The Project Overview
Butterfly Effect is a master's degree Capstone project that aims to popularize the Miao textile practices in New York City through curation with the implementation of AR technology.
The project researched theory and literature utilized qualitative research methods in the field trip and the prototypical exhibition, and proposed a holistic plan based on analysis with the outcome of a master's degree graduation paper, Butterfly Effect.
The project is a collective effort of Yunzhi Chen, Minyue Xia, Yalu Wang, Zoei Zhao, and me, which was established under my initiative. I am the group leader, textile expert, and chief designer and curator of the team. I was responsible for the overall project management, providing my textile expertise during the research, leading cultural talks and communication with researchers and cultural inheritors effectively, curating the prototypical exhibition during which I presented more than 10 English speeches, and developing the demonstration and visuals for project solution.
The Miao People & the Opportunity
A Video Description of the Miao People
Video Filming and Editing Credits Zhiyi Zhao; Video Voiceover Credits Mi Lin
Miao arts and crafts are ancient with lots of culture and history behind their textile technique. As the elder generations are passing away, the younger generations are gradually losing knowledge of this art. In addition, it is common for people to look at Chinese arts and culture through a lens of stereotypes. As one of the finest textile arts, Miao can be the starting point to break it.
An Elder Miao Woman Making Embroideries
Miao Dance
An Elder Miao Woman Making the Batik
Plates of A traditional Miao Skirt Made with Shiny Cloth
Miao Decorative Cloth with Plain and Inlay Stitches
Miao Decorative Cloth with Warp-width Counting Stitches
Miao Decorative Cloth with Tin Stitches
Miao Decorative Shoes for Women with Mixed Stitches (Grain Stitches, Horsetail Stitches, etc.)
Miao Clothes for Women with Batik and Mixed Stitches (Patchwork Stitches, Warp-width Counting Stitches, Plain Stitches, etc.)
Miao Decorative Children's Hat with Tin Guardian Decoration
A Piece of Miao Fabric with Pilling Stiches
Miao Decorative Cloth with Mixed Stitches (Wrinkled Stitches, Braid Stitches, etc.)
Miao Decorative Children's Hat for Children with Winding Stitches
The Field Trip Photographies of Textile Details and Folk Custom
Photography Credit belongs to Zhiyi Zhao
On the other hand, with its international demographics and cultural diversity, New York City presents an opportunity for Miao textile arts. The city can help in spreading a deeper understanding of Chinese culture and of the Miao arts globally, letting more people know of the existence of this wonderful textile art. This project focuses on building a connection between the Miao culture and New York audiences to broaden the awareness of Miao culture. By creating a compelling and interactive exhibition for New Yorkers, the project intends to take advantage of the opportunity and accomplish this goal.
The Research Question
Butterfly Effect aims to answer the following question:
The Research Question
The Project Aims
This project focuses on building a connection between the Miao culture and New York audiences to broaden the awareness of Miao culture. By creating a compelling and interactive exhibition experience for New Yorkers, the project intends to take advantage of the opportunity and accomplish this goal.
The Project Outcome
Values
Project Goals
The Project Aims
The Project Results
The project proposed to build the foundation of the offline exhibition through contextualization exhibition arrangement and organized regular highly interactive activities. Made feasibility analysis and proposed implementation plan.
Project research process:
• Systematically analyzed pain points of cultural exchanges and museums based on a literature review and case studies.
• Went to more than 5 Hmong villages in the Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture in Guizhou Province, China, and recorded and collected fabrics, accessories, clothing ob-jects, and images of more than 10 kinds of intangible cultural heritage embroidery and dyeing techniques. Communicated about cultural inheritance with non-genetic inheritors, more than 4 museums in Guizhou, Guizhou Institute for Ethnic Studies, and Hmong experts from Riverbend Academy of Hmongology.
• Experimental Models: organized a prototypical interactive exhibit at 180 Creative Gallery in Brooklyn, New York. Led the team to carry out all the work from planning, exhibition, and publicity to implementation, during which I presented more than 10 English speeches. During the 2-week exhibition, more than 1500 audiences from over 10 countries experienced the Hmong Culture. And all exhibits were sold at a price of more than 10 times the cost price, and all research costs were backfilled.
