ABSTRACT
The advance of technology has created a virtual world which runs in parallel with the physical world. A lot of the time people are absorbed in digital activities and seem to lose attention to their surroundings. However, spending too much time in the virtual world could be problematic — it could lead to physical and mental issues, such as insomnia and depression, and even social issues. Attempts to police the web will cause freedom of speech conflicts, for example. While interpersonal interaction allows people to stay emotionally healthy.
People’s reliance on online activities has caused the decrease of physical sensorial experiences. While being beneficial from the convenience that technology has brought us, we should not ignore the physical environment we are living in. To bridge the connection between the human and physical world, we should not only reestablish a meaningful sensorial connection with the physical reality, but redistribute the amount of time we spend in the virtual world and physical world.
Emotions are triggered by human senses, visual, acoustic, and tactile. And those senses build the connection between the human and physical world. We cannot restrain technology from growing and deny the advantages it brought us, but, meanwhile, we should not lose attention to the subtle changes in the surroundings and never forget the emotions and warmth physical interaction creates!
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A SPACE OF BEING
Rather than defining it as furniture, Living Objects is a space which consists of different elements, the nature, your movement, and every little thing happening in the space.
By triggering human senses — visual, acoustic, and tactile — Living Objects connect people and the physical world with memories and emotions. The space changes depending on yourself. Reading a book or having a piece of hot and crispy toast, all the senses it creates — the shadow, the smell, and the sound of your movements — happen in the space naturally. Living Objects builds the relationship between you and the surroundings. All the happenings in the space create a moment for you.
The gentle breeze brings the slow movement of leaves; the subtle movement creates the sound of leaves touching each other naturally.
Bringing nature from the outdoors to the indoors, creating a space with energy and vitality.
INTERACTION
Technology distances people from the physical world, while at the same time, it also helps us to enjoy the current moment. Technology exists as part of the environment! Living Objects detects your presence; it builds the relationship between human and the space. The light turns on automatically and the rod rotates down when you approach. All its reactions and the lively shadow on the surface are welcoming your being in the space.
The proportion of each part and the distance between the light source and the plant are well-considered. A 30 degree angle makes the rotation elegant.
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The Surface
Made of cement, the surface expresses an irregular stone texture naturally.
FINISHING
Finish defines the tactility; it also effects the way you feel it. A rough finish could bring the feeling of craftsmanship. However, a fine finish could make the piece look delicate.
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Aging Gracefully
“Each item is special. Each mark, each burn, each dent, and each repair all contain a story, and it is stories that make things special.” Donald Norman believes that the marks, dents, strains make the objects personal.
Every part of Living Objects is manmade. The aging of objects is a beautiful process which records time and memories. They grow old along with their owners and degrade gracefully.
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Reflection
The reflection differs by the material, the thickness, and the amount of light. The variation of light makes the reflection glow and disappear.
Sound of Water
The sound of water appears differently if you listen carefully. Plastic containers create thicker and denser sounds while glass containers have nice and clear sounds when pouring water into it.
Mechanism
With LED bulb, servo motor, and distance sensor, Living Objects could detect your approach and your absence.
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“I like to repeat things everyday. When you repeat things you start to notice slight differences in everyday life.”
—Sato Oki
Living Objects reflects part of myself. I express this project as the way I see the world. In my everyday life, there are some silent moments when I have conversations with myself, the nature, and the surroundings. Even just a piece of leaf floating in the puddle, I notice the ripples around it. During the development process of Living Objects, I was trying to explore the nature, the proportions, and the sensory in the environment. By experimenting with all those elements, I found the texture in life and the way to bring people back to reality.
