“Parallel” is an interactive audiovisual installation that explores the intricate balance between solitude and connection. Positioned between performance and experiential art, it delves into layers of existence using light, sound, and movement to create an evolving narrative. Since its debut in early 2024, “Parallel” has been exhibited at notable venues across the UK and internationally, such as ArtSect Gallery (UK), UglyDuck (UK), Collect Art (Georgia), ASC Gallery (UK), and Kora Contemporary Art Centre (Italy), engaging participants worldwide. The installation’s immersive design has resonated deeply, offering audiences a space for introspection and connection.
The project draws inspiration from the migration experiences of its creators, Daphne and Teng, who moved from Taiwan and China to the UK. Their personal journey of disconnection, cultural adjustment, and identity reconstruction serves as the foundation of the work. Initially, they felt like parallel entities within a foreign environment, disconnected and distant. Over time, as they embraced their new surroundings and engaged with different cultures, they discovered intersections—moments of connection and shared experiences that enriched their lives. This transformative journey informs the installation’s conceptual framework.
The behaviour of “Parallel” reflects this narrative of disconnection and eventual connection. Before interactions, its elements—light, projection, and sound—exist in isolation, appearing cold and detached. The design intentionally evokes a sense of distance, mirroring the initial alienation experienced by migrants in unfamiliar environments. However, as participants interact with the installation through movement, it transforms discrete components into a living entity resonating with and responding to their movement. The light becomes warm, the sound shifts in tone, and the visual transforms into fluid, interconnected patterns. This transformation symbolizes the power of engagement and connection, emphasizing how interactions can bridge gaps and create new, vibrant relationships.
Technologically, “Parallel” is designed to respond to human movement, using motion sensors and interactive software to modulate its audiovisual elements in real-time. This integration of technology with conceptual storytelling ensures that the installation not only engages audiences on a sensory level but also reinforces its thematic core. Each interaction alters the installation’s behaviour, making participants active contributors to its transformation. This mirrors the way cultural integration requires active participation and openness, encouraging audiences to reflect on their own roles in fostering connection.
Lighting serves as the centrepiece of the design, embodying the concept of parallel and intersection. To achieve this, we employ a specialized lens that stretches LED light into thread-like textures. When viewed head-on at eye level, these threads appear as distinct, parallel lines, but from varying angles, they seem to intersect dynamically. This duality in visual perception reflects our central theme: that the experience of solitude or connection is shaped by perspective. By integrating this optical effect, the design invites viewers to explore how shifting angles of observation can transform their understanding of isolation and interconnectedness, visually reinforcing the project’s core narrative.
Ultimately, “Parallel” redefines perception by transforming isolation into interconnectedness through art and technology. By drawing on deeply personal migration narratives, it becomes a universal platform for exploring themes of cultural integration, identity, and human connection. Through its design and behaviour, “Parallel” emphasizes that while solitude and connection may seem opposing forces, they are inherently entwined, offering beauty and meaning when brought into harmony.
