Event 3: Leonardo Art Science Evening Rendezvous

Last week I attended the Leonardo Art Science Evening Rendezvous and it was a mind-blowing experience. The event consists of several guests talking about their current projects and seeking cooperation among each other. Each of them is super brilliant and innovative, but one of them impressed me most. Her name is Behnaz Farahi.

Behnaz Farahi



Behnaz is an architect and interaction designer at USC working on enhancement of the relationship between human beings and the built environment. We, humans, react based on the surrounding environments. Behnaz, however, wants to go the other way around, by constructing something that reacts according to human movements. Next I will talk about her several ideas given in her presentation.

Aurora

The first one is called the “Aurora”, which is an interactive kinetic ceiling that responds to corporeal movements below it. In this way, a building is able to adjust its configuration by tracking bodily movements and is thus able to adapt to different users. Instead of human adapting to the environment, the environment changes for humans. It is a project aiming to explore the possibility of sensory spaces and robotic architecture.

Caress of the Gaze

The second one is called the “Caress of the Gaze”, which is a 3D-printed, gaze actuated wearable. This time the garment is like a living organism that is able to change its configuration according to the gazes of others. As noted by Behnaz, our skin is in constant motion that is stimulated not only by the surroundings, but also our emotions such as fear and anxiety. Such a garment seems able to magnify such subtle changes and apply them. This project explores the potential of an actuation system, which is assembled as a form of muscle system that informs the motion of the skin.

Synapse

The third one is called the “Synapse”, which is a 3D-printed helmet that moves and illuminates according to brain activity. The motivation of this piece is to gain control over the environments by directing our minds. This seems like a device that is able to translate neuron signals to real commands. Behnaz pointed out that in this way the environment becomes an extension of our bodies, in which case the distinction between them is blurred.

Behnaz’s ideas are refreshing in the sense that instead of passively accepting the signals from the environment, we can actually affect the environments too. Indeed, any action causes a reaction, which implies that any relationship is balanced. How much one is influenced matches how much it influences others. Even though we may not be able to detect our effects on the environments, they are indeed there. So if we can capture and control such influences, we may get a better understanding of nature and ourselves.


 Proof of attendance 








References
Farahi, Behnaz. Aurora. 2016. N.p.
       http://behnazfarahi.com/aurora/
Farahi, Behnaz. Caress of the Gaze. 2016. N.p.
       http://behnazfarahi.com/caress-of-the-gaze/
Farahi, Behnaz. Synapse. 2016. N.p.
       http://behnazfarahi.com/synapse/
Unknown. Behnaz Farahi. N.p. N.d.
       http://worldbuilding.usc.edu/people/bio/behnaz-farahi/
Unknown. Behnaz Farahi. N.p. N.d.
       http://www.interactivearchitecture.org/behnaz-farahi.html


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