Don’t be Anxious

Format: Creative computing, projection & papier mache
Created: 2021
Genre: Interactive code
Link: https://vimeo.com/688591012

This project started from the concept of invisible illness and how people experiencing emotional distress can be overlooked. The phrase ‘don’t be anxious’ is an example of how as a society we tend to pass off mental health concerns. Building on this I wanted to see how I could represent anxiety in a physical space. The visual is a simple line drawing that will either get calmer or more intense based on the distance that one user sits from the other, the sound will react in the same way. When making the seats I wanted them to be fragile and slightly uncomfortable to heighten the anxiety of the user when entering the space. The intent is not to cure but to allow users a place for discussion and reflection in order to normalise anxiety.