The project is a consideration of posthumous relations and spirituality in the modern and future world. Consciously experiencing loss is crucial to accepting a new state of affairs. One life cycle comes to an end so that another can begin. A fundamental and immutable law of nature. When transitioning from one state to another, attentiveness to oneself is important. Bereavement is a tool for transformation, in which a person transforms his or her way of thinking.
National
Poland
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It addresses urban-rural linkages
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
Nature is built on a circular and spiral plan. Maintaining balance relies on the cyclical exchange of the forces of life and death. The pragmatic world has shed its sensitivity, we don’t trust our primordial atom of magic. Intuition is an inconceivable force directly related to the supernatural system. Acceptance of the inexplicable is needed to achieve mental well-being. Death is an extreme state, especially with the existing cult of life and youth. It is a natural, inevitable event that we should tame in European culture. Relationships formed during life don’t end with death, they change the matter of happening. The posthumous relationship is characterized by symbols, the parties communicate by gesture, the condition for its existence is faith and willingness. There is still mutual concern, the dead bestow motivation and care on the living, and the living finish unfinished works. Participants sharing common moments expand presence, creating individual states of understanding, experiencing unique acts of communication. "IO" is a bipartite, wearable ritual form made using 3D printing technology. The object is a symbol of the light of presence, a greeting from the deceased, a motivation for mindfulness, a hand that is missing, a yearning breath. The core of the object is a circuit consisting of a programmable board and LED ring, and it is planned to have sensors that measure the pulse. The light synchronizes the rate of fade to the user's breathing, in case of a panic attack it helps to stay calm. The temperature resembles a candle. Working on the breath leads to the body's homeostasis. The organic shape encourages exploration with the sense of touch. The device is applied in the place of the heart and base chakra to a linen garment with antibacterial, thermoregulatory properties for body well-being. The sister halves can work independently as well as in parallel. "IO" represents a consideration of posthumous relations, spirituality in the modern and future world.
balance
mourning
spirituality
cycle of life
mindfulness
Sustainability starts with working on the individual. We should be the change we want to see. Self-development will allow us to think outside the box in changing the conventions we accept on a daily
basis. The emotional sphere of a person, is a relegated space that needs to be taken care of very carefully. Happy, attentive people motivated to act are human capital. Another taboo sphere that the project addresses is death. It is an extreme that is ubiquitous, but pushed out of the public consciousness. Changing attitudes toward loss will help change attitudes toward life. The developing society shows a desire for spiritual development in a new modernized way, we turn to the possibilities of the self, we animate nature by giving it a causal factor. The project combines the symbolism of several cultures and can provide a thread of understanding in today's multicultural society. In the modern world there is a need to change funeral rites, which generate a very large amount of waste. Young people are showing reluctance to settle down permanently. The concept of a portable symbol of deceased ancestors can prove crucial in preserving memory to roots, cultivating traditions, and can lower the stress associated with a sense of not belonging.
The object's form was designed to evoke positive emotions. The organic and ergonomic shape encourages exploration with the sense of touch, the two halves providing a substitute for a yearning hand craving closeness. The sister halves subtly encourage gradual sharing of their experiences, as they can operate both independently and in parallel. Communing with the object allows us to carve out the time needed in the process of transformation and reconciliation with loss. Light and breath are age-old symbols of presence appearing in most cultures and religious faiths. The user is able to enter into a relationship with the "IO", animating it, just as we naturally did as children with our toys. Use is aimed at developing the well-being of every sphere of life: body, mind, soul and emotions. The object is designed to be both a stand-alone light object that can accompany us at the table, on a desk or bedside table. It can function as an accessory, accompany us in everyday life, lowering our feeling
The project addresses the delicate subject of death, allows a new social dialogue to begin, and provides an accessible spirituality. It normalizes the mourner's torn life, provides an alternative to religious rituals, and gives permission for vulnerability. It is a conceptual project aimed at those experiencing the loss of a loved one. It is genderless, aimed at both groups and individuals, as a therapeutic element or as a modern object of remembrance. At the current stage of development, it is not ready for commercial purposes. The best development path would be a scientific one, as an object to support the work of therapists and psychologists. As a public project, it could be a device in the wearables category, would take on an even more compact form factor and be equipped with a mobile app.
