feel it would be more interactive if we were able to walk around with the headset and view the work from different perspective, but due to the work still being 2D, it was best viewed from the front. The floor is also marked with tape to show the area that is safe to use the headset.

Partition

Next to the arcade machine, there seemed to be a wall partition, with the other side showcasing a collection of consoles and a NES (Nintendo Entertainment system) with straps as a backpack.

However, with a closer view of the partition, it was actually a door being used as a partition to separate the arcade machines from the VR display and visual art. I felt this was an interesting use of the space they had to control how the visitor’s eye would and would not go.

Lighting

Over the entire exhibition, a bright blue purple light is shone across, this gives a colour filter over the entire exhibition. I  feel the use of coloured lighting can be further played around as it helps enhance the mood of the exhibition. With the use of blue purple lighting, it enhances the overall of game, cyberpunk or arcade theme. Specifics spot lighting can be seen focused on the printed visual art hanging on the walls, to accurately showcase the colours of the works.

Permission to Dream

Use of coloured lighting as a filter. Green and pink lighting rapidly change across the space.

Overall view of exhibition

KEYCHAINS

Project Development and Planning Week 1

1. Your Biography

For resume (overall bio)

Aspiring designer and artist currently studying in Nanyang Technological University, from School of Art Design and Media, specialising in Interactive Media. Passionate in 3D modelling, and using programming languages to further showcase immersive interactive design.

For website portfolio (able to showcase work with bio)

Yuki is an aspiring designer and artist interested in performative playful interaction design. With a background in game art, she has expertise in creation of 3D assets from realistic models for Virtual Reality simulations, to stylised models to enhance creation of colourful worlds. She has also ventured outside the digital screen, to create projects with the physical and explore the relationship and interaction between them. With hobbies such as music and handicrafts, she has implemented these passions into her projects and has done collaborative works with translating the performing arts to 2D/3D visuals. She aims to play with the barrier between reality and the likely whimsical, imaginative worlds created through her works.

2. Sample of work and short description

Digital 3D works
 Stylised- Zen Fantasy theme and painted textures
Realism -Sci Fi theme
Physical works
Use of multiple servo motors – communication between software to hardware

Collaborative performing art work
3D visuals – dancing to traditional art

2D visuals – learning after effects to animate a software generated like documentation of the whole process , 4:26 for final

Handicraft/Prop making
Creation of weapon props and plushes

3. Your resume

PDF version

4. Select a work/artist/designer that inspires you or that has made an impact and describe what you find impactful and engaging

Tokyo Disneysea Sinbad’s Storybook Voyage

Sindbad's Storybook Voyage: Best Modern Dark Ride - Disney Tourist Blog

This boat ride is from Tokyo’s Disneysea and it presents Sinbad’s journey through 7 rooms aka 7 points on his map shown when queuing for the ride.

I find this inspiring as how it immersive it was. From the creation of these animatronic figures, how their overall movement were so fluid as if they were really alive. With the surround environment and music, the experience was really as if you were riding the boat across the map, accompanying Sinbad on his adventures. The ride moves across the 7 points/rooms almost seamlessly along with the story.

Belle Film by Mamoru Hosada (Retell of Beauty and the Beast but METAVERSE)

Mamoru Hosoda's Belle Film Tops Japan Box Office

This film showcased a digital fantasy world called U, metaverse-like virtual world. It shows that the creation of the person’s persona in the virtual world is based on their biometric information and the use of body sharing technology.

I find this inspiring towards the portrayal of this virtual world and how reality of the physical being and the human mess of it all is connected to it.

Mamoru has also done other works that portray the fantasy aspect into a more realism scene through an older but well-known film known as Wolf Children, which shows a single mother raising two half werewolf children, showing the interaction of harsh reality how people may react upon them.

Links:

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/aRYDKk

Guide to the Geography & Story of Sindbad’s Storybook Voyage

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/belle-trailer-u-virtual-world-234024067.html

https://www.vulture.com/article/movie-review-mamoru-hosodas-belle.html