Extensions of Thought and Electricity
a. Of Word and Image, Song and Silence no.3
b. Of Word and Image, Song and Silence no.2
c. To Shine, Together
d. Where do we come from? Where are we going?
e. I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream
f. The Hand That Sings
Exhibited at the RISD ISB Gallery as part of THE ISLANDERS, April 14–18, 2025.
Extensions of Thought and Electricity is a collection of six interactive electric sculptures that investigate the relationship between the human mind and technological expression. Through custom circuitry, handmade interfaces, and kinetic motion, each piece gives form to an internal psychological state: communication through silence, the weight of memory, the search for identity, collective resonance, the fragility of the body, and the desire to be seen or heard.
Rather than treating electronics as purely functional, the series uses wires, sensors, motors, and sound as emotional materials. These artworks reveal how technology can amplify thought, extend the body, and expose the hidden tensions between vulnerability and control.
a. Of Word and Image, Song and Silence no.3
UV-printed image on blue PCB, with four push-buttons and seven potentiometers used to modulate the buzzer’s sound output.
This project draws inspiration from Jan Svankmajer's short films Dimensions of Dialogue (1983) and Food (1992). These works examine the human relationship and illustrate communication and miscommunication's visual and symbolic aspects, revealing how seemingly coherent conversations can dissolve into chaotic, disjointed interactions.
The no3. circuit board is an interactive sound installation inspired by the chaotic dialogue
between a clay man and woman in Švankmajer's Dimension of Dialogue segment, Passionate Dialogue.
Through an array of buttons and a potentiometer connected to an Arduino, participants generate a
range of sounds mimicking the escalating conflict depicted in the film. This project invites users to explore the tumultuous nature of communication, where each interaction produces sounds that reflect the intense, sometimes destructive exchanges of human
relationships.
b. Of Word and Image, Song and Silence no.2
UV-printed image on a green PCB, with an OLED display, two push-buttons, a rotary potentiometer, and internal LEDs that illuminate the surface during interaction.
This project draws inspiration from Jan Svankmajer's short films Dimensions of Dialogue (1983) and Food (1992). These works examine the human relationship and illustrate communication and miscommunication's visual and symbolic aspects, revealing how seemingly coherent conversations can dissolve into chaotic, disjointed interactions.
The no.2 circuit board in the series is a Morse
code transmitter, which is fundamentally about
communication—converting text into Morse code to
transmit messages. This can be seen as encoding or translating one form of communication into another, essential in ensuring the message is conveyed and understood in a different format.
In Food, particularly the Breakfast segment,
communication is more implicit but equally
significant. The segment comments on the mechanical nature of daily routines, hinting at how people often go through their daily lives on autopilot, much like the diner's mechanical eating. This can be interpreted as a commentary on how societal norms shape and sometimes limit our behaviors and interactions.
c. To Shine, Together
This sculpture combines hand-painted acrylic imagery with layered prototyping boards, internal wiring, and a sound-playback system. The front surface features a desaturated acrylic painting applied directly onto a perforated PCB, allowing the grid of holes to merge visually with the brushstrokes. All wiring and electronic components were intentionally relocated to the back of the board to preserve the integrity of the painted surface.
The internal structure includes a stacked PCB assembly with an Arduino microcontroller, custom wiring, and LED elements. A 1653 sound module stores and plays a recorded audio file, a live concert recording captured during the SVT North America tour in New York. Brass standoffs create physical separation between the painted surface and the electronics, allowing the work to function as both a painting and an instrumented object.
d. Where do we come from? Where are we going?
This sculpture combines hand-drawn narrative panels with a non-functional, hand-built circuit treated purely as material. The accordion drawings evoke fragmented memories, while the exposed wiring and resistors form an incomplete, map-like network. Together, they explore how our histories and futures are assembled from scattered signals rather than fixed, linear paths.
e. I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream
sculptural work with sensors
The project was directly inspired by Harlan Ellison’s sci-fi classic from 1967, I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream.
This piece is an artistic exploration of the rapid pace of technological change and its possible dystopian effects on our world. It is meant to spark a visceral dialogue about technological advances' silent yet powerful impact. It challenges us to face the paradox of progress: every technological step forward, while potentially beneficial, also carries the risk of misuse and devastation, encourages us to reflect on our current path and consider what technology can and could do, echoing the dire warnings from Ellison’s visionary story.
f. The Hand That Sings
Inspired by advanced concepts like the MiMU gloves, it aims to enable users to manipulate musical elements such as pitch, tone, and rhythm through intuitive hand movements. GestuSounds is a prototype for a music glove designed to explore the integration of motion detection and touch sensitivity in musical performance. Utilizing gyroscopes/ accelerometers, the glove detects hand movements to adjust musical pitches, while touch sensors switch between different tones.