2023

4 months

Physical Computing, Kinetic Sculpture

Aluminum Rails, Tin Lead Wires, Stainless Steel, Metal Screws, Lead Screw, Stepper Motors

5.0 × 4.9 × 4.3 feet

OverviewCocoon is an anthropomorphic interactive kinetic sculpture that expresses personal sentiment through a metaphorical shape that imitates the cocoon of a domestic silk moth.

Inspired by the Chinese idiom 作茧自缚 𝑧𝑢𝑜̀ 𝑗𝑖𝑎̌𝑛 𝑧𝑖̀ 𝑓𝑢̀, which means being enmeshed in the trap of one’s own difficulties like the caterpillar of silk moth spinning a cocoon, Cocoon represents the isolation and suffocation that coexist with life.

Viewers can interact with this sculpture by entering and touching the rotating centerpiece, which will change the rotating direction or speed as a biomorphic representation of the pupa inside the cocoon reacting to external stimuli.

ResearchCocoon is a four-part research-based project: 1) Interested in whether and how emotional connections between humans and mechanical structures are established, I conducted research on the use of anthropomorphism and its importance in new media art; 2) As an expression of 作茧自缚 𝑧𝑢𝑜̀ 𝑗𝑖𝑎̌𝑛 𝑧𝑖̀ 𝑓𝑢̀ and a continuation of their previous works of the same concept, I reflected on the influence of this idiom to my artistic practices; 3) To substantialize their research on anthropomorphism and my expression of personal sentiment, I studied the cocoon of a domestic silk moth as a metaphorical representation; 4) Based on all these research and reflections, I created a kinetic installation that imitates the shape and motion of a cocoon using industrial materials.


Click here for the research paper