Cherish the plain & happy daily passing unnoticed

Everchanging,
Material experimenting

Product design
October - November 2021

Solidworks, Wax experiment, Photoshop

Abstract

This project was initiated from exploring the site: No.14th and No.20th of the Fan Garden—my grandparents’ old residence. After field trips and investigations, I focused on the topic: record daily life through material change.

Through the melting and color blending of a wax-made table surface, the traces of daily dinner time of a family is recorded. This was an opportunity to explore materials and human behavior, then apply them to different scenarios and scales. Through materials, I tried to provoke recollection, conversations, reflection, and visualizing (materializing) time right in front of users.

‘My life was hurrying, racing tragically toward its end. And yet at the same time it was dripping so slowly, so very slowly now, hour by hour, minute by minute. One always has to wait until the sugar melts, the memory dies, the wound scars over, the sun sets, the unhappiness lifts and fades away. ’ ----- Author: Simone De Beauvoir

Gathering stories from my grandparents and site visiting their old houses.

How and what shall I use for recording family daily activities continuously?

The recording behavior blends silently into daily dining routines.

What is the suitable object to record the happy moments of every family member?
What type of wax to use?
How does the heat of food containers influence the melting of wax?
What should be the best table surface material?

How does the heat of food influence the melting of wax table surfaces?