Reflections is a public installation utilising both physical and
digital components to create and enhance open-ended, playful and
reflective experiences for its users while simultaneously enabling
them to feel connected to the community at large.
As technology and technology-oriented interactions become
increasingly prevalent in everyday life, social spaces become mere
locations where people physically congregate due to necessity. These
areas include locations such as airports, bus stations and shopping
centres. Additionally, these tumultuous social spaces are
predominantly seen within metropolitan areas, the inhabitants of
which are shown to demonstrate higher risk of serious mental illness
due to factors such as lack of social support, social segregation
and isolation, or low socioeconomic status (Gruebner, O., Rapp, M.,
Adli, M., Kluge, U., Galea, S., & Heinz, A., 2017).
We were fascinated by airports in particular as they are a transient
place filled with strangers with heightened emotions. These
temporary patrons have different purposes and destinations, with
seemingly little in common except for the fact that they are all
gathered in the physical building itself. Would it not be
interesting to find out each of their stories? Surely we all have
something in common, despite varied cultural and social
backgrounds?
Reflections therefore establishes its main ethos of emphasising
community inclusion, introspection and feelings of connection
through the creation of a visually organic yet digitally augmented
social space.
Gruebner, O., Rapp, M., Adli, M., Kluge, U., Galea, S., & Heinz, A.
(2017). Cities and Mental Health. Deutsches Aerzteblatt Online.
doi: 10.3238/arztebl.2017.0121
