Jiarong Yu, an interaction designer, sonic producer, performer, education practitioner, and life-long researcher in embodied informatics. Under the alias "6Liè," she has been very active in STEM&A / STEAM Integration (science, technology engineering, arts and mathematics), exploring the potential of Human-AI cooperation, Human-Computer Interaction, Immersive Technology for future embodied learning and human intelligence, discussing how humanity and STEM shape each other. She has been launching embodied experience projects, fusing the multi-media of Sound, 3D Animation, Gaming, Extended Reality, Robotics, the Mechanical and Interactive Installation.
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JIARONG YU
Edinburgh
London
London
Jiarong Yu, an interaction designer, sonic producer, performer, education practitioner, and life-long researcher in embodied informatics. Under the alias "6Liè," she has been very active in STEM&A / STEAM Integration (science, technology engineering, arts and mathematics), exploring the potential of Human-AI cooperation, Human-Computer Interaction, Immersive Technology for future embodied learning and human intelligence, discussing how humanity and STEM shape each other. She has been launching embodied experience projects, fusing the multi-media of Sound, 3D Animation, Gaming, Extended Reality, Robotics, the Mechanical and Interactive Installation.
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ORGAN CONNECTION
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- Inspiration -
Fear of Body Data
In the eastern context, the elder generation has a saying of "avoiding medical treatment (讳疾忌医)". My grandmother hated going to the hospital and getting physical exams. Maybe it's not hate; it's fear. Fear of abnormal data in physical examination; fear of being diagnosed with a disease; fear of hospitalisation and restrictions on freedom of movement; fear of the financial burden of expensive medical tests and treatments. The vascular blockage was completely asymptomatic in its early stages, so by the time she was diagnosed with coronary heart disease in 2021, the aorta in her heart was more than 98% blocked. In 2023, due to heart disease and complications, she left me forever. This project also becomes a digital memorial for her.
In the eastern context, the elder generation has a saying of "avoiding medical treatment (讳疾忌医)". My grandmother hated going to the hospital and getting physical exams. Maybe it's not hate; it's fear. Fear of abnormal data in physical examination; fear of being diagnosed with a disease; fear of hospitalisation and restrictions on freedom of movement; fear of the financial burden of expensive medical tests and treatments. The vascular blockage was completely asymptomatic in its early stages, so by the time she was diagnosed with coronary heart disease in 2021, the aorta in her heart was more than 98% blocked. In 2023, due to heart disease and complications, she left me forever. This project also becomes a digital memorial for her.
Figure1. Left: Cradle to Grave by Pharmacopoeia (British Museum); Right: Edited photo of my grandmother Jianping Qing.
Upon being assigned the exhibition theme "Data and Me" for the Edinburgh Science Festival in 2022, my thoughts immediately turned to my grandmother's condition. When numerous bodily ailments arise, they may initially manifest subtly and be easily overlooked until they progress to the point of impairing overall bodily function. My group developed the Organ Connection with the goal of establishing a connected conversation with the organ. The project aims to reconsider the data in our body and how it can be accessed.
- Concept -
In our body, some diseases alert us to abnormalities through symptoms, but others are asymptomatic until they cause serious consequences. Motion-Sound-Image Interactive installation Organ Connection (Exhibited in InSpace Gallery) aims to create a connection between audiences and the organs of our body, to rethink the value and the accessibility of our body data.
Figure 2. Organ Connection Exhibited in InSpace Gallery, Edinburgh
The project takes "retinal detachment", "gastric cancer" and "coronary heart disease", three common diseases, which are asymptomatic in the early stage, as the starting point. Through semantic recognition, data visualisation and data sonification, the voice of the experient can awaken the organs on the digital screen, and then create visual/audio interactive conversation with the organs.
Figure 3. Audiences interact with Organ Connection
- Visual Design -
1. Body Sanctification and Altar Element
“Or know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you”
― Corinthians 6:19
“It was Aomame’s firm belief that the human body was a temple, to be kept as strong and beautiful and clean as possible, whatever one might enshrine there.”
― Haruki Murakami, 1Q84 Book 1
In Bible of the western context and “1Q84” of the eastern context, there is a similar statement about the relationship between our body and ourselves, which is body is the holy temple of our soul or ourselves.
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“Or know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you”
― Corinthians 6:19
“It was Aomame’s firm belief that the human body was a temple, to be kept as strong and beautiful and clean as possible, whatever one might enshrine there.”
― Haruki Murakami, 1Q84 Book 1
In Bible of the western context and “1Q84” of the eastern context, there is a similar statement about the relationship between our body and ourselves, which is body is the holy temple of our soul or ourselves.
Figure 4. Left: Statues in front of Academy of Athens; Right: TAEYEON 'INVU'
Inspired by this, we made a visual design decision to combine elements of organs and the altar.
Figure 5. 3D Modeling of the Visual
2. Medical Imaging Technology
“Since the late nineteenth century, however, such a wider philosophical and religious angle is no longer visible in scientific representations of the human body or life at the cellular level. This has to do with changing views on science, but also with the emergence of new medical imaging technologies”(Anneke,2010). Modern technology and data science have given us a more concrete picture of ourselves, and that's what we also want to highlight. In thematic expression, we hope to balance divinity and science and explore the possibility of data decoding through convergence media and art.
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“Since the late nineteenth century, however, such a wider philosophical and religious angle is no longer visible in scientific representations of the human body or life at the cellular level. This has to do with changing views on science, but also with the emergence of new medical imaging technologies”(Anneke,2010). Modern technology and data science have given us a more concrete picture of ourselves, and that's what we also want to highlight. In thematic expression, we hope to balance divinity and science and explore the possibility of data decoding through convergence media and art.
Figure 6. Left: Curved multiplanar reconstructions and multiple-intensity projection CTA; Right:
A cluster of neural cells were derived from human embryonic stem cells in the lab of
UW-Madison
- Interaction Testing -
Figure 8. Demo of speech recognition and interactive animation in Unity
- Outcome -
- Credit -
Data Analysis: Jiarong Yu (6Liè); Root Cai
Data Visualisation: Root Cai
Data Sonification: Jiarong Yu
3D Animation: Jiatong Liu
Unity Development: Philip Han
Exhibition Setting: Jiarong Yu; Jiatong Liu; Root Cai
Equipment Setting: Philip Han
Soundtrack: the Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy - Jiarong Yu (6Liè); Huhu