Blossom Interactive Installation

As an artist who has lived in an Eastern context and culture for a very long time, I constantly reflect on how technology can be a conduit for philosophical ideas rather than their antithesis. During the Blossom design phase, I was determined to resist the tendency of interactive art to be simply reactive or gimmicky. Instead, I wanted to embed slowness, reward patience, and evoke ritual. By combining sensor-driven responsiveness with meditative visual language drawn from Buddhist and Taoist aesthetics, I aimed to create a space where technology doesn't interrupt but guides awareness. The project is less about showcasing technological capability and more about subtly reconditioning viewers to pause, breathe, and observe their presence, drawing inspiration from the mindful cadence of Eastern spiritual practice but realized through modern means.

I was fascinated by the idea of proximity as a metaphor for attention. Time-of-Flight sensors offered me a way to capture physical distance as a stand-in for mental presence. The choice was deliberate: unlike other sensors that rely on dramatic movement or touch, ToF enables subtle detection—even slight shifts in stance become meaningful. During prototyping, I realized this technology could recreate the unspoken dialogue that happens in spiritual practice: approach with intention and you receive openness; withdraw hastily and you encounter closure. This felt profoundly aligned with mindfulness, where awareness of your own position and movement in space is essential. I wanted the viewer to discover that by simply pausing, they could unlock the installation's full bloom.

Through the blooming of a Hibiscus rosa-sinensis in response to the viewer’s presence, I wanted the piece to invite people to think about the beauty of things that don’t last forever. The flower blooms only when someone is there and closes when they leave, mirroring how moments in life are brief but meaningful if we truly pay attention. It’s a way to encourage people to embrace the present and to see value in what is happening right now rather than always looking ahead or rushing past. The interaction is simple, but it’s meant to make viewers slow down and reflect on the constant cycle of appearing and disappearing in our own lives. I hope it offers a quiet space to find clarity and meaning in that ongoing rhythm of change.