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INDIVIDUAL, COLLECTIVE AND CREATION

About this project

Superposition is a design project exploring the relationship between individual, collective, and creation by relating and comparing the song Superposition by Canadian singer Denial Caeser and the poetry collection Leaves of Grass by American poet Walt Whitman.  There are two outcomes of this project, a set of installations and an augmented reality interactive experience. The set of installations consists of four units. People could experience four progressive scenarios inspired by the song. The AR tends to bring people dynamic sensory experiences. The sound collectors set on the site would collect the sound from the urban and nature, then transform to music as part of the AR experience.

Keywords

Spatial interactive design

C4d

Sound

​AR

Personal academic project

Apr 2022 - Jun 2022

Location

Atlanta, GA

Key features

Superposition is a design project exploring the relationship between individual, collective, and creation by relating and comparing the song Superposition by Canadian singer Denial Caeser and the poetry collection Leaves of Grass by American poet Walt Whitman.

 

The concept of superposition in quantum mechanics describes a subatomic particle that can occupy two places at once. This controversial field based on modern science is challenged by philosophical thoughts like metaphysics. It seems like many things are difficult to explain by science, and vice versa. Thus, I focused on Daoism with the lyric goes,” Yin and Yang, Fluidity and things.” Everything breaks into two opposite forces known as Yin and Yang in Daoism. The two forces are in a constant struggle within everything. When they reach harmony, the energy of life is created. Those who understand this will not take advantage of nature but will treat it well and learn from it.

 

There are two outcomes of this project, a set of installations and an augmented reality interactive experience. The set of installations consists of four units. People could experience four progressive scenarios inspired by the song. AR tends to bring people dynamic sensory experiences. The sound collectors set on the site would collect the sound from the urban and nature, then transform to music as part of the AR experience.

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4 Architectural Installations

4 Architectural Installations

In Daoism, things in our lives fluctuate according to different cycles, much like the seasons in nature. I rendered the four installations in four seasons: autumn, winter, spring, and summer. I assigned the best seasons to attribute to the elements(Metal, Water, Wood, Earth, and Fire) they have. 

Walk-in Installation

Autumn

The walk-in installation is renovated from the children’s playground. It provides an enclosed rocky seating area. The mirrored stainless steel columns have enough space for children to go through.·

Sight Shelter

Winter

The sight shelter is located halfway to the waterside which provides a publicly accessible viewing platform to enjoy the lake’s views or performances. The top of the shelter is made of transparent glass allowing natural light comes in during the daytime. It brings the viewer closer to the water and away from the noisy road.

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Music Pavilion

Spring

The music pavilion is part of the plant greenhouse. The tunnel-like projection screen plays the surrounding natural featured videos. People who walk into the pavilion would have an immersive visual and audio experience surrounded by vivid plants.·

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The shared space acts as a public leisure pavilion for people to have a shady area on the Meadow. The flowy ceiling shape was inspired by the frequency image of the sound. The LED lights would create changeable effects depending on the weather and temperature during the night.

Shared Space

Summer

Augmented Reality
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Augmented Reality

People could download the Superposition App or open the website link to experience the digital plant generator. The augmented reality of different types of flowers growing lively on the screen is attributed to the space, the time duration, and also the weather.

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App Interface

Sound-collect Devices

Sound-collect Devices

As people walk through the park following up circulation signs, they would experience a trip of relaxation and feel the touch of nature. This is an experience of purifying the heart with natural sound from the corners of Piedmont park. The sound-collect devices are set around the architectural installations. They not only collect sound from the sky, the birds, the fungus, and the water but also integrate them together. The processed real-time audio would play in the installation. People could also download the instant audio and replay.

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Conceptual Prototype

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Surrounding Natural Features

(Sound Sources)

Inspiration

Inspiration

What is the connection between a 19th-century American poet and a 21st-century Canadian singer? Whitman’s poems were initially met with fierce criticism, as they dealt with the then unacceptable subject of sexuality, a prominent theme throughout the collection, backed by a rejection of slavery, which was a major problem in the United States. Likewise, Cæsar’s album came out after his involvement in a controversy about racial matters. The album is much more vocal about sexuality.  I concluded the similarities between the two into 3 parts: individual, collective, and creation.

Song

Singer: Daniel Caesar (Canadian)

Release Date: June 28, 2019

Album: Case Study 01

 Poetry collection

Author: Walt Whitman (American) Publication Date: July 4, 1855

Isn't it an irony?

The things that inspire me

They make me bleed

So profusely

I got everything I need

Time and space to think and breathe

What does it mean?

