“Human Connection” is an immersive project that delves into the intricate tapestry of relationships and bonds that define the human experience. Through a blend of touch objects and multimedia elements, this project aims to evoke emotions and reflections on the essence of connection.
At its heart, “Human Connection” features three touch objects, each meticulously crafted to symbolize different dimensions of human connection. The first object is a sculpture portraying two hands intertwined in a gesture of solidarity and support, embodying the strength found in unity. The second object comprises two puzzle pieces, each bearing half of a heart; when joined together, they form a complete heart, representing the idea that our wholeness is found in our connections with others. The third object is a heart-shaped wooden box that opens up. Within this box lies a paper pop-up heart, allowing the person interacting with it to restart a broken heart by pulling on its heart string to mimic a heartbeat, serving as a tangible reminder of the power of love and empathy. Additionally, when the box is opened, it shows a poignant quote on the edges: “We all are so deeply interconnected; we have no option but to love all. Be kind and do good for anyone and that will be reflected. The ripples of the kind heart are the highest blessings of the universe.”
Complementing these tangible elements, this project incorporates a video component that showcases moments of human connection captured from various films. Each clip is thoughtfully curated and accompanied by creative captions and audio descriptions, enriching the viewer’s experience and fostering deeper engagement with the project’s themes.
Through “Human Connection,” viewers are invited to contemplate the significance of relationships and empathy in their own lives and in society. The project encourages compassion, understanding, and appreciation for the diverse connections that shape our world.
ACCESSIBILITY
AUDIO RECORDING OF QUOTE ON HEART-SHAPED BOX
“We all are so deeply interconnected; we have no option but to love all. Be kind and do good for anyone and that will be reflected. The ripples of the kind heart are the highest blessings of the universe.”
TRANSCRIPT OF VIDEO
[Audio Description]: White text on a black background. The text reads, The power of human connection.
[AD]: First clip from the movie, 5 feet apart. Girl in hospital bed speaking, while montages of human moments are displayed.
Girl: Human touch. Our first form of communication, safety, security, comfort, all in the gentle caress of a finger, or the brush of lips on a soft cheek. Love. We need that touch from the one we love almost as much as we need air to breathe.
[AD]: Second clip from the movie, the Pursuit of Happiness. A father, wearing a suit, giving advice to his five year old son in a parking lot after playing basketball.
Father: Don’t ever let somebody tell you, you can’t do something. Not even me. Alright?
Son: Alright.
Father: You got a dream. You gotta protect it. People can’t do something themselves, they wanna tell you, you can’t do it.
[AD]: Third clip from the movie, Dead Poets Society. A male teacher from an all boys school crouching down in a classroom, speaking to the students surrounding him.
Teacher: Because we are members of the human race, and the human race is filled with passion. Medicine, law, business, engineering. These are noble pursuits, and necessary to sustain life, but poetry, beauty, romance, love. These are what we stay alive for.
[AD]: Fourth clip from the movie, Perks of Being a Wallflower. The male teenage lead stands on the back of a pickup truck, embracing the wind with his hands in the air, while his friends drive in and out of a tunnel.
Boy: You are alive. And you stand up and see the lights on the buildings and everything that makes you wonder. And you’re listening to that song on that drive with the people you love most in this world. And in this moment, I swear. We are infinite.
[AD]: Fifth clip from the movie, “The Shack.” In the woods, an older man consoles a younger man sitting on the ground by placing his hand on his shoulder.
Older Man: You don’t have to do this alone. I’m here with you.
[AD]: Sixth clip from the movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Clementine and Joel share a moment on beach house steps in Joel’s fading memory, followed by a playful walk along the shore.
Clementine: This is it, Joel. It’s gonna be gone soon.
Joel: I know.
Clementine: What do we do?
Joel: Enjoy it.
PROCESS DOCUMENTATION
I knew I wanted to create a project that would allow people to touch something that’s intangible, so I chose the concept of human connection. Usually, most art is created first and then accessibility features are added afterwards. However, with my idea, we can conclude that no one knows what human connection looks like, what the texture of it feels like, or sounds like, as an individual object. With this project, whether we have disabilities or not, we all get to experience human connection as multiple touch objects for the first time together. Additionally, to show the range of human connection, I decided to add a video that displays moments in film, with varying emotions (joy, sadness, anger, relief, gratitude, nostalgia) and different relationships we have with each other (parent and child, student and teacher, friends, and romances).