The project leaves room for customization. Each user can create his own ritual with the object, it can be an object for a family or an individual. There are no specific rules of operation. The project has a symbolic character. It is an attempt to capture and depict the emotions associated with loss. It is a way of self-therapy. I noticed that in my age group, we are eager to look for unconventional truth, we notice inaccuracies, schemes sewn for the past times. The project was created to be a link between tradition and modernity. The object can be a starting point for the study of social opinion on death. The project is symbolic in nature, it directs the stream of empathy to the mourner, handed over to the hands of a therapist it can be a factor in supporting the healing process. The project is a proof of concept for now, it is a visualization of thoughts about mourning and the cycle of life and death.
During the creation of the concept, I asked 5 people experiencing bereavement at that moment what they were feeling and what they were currently missing. The main answers were : time to experience mourning, feeling of unfinished things, longing, confusion. Therefore, I was keen to direct empathy to the mourner, to recognize him or her as the most important person in a death situation, the deceased person is an accomplished fact to be accepted and care should be devoted to the person present. The project participated in two collective design exhibitions in Poland. In "Gdynia Design Days" in an event called " The Ritual of Passage" organized by the Academy of Art in Szczecin and "Poznan Design Days". I was present at both events. Visitors to the exhibition came with feedback that they felt a mystique flowing from the object, it seemed enchanted to them, like an artifact or some relic. This feedback strengthened my conviction that people nowadays feel more and more mystical energy, but do not see how to name it, are unable to visualize it. Therefore, the project is needed if only as a projection of spiritual feelings awakening in modern man. When viewing the object, it made people smile, which is not often the first reaction when it comes to talking about death.
The project combines two fields of design: product and fashion design. The object is from the wearables category. In the design process I used knowledge of 3D modeling, as well as garment construction, the basis of use is basic knowledge of programming. The product is interdisciplinary goes beyond the framework of understanding clothing, it defines clothing not only as a fabric that drapes the human body, but gives clothing a symbolic, spiritual, ritualistic meaning. It has elements of jewelry, device, relic, light object, clothing and product. The concept uses concepts from the realm of psychology, therapeutics, religion, cultural studies. It is conceptual design with a perspective on the therapeutic object.
Current designs on the market touching on the theme of death and mourning are mostly concerned with religious rituals. Designers are changing religious clothing to those made of ecological materials, reinventing coffins, focusing on the carnality of death. I believe that the psychological aspect is still underdeveloped, but extremely important in the subject.
My project shifts the focus from the deceased to the mourner, empathizing the state of mourning. I understand death as mainly an emotional-spiritual act, in the concept I step away from the body and break down the sense of loss, designing for the emotions and the process of change, the formation of a new reality by the families and loved ones of the deceased. I present the occurrence of death in life as an excuse for change, a stimulus to lean into one's life, an ideal moment for contemplating meaning and purpose.
Other fields such as lighting fixture design can draw on the object's form, psychologists and therapists can use the object as a research aid with patients unable to cope with the loss of a loved one, resulting in their loss of meaning in life, depression and apathy. A strong emphasis on the emotional sphere, which is often overlooked due to its uniqueness depending on the individual, can be replicated.
A large migration movement causes a loss of feelings of belonging in people, which is one of the foundations of psychological well-being. In a multicultural society, a new universal symbol may be needed that does not exclude, but invites people to form a community. Loss is not only death often it is also the inability to see loved ones through distance, war, or other accidents of life. A symbol of presence, it can unite people in a crisis of loneliness. The object allows to unite people in similar experiences, can open people to help, at the same time allows people to experience emotions alone, it is not an invasive, binding object, but a companion, a reminder of vigilant ancestors and loved ones thinking of each other.
