Review of Spring 2020/21 Undergraduate Thesis Showcase

The first project that drew my interest was Georgina Chiou’s “Genesis”, a multimedia installation that imagines a post-human world. I was immediately struck by the visuals of this project: the three algorithmically generated floating mountain landscapes are vivid and stunning, heightened by their positioning around a mesh-wire sculpture of man. I also greatly admire the project’s theoretical concept and argument in challenging anthropocentric views of geological narratives. Finally, it was interesting to learn about how the project was forced to undergo a change in form, from a planned physical installation to a virtual mockup. This point makes me think about the final presentation of my project—as software, it would typically live within a screen, but I wonder if there would be an interesting way to create a physical presence for visitors to experience it and interact with it.

The second project that drew my interest was Chandler Zausner’s “Post Human Angels”, a ceremonial and experiential shrine that celebrates the relationship between humans and their devices. I really appreciate the theoretical concept, and I think it’s a very nuanced and thoughtful take on our relationship with technology. In a way, I think the intentions of this project is very similar to that of mine. Zausner states that the project “honors the emotionality of this emerging paradigm”. In my project, I am very interested in honouring the emotionality in the paradigm of programming. Through the data collection, analysis, and representation that I plan to undertake, I hope to gain an understanding of people’s attachment to code, and design a language that honours and augments that attachment.