Hand Sign
Project Overview
An installation to discuss the relationship between humans and machines. It alsoshows the difficulties of the deaf and hard of hearing and calls on society to pay more attention to the disabled.
Inspiration
One of the inspirations for this project comes from Homo Cellular, a creative costume design by Satomi Minoshima. It visualizes our mobile strokes as patterns on garments, which look like a new language. The invisible strokes we leave on our screen show the interaction and relation between us and our phones
I found that we swipe and tap the phone screens so often every day, interacting with our phones with different hand gestures. The gestures can be regarded as a communication tool for acquiring news and talking with others, which is like a brand-new language. Deaf people also interact with the world and communicate with others through sign language. Based on such consideration, I think the two phenomena can be connected fascinatingly
Research
In my daily life, whether on the subway or in line, I noticed that everyone was silently playing with their phones. Despite the fact that the surrounding area was quiet and everyone appeared to be isolated from the rest of the world, they did not stop "communicating." Some were amused by funny videos, while others were enthusiastically chatting with their friends or groups. Similarly, when I saw deaf people arguing, they gestured fiercely with each other but made no sound.
Exploring the world through phones has many drawbacks, as information on the Internet is limited, and information bias can even lead to virtual violence. Communication on phones via texts lacks emotion, which leads to misunderstanding.
It seems that the deaf and hard of hearing can easily have access to the news through the sign language translations shown on TV, but the translations are of the official "Chinese Sign Language" that is made by the able-bodied. Deaf people use natural sign language, and they do not know this official version, which can only be understood by those who know Chinese grammar.
Voice can travel through walls, but sign languages, depending on sights, can't do that. What's more, the deaf and hard of hearing can hardly communicate with those without disabilities, even through texts, as the differences in languages will cause semantic misunderstandings.
I once noticed news about the difficulties of the deaf delivers. They are often misunderstood because their grammar and word order are different from other people's. In other peoples' eyes, their language logic is stiff, affecting the emotions they are trying to express with gestures. As a result, it's hard for them to communicate with others.
Ideas
Sketch
Outcomes
