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Candy Cloud
National Institute of Design
"We're forever in a state of transit, at the point of growing up and the point of regaining the inner child."
'Candy Cloud' is an attempt to remind you of the simple, silly joy of being a child, when the whole world is a Dreamland full of wonder.
As adults, we tend to forget the innocence and curiosities that made childhood so special. But when we do set our consciousness free, it brings back fond memories - running in the wind, splashing in puddles, setting our imagination free.
Research
I wanted to make an interactive installation that would evoke a sense of nostalgia for childhood.
I started out by doing my primary research on the central theme of nostalgia, a bittersweet emotion not entirely filled with happiness, or sadness. I read multiple research papers (stated in references) and summarized my understandings in simple points. For young adults (18 - 30 years) the most common manifestation of nostalgia is a longing for childhood. This is mainly because we're in a state of transit; out from the comfort of a child but not yet settled into adulthood.
Nostalgia is triggered when we place it in inanimate objects, places, and smells. It's not related to a specific memory, but an emotional state. After the smell, the taste is the strongest trigger, which is what I decided to explore
Ideation + Mechanism
After more than 50 potential ideas and concepts, 4 or 5 made more sense and connected better to the central theme of childhood and nostalgia. The most prominent one out of them was a cloud which would drip 'flavors' of our collective childhood. This idea evolved further with changes in size, flavors, form, and interaction.
The final installation consists of an enormous cloud made out of cotton candy that covers the person underneath it, how we used to feel so tiny looking up at the great big sky and clouds filling it. When a person stands under it, s/he tends to look up at the installation right above them; in doing so a drop of 'flavor' slowly drips from the cloud using simple face detection code. The drop is flavored with roohafza, a rose-flavored popular syrup that was refreshing to have after school as a child when mixed with cold water.
I further propose introducing various other flavors and more precise code so that the drop automatically detects the mouth of the viewer and gets dropped precisely there.
Construction
Mapping the Interaction
The viewer sees the installation, walks up to it. The pink cloud is actually cotton candy, which a person realizes upon closer inspection. S/he can actually pluck it out and wat it. This opens up the first boundary - that if the subsequent drop is also safe for consumption.
The puddles on the floor are clustered towards the center, and the area would be a little wet due to the 'drops' falling there. This piques the curiosity of the person, who will trend to move closer towards the center.
Since the installation is literally hanging above your head, it compels the viewers to look up, under it. When S/he looks up, the camera detects a face and gradually builds up a drop. The transparent pipe is a bit difficult to locate if you sweep a glance, unless there's a drop forming inside.
When it drops, it's pinkish in color. Due to the edibility of cotton candy, this drop also invites the viewer to taste it.
Try being childish today :)