Healing:
Reimagining Intimacy in a Post-Pandemic World
What do you desire the most during the pandemic?
Yuying Wu
Jinha Kang
Jinha Kang
Jinha Kang
Jinha Kang
This was the question I posed to installation artist Jinha Kang and all the narrators of this project. In a world where physical, mental, and emotional distances grew like shadows, the elusive essence of intimacy slipped through our fingers. It is against this backdrop of estrangement that Kang sought to transmute the ache of separation into the harmonious chords of connection.
"How can we feel intimacy again that has been lost during COVID using technology?" This query serves as the heartbeat of Kang's creation, "Body Orchestra." This work is a wearable gadget connected by a network of wires and circuits. Its internal programming serves as the conductor, orchestrating a unique auditory experience with each interaction with a different surface of the installation.
In the peaceful aftermath of a global pandemic, where the world attempts to resume its cadence while veiling the profound shifts within, the once yearnful desires now carry a weighty significance. "Body Orchestra” invites the audience to reimagine intimacy, urging people not to overlook the subtle alterations in human connection. Especially during the post-pandemic era, it transforms the absence into presence, the void into a symphony of shared experience.
This installation is ingeniously crafted to facilitate connections with strangers. Jinha intentionally designed the gadget for interactions side by side, with the deliberate choice of not making it a face-to-face encounter. This design philosophy stems from the belief that side-by-side interactions make the initial connection with strangers more accessible and comfortable. It's a remarkable concept that fosters connections among strangers in the community, providing a unique opportunity for healing after years of isolation. Everyone craves this kind of communal healing, particularly following three years of social seclusion.
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Jinha conducted this performance with a diverse group, including strangers, acquainted cohort-mates, and even long-term friends. In each interaction, she observed that the physical touch aspect played a pivotal role in fostering a sense of closeness and understanding. Through this tactile engagement, she noticed a unique dynamic unfolding, wherein the shared experience of the performance facilitated a deeper connection. The power of physical touch became a medium through which familiarity grew, and Jinha found that she gained a better understanding of others in the process.
This work of art is based on technology but beyond that; it’s a dynamic fusion of touch and symphony. The wearable gadget, with its intricate programming, transforms physical contact into an ethereal concert. Each touch on different surfaces of the gadget becomes a note, a resonance, a unique instrument in the orchestra of human connection.
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The intentional decision to engage the audience in co-creating a symphony performance through this installation reflects a profound design choice. The exquisite harmony embedded within the work isn't a melody that can be played in solitude. Instead, it beckons individuals to intertwine their touches, forging connections that resonate not only in personal fulfillment but ripple outward, contributing to a more joyous self and a gratified world. In this collaborative act of tactile orchestration, the installation becomes a representation of shared experiences, emphasizing the transformative power that arises when individuals come together in harmonious touch.
"How can we feel intimacy again that has been lost during COVID using technology?" This query serves as the heartbeat of Kang's creation, "Body Orchestra." This work is a wearable gadget connected by a network of wires and circuits. Its internal programming serves as the conductor, orchestrating a unique auditory experience with each interaction with a different surface of the installation.
In the peaceful aftermath of a global pandemic, where the world attempts to resume its cadence while veiling the profound shifts within, the once yearnful desires now carry a weighty significance. "Body Orchestra” invites the audience to reimagine intimacy, urging people not to overlook the subtle alterations in human connection. Especially during the post-pandemic era, it transforms the absence into presence, the void into a symphony of shared experience.
This installation is ingeniously crafted to facilitate connections with strangers. Jinha intentionally designed the gadget for interactions side by side, with the deliberate choice of not making it a face-to-face encounter. This design philosophy stems from the belief that side-by-side interactions make the initial connection with strangers more accessible and comfortable. It's a remarkable concept that fosters connections among strangers in the community, providing a unique opportunity for healing after years of isolation. Everyone craves this kind of communal healing, particularly following three years of social seclusion.
Figure 1. Performance with a diverse group of audience
Jinha conducted this performance with a diverse group, including strangers, acquainted cohort-mates, and even long-term friends. In each interaction, she observed that the physical touch aspect played a pivotal role in fostering a sense of closeness and understanding. Through this tactile engagement, she noticed a unique dynamic unfolding, wherein the shared experience of the performance facilitated a deeper connection. The power of physical touch became a medium through which familiarity grew, and Jinha found that she gained a better understanding of others in the process.
This work of art is based on technology but beyond that; it’s a dynamic fusion of touch and symphony. The wearable gadget, with its intricate programming, transforms physical contact into an ethereal concert. Each touch on different surfaces of the gadget becomes a note, a resonance, a unique instrument in the orchestra of human connection.
Figure 2. Orchestrating a distinct auditory experience through interaction with different surfaces of the installation
The intentional decision to engage the audience in co-creating a symphony performance through this installation reflects a profound design choice. The exquisite harmony embedded within the work isn't a melody that can be played in solitude. Instead, it beckons individuals to intertwine their touches, forging connections that resonate not only in personal fulfillment but ripple outward, contributing to a more joyous self and a gratified world. In this collaborative act of tactile orchestration, the installation becomes a representation of shared experiences, emphasizing the transformative power that arises when individuals come together in harmonious touch.