When cash grows on trees

Exist in superposition

Life's all about contradiction

Yin and yang

Fluidity and things

I'm me, I'm God, I'm everything

I'm my own reason why I sing

And so are you, are you understanding?

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

I know you think this shit is easy

For you but not so much for me

But I'll still ride, that's just the risk I'll take

I know you see me actin' sleazy

I'm workin on it, take it easy

I'll figure it all out before I break

If I should die before I wake

Oh, please do not resuscitate

I know I didn't live my life in vain

This music shit's a piece of cake

The rest of my life's in a state

Of chaos but I know I'll be okay

Exist in superposition

Life's all about contradiction

Yin and yang

Fluidity and things

I'm me, I'm God, I'm everything

I'm my own reason why I sing

And so are you, are you understanding?

INDIVIDUAL

COLLECTIVE

CREATION

Do I contradict myself?

Very well then I contradict myself,

(I am large, I contain multitudes)

“Song of Myself,” §51, p. 101.

The Female equally with the Male I sing.

“One’s-Self I sing,” p. 15

Urge and urge and urge,  

Always the procreant urge of the world.  

Out of the dimness opposite equals advance,

always substance and increase, always sex “Song of Myself,” §3, p. 36

GENEALOGIES GRAPH

INDIVIDUAL

self

COLLECTIVE

people

CREATION

nature

Comforting lies, Unpleasant truths

We tell comforting lies because it's painful to give people bad news or we fear how they might react. We listen to comforting lies because it pains us to face bad news. This forces us into a dilemma. One side avoids giving bad news. The other side refuses to recognize bad news.

Cognitive Dissonance

The term cognitive dissonance is used to describe the mental discomfort that results from holding two conflicting beliefs, values, or attitudes. People tend to seek consistency in their attitudes and perceptions, so this conflict causes feelings of unease or discomfort.

Human Rights

Human rights are moral principles or norms for certain standards of human behavior and are regularly protected in municipal and international law.

LGBTQ

It may refer to anyone who is non-heterosexual or non-cisgender, instead of exclusively to people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. To recognize this inclusion, a popular variant, LGBTQ, adds the letter Q for those who identify as queer or are questioning their sexual or gender identity.

Taoism

Taoism refers to either a school of philosophical thought (道家; Dao Jia) or to a religion (道教; Dao jiao); both share ideas and concepts of Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the Tao.

Nature

Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. 

Jesus

He is the central figure of Christianity, the world's largest religion. Most Christians believe he is the incarnation of God the Son and the awaited messiah (the Christ), prophesied in the Hebrew Bible.

DESIGN CONCEPT

Design concept

Generating Interaction

Overcoming Interaction

MUSIC TRACK

Verse 1.

Bridge.

Chorus. 

Verse 2.

Outro.

Chorus.

Intro.

A walk-in installation Metal-frame; Wood-tree; Earth-rock; Circulation

A sight shelter

Water-riverside

A music pavilion

Circular flow;

Fire- purple, red colors/projection

Shared space

Flowy shape;

Metal - frame&people

IMAGING

The spectrum analyzer above gives us a graph of all the frequencies that are present in a sound recording at a given time. The darker areas are those where the frequencies have low intensities, and the orange and yellow areas represent frequencies that have high intensities in the sound.

The line graph shows how the frequency of the song like in 3 dimensions. I used the two graphic tools to help construct the drafts of the initial installation.

SITE 

Site

Location

Pedestrian Access

Piedmont park is located in downtown Atlanta. It is surrounded by tourism-based commercial areas and high-end residential areas. Piedmont Park is a popular place for organized sports. The lake is located in the southeast part of the park. Fishing is permitted in the lake, which is stocked with largemouth bass, crappie, bream, and catfish. There are many birds. People could feel the nature vibe out of the busy city.

Location

Piedmont Park

1320 Monroe Dr NE, Atlanta, GA 30306

1 : 2500

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SITE MUSIC FESTIVAL HISTORY

Music Midtown is a large music festival that was held in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. During its original run, the festival ran for one weekend each year. The event drew in excess of 300,000 attendees per year during its peak years. This is a great place to construct a music-based installation group.

Band Line-up Timetable

Stage design: Cotton Club, Verizon, Roxy.

SITE INTERACTION

Site interaction
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Floor plans

Floor plans

1. Walk-in Installation (Autumn)

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2. Sight Shelter (Winter)

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3. Music Pavilion (Spring)

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4. Shared Space (Summer)

© 2022 By WENYI GU.

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