Scent the Nearby is an interactive anthropological inquiry based on olfactory interface to explore the disappearing "nearby" in rapidly modernising urban environments in China. By translating abstract social theories into a tangible sensory experience, the project explored how interactive technology can be used to re-establish emotional connections and social awareness within local communities.
2023
Interaction Designer
Interaction Design
The work draws inspiration from the “First Mile Movement (最初500米运动)”. The term “nearby” (附近, fujin) was introduced by socioanthropologist Xiang Biao to describe a living space, where people from different backgrounds and status frequently encounter one another in everyday life. It also represents an emotional and social sphere where social interactions and connections among groups emerge.
The installation encourages people to pause, engage their senses to perceive their surroundings, and evoke memories, emotions, and a sense of connection with their NEARBY.
The project leverages the neuroscientific basis of the Proust Effect as a design tool to bridge the gap between individual memory and collective social spaces.
It originated from a conversation with my neighbour after a long rainfall, we talked, and we smell the scent of the grass which is earthy, sweet, and a bit fresh, constructing my memory of the “nearby” when I was living in Shanghai.
The scent of “nearby” carries shared memories; its meaning emerges through lived experience. Through my creative process, frequent field research in the neighbourhood, and friendships formed along the way, I came to realise that my work itself was a reconstruction of my own “nearby”.
NEARBY describe a way of people coming to understand differences and make sense of the world through observing and interacting. The NEARBY is disappearing alongside the urbanisation and modernisation in China. This disappearance is not only spatial but also symbolic: it reflects how urban youth have lost the capacity to appreciate differences and engage in self-reflection within real world.
This project calls for reflecting on personal experiences and reconnecting with the real world. It encourages residents to appreciate the people and things right nearby, and invites artists and designers to create from the perspective of the “nearby,” enriching the sense of proximity within urban living environments.
Scent the Nearby is an interactive anthropological inquiry based on olfactory interface to explore the disappearing "nearby" in rapidly modernising urban environments in China. By translating abstract social theories into a tangible sensory experience, the project explored how interactive technology can be used to re-establish emotional connections and social awareness within local communities.
2023
Interaction Designer
Interaction Design
The work draws inspiration from the “First Mile Movement (最初500米运动)”. The term “nearby” (附近, fujin) was introduced by socioanthropologist Xiang Biao to describe a living space, where people from different backgrounds and status frequently encounter one another in everyday life. It also represents an emotional and social sphere where social interactions and connections among groups emerge.
The installation encourages people to pause, engage their senses to perceive their surroundings, and evoke memories, emotions, and a sense of connection with their NEARBY.
The project leverages the neuroscientific basis of the Proust Effect as a design tool to bridge the gap between individual memory and collective social spaces.
It originated from a conversation with my neighbour after a long rainfall, we talked, and we smell the scent of the grass which is earthy, sweet, and a bit fresh, constructing my memory of the “nearby” when I was living in Shanghai.
The scent of “nearby” carries shared memories; its meaning emerges through lived experience. Through my creative process, frequent field research in the neighbourhood, and friendships formed along the way, I came to realise that my work itself was a reconstruction of my own “nearby”.
NEARBY describe a way of people coming to understand differences and make sense of the world through observing and interacting. The NEARBY is disappearing alongside the urbanisation and modernisation in China. This disappearance is not only spatial but also symbolic: it reflects how urban youth have lost the capacity to appreciate differences and engage in self-reflection within real world.
This project calls for reflecting on personal experiences and reconnecting with the real world. It encourages residents to appreciate the people and things right nearby, and invites artists and designers to create from the perspective of the “nearby,” enriching the sense of proximity within urban living environments.
Scent the Nearby is an interactive anthropological inquiry based on olfactory interface to explore the disappearing "nearby" in rapidly modernising urban environments in China. By translating abstract social theories into a tangible sensory experience, the project explored how interactive technology can be used to re-establish emotional connections and social awareness within local communities.
2023
Interaction Designer
Interaction Design
The work draws inspiration from the “First Mile Movement (最初500米运动)”. The term “nearby” (附近, fujin) was introduced by socioanthropologist Xiang Biao to describe a living space, where people from different backgrounds and status frequently encounter one another in everyday life. It also represents an emotional and social sphere where social interactions and connections among groups emerge.
The installation encourages people to pause, engage their senses to perceive their surroundings, and evoke memories, emotions, and a sense of connection with their NEARBY.
The project leverages the neuroscientific basis of the Proust Effect as a design tool to bridge the gap between individual memory and collective social spaces.
It originated from a conversation with my neighbour after a long rainfall, we talked, and we smell the scent of the grass which is earthy, sweet, and a bit fresh, constructing my memory of the “nearby” when I was living in Shanghai.
The scent of “nearby” carries shared memories; its meaning emerges through lived experience. Through my creative process, frequent field research in the neighbourhood, and friendships formed along the way, I came to realise that my work itself was a reconstruction of my own “nearby”.
NEARBY describe a way of people coming to understand differences and make sense of the world through observing and interacting. The NEARBY is disappearing alongside the urbanisation and modernisation in China. This disappearance is not only spatial but also symbolic: it reflects how urban youth have lost the capacity to appreciate differences and engage in self-reflection within real world.
This project calls for reflecting on personal experiences and reconnecting with the real world. It encourages residents to appreciate the people and things right nearby, and invites artists and designers to create from the perspective of the “nearby,” enriching the sense of proximity within urban living environments.