香云纱艺术装置

项目背景

As a national intangible cultural heritage, Xiangyunsha Dyeing and Coating Technique is still facing the dilemma of being rarely known to the public, especially the young generation. To arouse people's attention and interest in the intangible cultural heritage, we proposed to set up an Xiangyunsha Art Installation with an area of about 2 square meters in public areas, like airports and high-speed railway stations, to promote the values of Xiangyunsha to visitors and local citizens. The combination of "virtual and reality" enables users to experience the intricated dyeing and coating process of Xiangyunsha. By combining these with AIGC technology, unique patterns will be generated according to the user’s VR exploration, so each user will get a personalized Xiangyunsha memento. The goal is to let users understand the history, craftsmanship and cultural value of Xiangyunsha through immersive experience and interactive learning, to stimulate people's interest and explore the methods of cultural inheritance of intangible cultural heritage.

项目技术

The project utilizes a linear interactive timeline, combining virtual reality, generative art, and laser engraving to form a Xiangyunsha moving installation. Using VR, the geographically and time-bound process of making Xiangyunsha becomes virtual and gamified for the audience to experience. The method simulates the time it takes for the craftsmen to wait for the weather integrating the 5 main making steps in the production process, allowing the audience to feel the value of the craft better. More importantly, the user must complete the entire making experience to generate and engrave a personalized memento, symbolizing the preciousness of craftsmanship behind Xiangyunsha.

团队成果

Through interdisciplinary collaboration, students from different thrusts and backgrounds such as Computational Media and Arts, Electrical Engineering and Design, integrated with Virtual Reality, Generative Art and Laser Engraving technologies, successfully developed an Interactive Installation for Xiangyunsha. We aim to break the limitations of time and weather, so users and audiences can understand the value of the intangible cultural heritage and preserve this sustainably. The interaction not only aims to stimulate interest in the culture of Xiangyunsha but also innovate the method of dissemination and transmission of intangible cultural heritage.

Deepening our knowledge in our respective areas of expertise, we learned from each other's specialized skills. In an interdisciplinary and collaborative environment, we worked together to understand and integrate knowledge and techniques, which facilitated the multi-directional implementation of the project. With design thinking strategies, we went back and forth between problem definition, understanding stakeholders, and idea and prototype development with project planning, execution, and evaluation. We enhanced our project management skills, including time management, resource allocation, and task coordination, to ensure that projects were completed on time, which was 2.5 weeks for brainstorming and planning and only 1.5 weeks for implementation. Confronting technical and design challenges, we demonstrated creative thinking and problem-solving skills, where we successfully applied virtual reality, generative art and laser engraving techniques to balance our technological integration and aesthetic concerns.
In addition, we trained our communication and presentation skills in project collaboration and presentations, not only in our team but also externally for interviews on the streets. Through the in-depth research of Xiangyunsha, we are interested in exploring new methods of inheritance on intangible cultural heritage.