Interaction design (by Ying WU)

As we leave our footprints along the banks of Gravesend, we wander not just through the dimensions of the city but also along the narrative of the Thames, exploring the industrial veins and then stretching out to the expansive meadows. This place marks the boundary of the city and the extension of nature, as well as the symphony between the bustling international metropolis of London and the quintessential British countryside in my heart. The constant shuttling of ships at the mouth of the river adds a rhythm of life to this intersection. The essence released by this land silently imprints itself in our memories: the gentle breeze of the Thames, the ripples on the river, the crisscrossing sails, and the murmurs of the crowd along the shore. These elements weave together like lines of poetry, forming a "landscape scroll" of Kent.

Within this "scroll," our team seeks to use real-time interactive installations as a language to converse with the environment. We meticulously collect the whispers of the riverside, the dance of the water, and the chants in the air to weave a dialogue of light and shadow. We design our installation to respond to the rhythm of this data: light moves with sound, shadows with the wind. It becomes a living entity of light and shadow under our design, breathing with nature, flowing with time, and dancing with the entire environment to tell its tale.

The project is more than an artistic endeavor; it is an exploration, a profound experience of conversing with the natural elements. By recording the sounds of the environment, the flow of the river, and the wind in the air, we aim to capture those often overlooked nuances, transforming them into data and then giving those data new forms. The changing lights in the installation are no longer lifeless electronic signals but the breath and language of these natural elements.

The artwork becomes part of the environment, allowing the audience to directly participate in the interaction between the piece and its surroundings. It emphasizes the concept that everything around us is alive, each leaf, each drop of water, and even every gust of wind has its own story and rhythm. Through technological intervention, we are not creating a new entity but uncovering and presenting the charm of the environment itself, reminding people to listen to the neglected voices of nature and to experience the forgotten sensations.

Furthermore, the project reflects a deeper environmental ethic, proposing the possibility of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature. In the fast pace of urban life, people often lose the ability to communicate with nature. This installation acts as a medium, encouraging people to rediscover that long-lost connection. It is not just an expression of art but a practice of ecological philosophy, offering a profound reflection on the relationship between humans and the environment in modern society.