sophia chang piques suspense through cavernous installation

sophia chang piques suspense through cavernous installation
image © anita kan
all images courtesy of sophia chang

facilitating a sense of the unknown through its unexpected manipulation of the architectural frame, ‘suspense’ by american architect sophia chang is an interactive installation at the invivia gallery in cambridge, massachusetts. curated and sponsored by allen sayegh (co-founder of invivia) and ingeborg rocker (co-founder of rocker-lange architects) the piece consists of softened fabric geometries that blur the boundaries between its inside and outside. upon entering, both occupant and environment are estranged, creating greater awareness of one’s self, relation to others and surroundings. the expansive, curving walls form an immersive cave-like interior, framing both people and their context that piques the experience of interior and exterior, wall and room – both hiding and revealing places to be explored.

the fabric, curving walls form an immersive cave-like interior
image © anita kan

the installation is constructed from large pieces of lycra fabric that is suspended between rectangular frames. snatched glimpses of the original context are captured through breaks in the fabric, pulling them into the suspended space, while visitors occupy both sides of the frame, creating a playful interaction between its two sides. the re-captured everyday moments, a glimpse of brick, a stair, or out to the street appear distant and other. conceived as multiple layers of poché, which commonly refers to the space within walls, here it receives a more ambiguous reinterpretation: what could be understood as a wall or space from one vantage point, becomes an inhabitable room from another.

softened fabric geometries blur the boundaries between its inside and outside
image © anita kan

the complexity of the curved forms precludes immediate understanding of the total piece and allows for the visitor’s perception of the space to shift as they continue to discover new places to sit, contemplate, walk, and watch within the gallery. neighboring areas are activated as people encounter each other through the fabric. the installation encourages multiple readings, with changes of light, occupation, and the flexing of its geometries, making new realizations continuously possible. 

the complexity of the curved forms precludes immediate understanding of the total piece
image © anita kan

visitors occupy both sides of the frames, creating a playful interaction between the two
image © anita kan

the installation is constructed from large pieces of lycra fabric and suspended between rectangular frames
image © anita kan

the smooth fabric surface breaks open, exposing elements from its original context
image © anita kan

exterior perspective of the entrance
image © anita kan

plan

section

elevation

project info:

location: invivia gallery – 1684 massachusetts avenue, cambridge MA
installation design advisors, curators, and sponsors: allen sayegh (co-founder of invivia) and ingeborg rocker, phd. (co-founder of rocker-lange architects)
project team: timothy carey, paulis austrins, hyeyun jung, eliana dotan, claire townley, eri yamagata
photos: anita kan – [email protected]

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.