Forough Najarbehbahani
Bachelor of Design (Honours)
"No borders, just horizons — only freedom!”
'Demarcation’ is inspired by my personal story and the vibrant imagination of a utopian world without borders. ‘Demarcation’ is a critical design and designed to raise awareness, demystify assumptions, and provoke action on issues relating to immigration and borders.
Peoples' interaction with the design has a symbolic interpretation of how boundaries limit human actions and how we transform borders by breaking them apart from all limitations. This reflects our desire to be free, and our desire will change the solid-like structure into a dynamic one. The characteristics of the project enhance the experience of viewers in an emphatic, performative, narrative, informative, interactive, and entertaining way. Seamlessly ‘Demarcation’ will weave the physical and digital worlds together to create immersive experiences for viewers.
The physical body of ‘Demarcation’ consists of a transparent semi-hemisphere shape that symbolises the shape of a globe; it has a surface that is designed based on a map of the Nauru Regional Processing Centre. A shadow of Australian borders projects on the surface of the design. When the viewer stands in the front of the installation, the artwork’s surface will expand and establishes a waving model that refers to the events of human displacement. When the surface moves, the projected lines on the surface will slowly start to fade. The interaction happens based on the distance sensors of the installation. When the audience stands in the front of the design, the installation becomes active, and the servo motors start to push the surface.
The experimentation process of the installation was developed through investigating dynamic structures, robotics, material behaviours, cutting methods, and an interactive system of controls. These explorations drew upon connections between design, engineering, robotics, technology, and digital fabrication.
Forough Najarbehbahani is a student in the Bachelor of Design (Honours).
This project was created for an assessment in the course ‘Design Honours Research Project 2’.
Acknowledgement of Country
UNSW School of Art & Design stands on an important place of learning and exchange first occupied by the Bidjigal and Gadigal peoples.
We acknowledge the Bidjigal and Gadigal peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land that our students and staff share, create and operate on. We pay our respects to Elders past and present and extend this respect to all First Nations peoples across Australia. Sovereignty has never been ceded.
