Reciprocal Tensions.
RECIPROCAL TENSIONS challenges the notion of architecture as static and the body as autonomous. This installation imagines a body not simply moving through space, but actively connecting with it — periodically restrained, and reshaped by the very environment it occupies.
Architectural and Artistic Inspirations.
Figure Ground Maps | Tensile Interactive Architecture | Images Created from negative space | tricking the eye.
WHY? Our design process for this project was inspired by a desire to merge the abstract, graphic qualities of architectural figure-ground maps with the dynamic potential of a wearable installation. We were particularly drawn to the bold, high-contrast visual language of these maps, which reduce complex areas to essential black and white forms. This aesthetic is mirrored in the work of Ruben Toledo and Rorschach tests, both of which rely on the power of negative space to influence the viewer's perception.
Our goal was to translate this visual language into an interactive, wearable installation that plays with spatial and bodily tension. The project centers on a dancer whose body, connected to the surrounding walls by tensile materials, creates a static image of dynamic movement. As the dancer pulls away from the walls, the tension in the materials becomes visible, representing the body being stretched and pulled by the space it occupies. This use of tensile materials allowed us to create a moving, sculptural installation that could be appreciated from every angle, capturing a powerful visual narrative of physical and spatial forces in a state of reciprocal tension.
References and Sketches.
Mood and Material Board | Concept Ideation Isolated Part of the Body | Concept Ideation In a Space.
Installation Production Process.
Findings: Sketching out ideas lead to sampling how those visions can actually be a reality. Testing knits, structural elements, possible wall connections, we landed on a body map we enjoyed and materials that gave us our desired look. These included 4 way stretch black sports knit, foam cones of scaled sizes, and bungee cord with suction cups for our connection points.
Final Renderings.
Flat Garment Pattern | Garment Final Look | Installation Top View Plan | Installation Elevation View.
Final Installation Shoot NYC.
Photographer - Megan McNally | Dancer - Nicole Hagen
Location. While our installation is compatible with an indoor space, we decided to take it to the streets of NYC to explore the installation in a more public setting where we could see how our design would adapt to a reflective building surface as well as a busy street, gaining real time feedback from the public.
