In March 2020, when the world was hit by a global pandemic, I had to spend five months living by myself in one of the dorm rooms on campus. In order to maintain my sanity, I teamed up with a project through MIT Museum's outreach community.
Senses and Art is a multi-sensory educational project, comprising of a three part website supporting mindfulness for anyone struggling with anxiety and isolation as a result of Covid-19. The pathway through this platform offers visitors an opportunity to practice listening to their interior space. The visitor gets to select an image out of a collection of twenty images. The space, or place, might be one the person longs to visit, it may be an imaginary place or, the image may simply transport the visitor to a place of calm.
Once an image is chosen by a visitor, the visitor has the option of selecting a piece of music from a curated group of twenty pieces. The hope is the music will evoke the qualities of movement the visitor might feel were they to be in the space they have selected.
Once a pairing is made, the image and the music will go onto a world map with a brief description of the visitor's experiences during this difficult time. Visitors to the site from around the world will see where other people were moved by the same image, or the same music, and they will have a chance to connect. The photos may provide an opportunity for meaningful engagement world wide. A similar path is planned for the other two pathways, Touching with the Eye and Meaningful Gesture in Music. This platform is being designed with a hope to reduce the sense of isolation so many of us are feeling.
NOTE: I'm a part of the design team for this project and while it is currently in the works, here's a link to some more details about the project. Know more about the project here:http://sensesandart.mit.edu/about-senses-and-art-project