• Developed a holistic proposal with target audience, stakeholder, and financial analysis, and operation and implementation plans. Supported by a detailed online and offline activities design:
Developed Augmented Reality-based (AR-based) exploratory entertainment through interactions with a mobile phone application to deliver an immersive and educational experience in the actual exhibition scene. Stimulated the reward mechanism through game experience, ensuring users actively explore and learn cultural knowledge in entertainment; Created strong social attributes through interaction and formed a community. Reduced and widened the exhibition radiation age group, ensuring users develop strong stickiness and improving the retention rate. Based on the macro user experience (UX), designed the storyline for the exhibition game, created the mobile client's user interface (UI), and carried out the interactive demonstration.
The Literature Review
The Literature Review of Interactive Space
The Literature Review of Art Education
The Literature Review of AR Feature and AR Games
The Literature Review of Sustainable Fashion
Case Studies of Museums
Investigation Trip to Guizhou
The Experimental Exhibition
The Project Results I
The Experimental Exhibition Opening Video
Video Credits
Filming and Editing - Zoei Zhao
Target Audiences
Stakeholders
The Budget
The Operation
The Implementation Plan
The Project Results II
Detailed Project Solution
The solution is a physical interactive space combining different art forms that provides cultural experiences, including interaction, communication, and education, to audiences in New York City. It provides audiences with an experience of multi-sensory stimuli through their participation in various programs, including interactions incorporating storytelling exhibitions, the application, videos, lectures, performances, workshops, a studio pass, the gift shop, and interactions with people and artworks in the space.
Key Elements of the Project Solution
The programs have three main features. The primary feature includes the display of exhibits, a specially made application combined with AR technology and ARG, and Live, including screenings and special events. The secondary features include workshops and the studio pass. The gift shop is the third feature.
The Primary Feature — Exhibitions and Events
Visual Demonstrations at the Entrance
Audiences will walk into the exhibition with the atmosphere of music and incense infused with Miao elements to induce a more profound immersion experience. At the entrance will be a board with the logo and QR code of Application Download. With the prompt on-site and on the phone, your journey traveling between augmented reality and the real-life experience begins when using the camera to interact with the logo.
The Visual Demonstration of The Exhibition Entrance with QR Code of Application Download
The Visual Designs Credit belongs to Mi Lin
The Visual Demonstration of Scanning QR Code for the Application Download
The Visual Designs Credit belongs to Mi Lin
The Visual Demonstration of the AR Interaction Feature of the Application with the Logo
The Visual Designs Credit belongs to Mi Lin
Visual Demonstrations at the Batik Showroom
There are six sections in the space. The first is the Batik section. The Miao Batik dying technique utilizes local leaves to achieve rich indigo and maple wax to hand-paint patterns. Exhibits will be displayed in a set showcasing the daily use, the manufacturing method, and the culture. Digital screens and storytelling boards will provide detailed content.
With clear signs on the ground suggesting an interaction point, audiences can see the patterns come to life with educative and entertaining information about making progress, origins, and folk tales of the graphics and techniques. Throughout the visit of different sections, audiences will continue to experience a combination of physical exhibits in scenes restoring the real life of villagers and an interactive augmented reality exploration to entertain and gain profound knowledge of textile materiality, techniques, and meanings.
With clear signs on the ground suggesting an interaction point, audiences can see the patterns come to life with educative and entertaining information about making progress, origins, and folk tales of the graphics and techniques. Throughout the visit of different sections, audiences will continue to experience a combination of physical exhibits in scenes restoring the real life of villagers and an interactive augmented reality exploration to entertain and gain profound knowledge of textile materiality, techniques, and meanings.
The Exhibition Map Highlighted the Location of the Batik Collection
The Visual Demonstration of the Batik Showroom Display, including a Recreated Scenery, An Interactive Screen with Information, and an Indication for an Interactive Point
The Visual Designs Credit belongs to Mi Lin
The Visual Demonstration of AR Interaction with a Batik Exhibit
The Visual Designs Credit belongs to Mi Lin
Visual Demonstrations at the Embroidery Showroom
The Embroidery section showcases physical exhibits of fabrics, accessories, and garments with embroidery decoration and descriptions of intangible knowledge.