I started by thinking of what specific objects I can create that would be a universal symbol for human connection for any person interacting with it, no matter what their background is. Physical touch was the first idea to come to mind, and with that, I decided to create a plaster sculpture of two hands holding each other (a form of affection that is romantic, platonic, and familial). For my second object, I thought of the word “connection,” which is where the puzzle pieces come in, as the perfect metaphor. Lastly, I knew the heart is the most universal of all. There are so many metaphors that come with the heart (opening up your heart to someone; pulling at someone’s heartstrings; making your heartbeat fast).
After making my sketches, I began making a plaster sculpture with me and my mom’s hands intertwined. By using a hand casting kit, I was able to pour the molding powder and make a liquid by mixing it with water. The next step was to dip our hands in it for about one minute. Then, I mixed the casting powder with water and included that liquid inside the mold. After 3 hours, it was set. It appeared as a jelly-like consistency:
I began scraping the mold until I could find the hand cast. Then, I was able to fine tune the hand cast itself by cleaning any of the mold stuck in its crevices. After making it as clean as possible, I started with the next part of the project.
As soon as my project materials were delivered, I started to paint the heart-shaped wooden box a dark red color.
My inspiration was to create something like this. When the heart opened, I wanted to include a pop-up paper heart. After painting the box and cutting up a paper heart with a string, I was able to achieve a heartbeat type of effect.
For the last part of my touch objects, I used cardboard and cut it up into 2 connecting puzzle pieces. I also printed puzzle pieces on printer paper and attached them to the cardboard so it could appear white. Lastly, and most importantly, I printed a heart-shaped outline with a regular printer on swellform paper. Then, I used an embosser to create the tactile effect.
As for my video component, I knew I wanted to make a montage of movies I’m fond of that would show glimpses of human connection. I also searched for more movies to include. I included:
- Five Feet Apart
- To show about the value of human touch
- The Pursuit of Happyness
- To show the dynamic of a parent-child relationship
- Dead Poets Society
- To show the relationships we have in our formative years as a student with our fellow students and our teachers
- Perks of Being a Wallflower
- To show the impact that friendships have on our lives, especially in our teenage years
- The Shack
- To show a darker side of human connection: Anger, and the journey to forgiveness, while still having a bond with someone who makes us feel less alone during hard times
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
- To show that even though we may end relationships badly, we cannot forget all the memories we created with them, because ultimately they helped shape you into who you are today
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
- What is the theme of the work? What is it you aim to express?
- I aim to express human connection through touch objects and through moments in film.
- How is that theme particularly expressed through the modality of the week?
- By making touch objects with different textures (plaster, swellform paper, wood, 3d folds of paper, and string) and sight/sound modalities of human connection in film.
- Which elements of the work are beautifully/wonderfully/perfectly expressed through the modality?
- I believe I was able to show a solid representation of metaphors through touch objects (opening up your heart, heartbeat, physical touch, connection through puzzle pieces). The video was also useful to show the full project because it was the finishing piece that tied everything together. When I included actual humans as part of the art through the video, it was the best way to fully show human connection.
- Which elements are lost or inexpressible through the modality of the week?
- Audio descriptions in the video were something I struggled with. They were long, and sometimes longer than the actual scene. I also was not sure where to place them, since there was a lot of talking in the scenes. I may have not explained the full emotions in the video as much as I could have due to making the audio descriptions shorter. I also did not incorporate my touch objects in the video itself, due to timing issues but I would have liked to do that to properly connect the video to the touch objects.
- Who does this project exclude? Who would not be able to interact with this work ? Who is this modality not accessible for?
- People who are not able to touch the objects may have a hard time fully immersing themselves in the experience. Additionally, the video itself is pretty long, which can make it hard to fully pay attention to, which people with shorter attention spans may have a hard time with, especially while touching the objects. There may have not been a clear way to experience the project (for example: to watch the video first or to touch the objects first, or read the label first).