Arts Thread

Reina Mun
design, art, technology

MIT Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Specialisms: Design and Technology / Digital Manufacturing /

Location: Boston, United States

reina-mun ArtsThread Profile
MIT Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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Reina Mun

Reina Mun ArtsThread Profile

First Name: Reina

Last Name: Mun

Specialisms: Design and Technology / Digital Manufacturing

Sectors:

My Location: Boston, United States

University / College: MIT Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Course / Program Title: design, art, technology

About

A researcher, maker and designer, Reina Mun focuses her work on artifacts ranging from individual objects to spatial constructs. Her process integrates digital fabrications, physical assembly and computation, primarily emphasizing the infusion of empathy and intimacy.

SilenceTop: an interactive microarchitecture responding to social to non-social silences

SilenceTop is an interactive microarchitecture reinterpreted from the traditional Korean low-table called ‘Soban’. The project creates a new form of engagement around the subject of silence in both social to non-social setting, altering the meaning of being alone and the awkward pauses occurring in the middle of the social interaction. Silence is a language of love or the quietude permeating the ambiance. SilenceTop highlights the non-linguistic cues for interaction and reframes the landscape of domestic spaces. Silence does not exist in a distinctive form. It gets recognized when the apparent social activities and sound fade out. The silence reading varies from person to person based on their cultural background and the circumstance they are situated in. It can be regarded as a sign of respect to one while bringing uncomfortable and anxious emotions to the others. Microarchitecture is an emerging transdisciplinary practice that blends the two related fields of furniture and architecture. Furni- ture, by definition, is a moveable partition or object suited for living, such as chairs and tables. As much as furniture concerns human conditions and the spaces it is situated in, so is architectural design. SilenceTop has four modes. Social mode is active when two or more people sit around the object. When silence persists for a certain amount of time in social mode, it intervenes by plucking the kalimba consisting of low-pitch semitone tines. Depending on the people, the tones may be appealing or annoying, but the only way to stop listening to the semitones is to open a conversation again. The aggressiveness and speed of the semitones plucked are increased with each repetition of social silence occurring in one sitting. Lone mode is active when a single person is in the vicinity, or nobody is in the same space. SilenceTop regards silence as a need to last and appreciate. In lone silence mode, SilenceTop generates mists that permeate the room over time, creating an atmospheric and relaxed ambiance. The dampness on the surface acts as a time indicator of how long the silence has lasted. The IR and analog sound sensors are calibrated to recognize the conversation at 75-78dB, the level of sound detected- ed when a person is soft speaking 35-40 cm away from the object. The IR sensors are adjusted such that the presence is sensed at a distance of 35cm away from the object in all three sides of SilenceTop. SilenceTop is designed to be easily assemble and access in the domestic environment as well as to perform different functions spatially. All seating sides are 75cm apart from each other, providing a not-too-close for a less developed relationship and a not-too-far for an intimate one. The materials provide a semi-exposed aesthetic to the overall object, revealing the mechanical details of the kalimba as well as the internal structure. The colour choices and the brutalistic styles aim contrasting from the conventional design carries out the playful qualities.

luminous solace: choreographing radiance with fidgeting motions

Have you ever found yourself mindlessly fidgeting with a pen or tapping your feet when you are feeling stressed or anxious? It is a common human instinct- a simple act of self-soothing that we have been practicing since childhood. I often sat in my room, zoning out and fidgeting with objects to relieve my stress during the complicated phase of time. This made me question how fidgeting can be used to create an interactive experience that transforms color and light- the two fundamental elements that have profound impact on our perceptions and emotions. Color and light combined can alter our mood, energy levels, and overall ambiance of a space. Luminous Solace offers a new way to engage with our most basic human impulses to interact with light and color in a therapeutic and poetic way. Luminous Solace is an interactive chromatic light installation that beckons users to embark on an exploratory journey into the soothing and comforting experience of fidgeting motions with light and colors. The installation features a tactile fidget device, designed with an assortment of textures and touch-sensitive switches for engaging haptic interactions. This device interacts with the convex diffusor, which casts a variety of colorscapes that transform in response to fidgeting motions. Participants can use the tactile switches to toggle between the five colorscape integrated into Luminous Solace. As the participant fondle and massage the fidget device with their hands, the recurrent motions influence the color dynamics, modifying its hues, patterns, dimensions, and compositions. Subsequently, these alterations permeate the encompassing space, generating a distinct manifestation of emotional comfort and tranquility. The amalgamation of tactile manipulation and luminance cultivates a serene encounter, fostering an atmosphere of calmness and equilibrium. Luminous Solace facilitates an immersive environment that encourages users to delve into the therapeutic experiences of tactile engagement while simultaneously accentuating the impact of chromatic and luminous elements on human perception and emotion. The installation provides a prospect for participants to interface with radiance via haptic and sensory modalities, thereby nurturing an enhanced interrelation amidst the sensory, body, and the mind. It enables users to partake in new therapeutic activities and to consider the connections between vibrant colors and their corresponding emotional experiences.

Chaotic timer: Timer driven by user’s stress level manifesting chaotic symmetry

Chaotic Timer is an interactive and algorithmic timer driven by a user’s stress level input. Throughout the process of counting down, it induces an ‘on the edge’ feeling with the rolling magnetic balls inside each motorized pendulum module. How can one connect stress with the object that embeds the idea of precision and productivity? The project speculates on the new model of using the timer to construct different perceptions on the act of timing and daily routine. The timer created subverts the mechanism of a conventional timer through stress. Its goal is to break out of one’s daily rhythmic flow, obsessed with perfectionism, daily tasks, and agendas. The device consists of four oscillating modules that alter the ways to countdown by manifesting chaotic dynamics and synchronized motions over time. The magnetic ball that rolls inside each swinging module acts as a pendulum bob in periodic motion. It swings back and forth and is constantly on the verge of falling off the edge of the concave plate but never does, inducing the watcher's anxiety and pressure- a symbol of people’s feelings towards daily duties. As the person watches the four modules become more synchronized over time, they soon realize the countdown speed depends on the stress level the user logs in before starting the timer. The four modules begin with random jiggling motions attributed to Perlin noises and slowly adjust themselves into a synchronized wave motion as it approaches the end of the timer. Ultimately, the timer manifests a coexistence of chaotic disorder and orderly pattern.