The Exhibition Map Highlighted the Location of the Embroidery Collection
Examples of Exhibits of the Embroidery Collection
Visual Demonstrations at the Childhood Collection Showroom
For the Childhood collection, audiences would see children's daily wear and use along with the techniques, functionality, and profound meanings of the best wishes mothers sewed into pieces and cultural backgrounds.
The Exhibition Map Highlighted the Location of the Childhood Collection
Examples of Exhibits of the Childhood Collection
A Papoose as An Example of Exhibits of the Childhood Collection
Visual Demonstrations at the Daily Life Collection Showroom
The Daily life collection presents objects of everyday use, stories unveiling ideology conveyed silently through the exhibits and the tradition of the Miao people.
The Exhibition Map Highlighted the Location of the Daily Life Collection
Examples of Exhibits of the Daily Life Collection
Visual Demonstrations at the Ceremony Collection Showroom
For the Ceremony collection, audiences could discover physical pieces of brilliant formal garments and accessories, oriental religious equipment, and enchanting documentation of spectacular or mysterious celebrations and rituals, such as the Lusheng Festival.
The Exhibition Map Highlighted the Location of the Ceremony Collection
Examples of Exhibits of the Ceremony Collection
Visual Demonstrations at the Girl Power Showroom
With the acknowledgment that the majority inheritors of Miao textile art are women, it is an active choice of champing the Miao women -heroes behind the scenes -by locating the Girl Power area at the center of the field as the highlight of the journey. Audiences would know more about those craftswomen who dedicated their lives to these beautiful art forms. We want to credit their wisdom and hard work because they are the cultural inheritors carrying the torture of the vivid Miao textile art and passing it from one generation to another, allowing us to experience this unique culture.
The Exhibition Map Highlighted the Location of the Girl Power Area
Images of Heroes
The Visual Demonstration of Real-life ARG Activity at the Exhibition
Suppose the former presents a roaming visiting manner. In that case, the latter event of real-time ARG allowing team-up with friends or competing with them is a focus demanding rigorous entertainment enhancing social characteristics of the exhibition. A storyline treads six tasks spreading throughout every exhibition section. During this treasure hunting competition, participants complete quests sequentially, and the answer to the former task becomes the clue to the subsequent quest. The visitors will have abundant joy and gain profound knowledge organically about the exhibition by deciphering codes, conducting additional research, and interacting with our staff to guess riddles.
A unique badge for the event will be awarded to the winners as a cherry on top. The more you play and win, the higher the scores will be. On the profile page, users will see their ranking among friends, badges for accomplishing the quests, and titles generated. Aside from the scheduled routine, there will be special random events with rare badges of higher award scores to enhance participation and boost retention rates.
The Exhibition Map with Marks of Real-life ARG Tasks Available for AI Interaction through Application
The Visual Demonstration of the Visual Prompt Hinting for Communication with A Staff
The Visual Designs Credit belongs to Mi Lin
The Visual Demonstration of the Animation when Gaining a Badge as An Award after accomplishing a Task
The Visual Designs Credit belongs to Yolanda Chen
The Visual Demonstration of the Profile Page Interface with the Miao Aesthetic Presenting the Personal Information, Accomplishments, and Ranking with Friends
The Visual Designs Credit belongs to Mi Lin
The Secondary Features — Workshops and Studio passes
Audiences could gain hands-on experience by learning textile techniques such as making batiks, making shiny fabric, and sowing embroideries to achieve a practice-based connection with the oriental culture. To maximize the efficiency of the studio, Studio pass owners and residential artists could use the studio space and equipment when absent from class.
Demonstration of the Studio Programs
The Third Feature — Gift Shops
Offline and online gift shops featuring various sustainable products with original designs will provide commercial benefits to Miao artisans directly and promote the culture in the long run.
Examples of Commerces Carried by the Gift Shop
References and Special Thanks
References
Special Thanks
Welcome To Our "Village"
