ArkhiveThu Jul 19 2022
This project began as a cohort time capsule project and became a vast series of multimedia deliverables. The core was the phyical capsule, which I designed, printed and cast in 10lbs of beeswax. Next came a VR environment, AR filter, an exhibition, and lastly a website/countdown clock which I also designed. The capsule will be stored in the RISD Special Collections where it remained until 2023 when we melted it down into candles.
We first dove into research of the beehive as a center of collaboration, work and purpose. It functioned as a symbol for the beginning of grad school but equally as a formal guide to where we wanted land with this project. We dove into the history of the depiction of bees but also the aesthetic history of vessels, moon jars, and other forms that embody wholeness but also complexity within. Next we began to model the form using Rhino and Solidworks and 3D printing moulds for the prototype. We decided at this point to make the vessel out of 3D printed material since we had access to it and encase the vessel in a cast shell of solid beeswax.
Ultimately, we developed a successful exhibition of the vessel at RISD’s 161 Design Gallery complete with a QR portal to the long scroll webpage I designed to archive our extensive journey. The two members of the cohort who were still remote due to the pandemic designed a breathtaking VR hub as their main contribution to the project. All can be viewed here.