Phantom Limbs: Design Interventions and Site-specific Storytelling

The subject matter and medium—urban studies and projection-mapping—are not new to the designer. However, bringing the project completely outdoors was a challenging and worthwhile experience. Even though they were able to plan their installations beforehand to a certain degree, most of the final results were improvised on-site. They brought the design assets and equipments to the locations, and then they mapped the content to the architecture on the spot.

The title of this project was inspired by American urban historian Norman Klein. In his book, The History of Forgetting: Los Angeles and the Erasure of Memory, Klein uses the term “phantom limb” as a spatial metaphor to describe empty lots and buildings that were torn down. Despite redevelopment, the faint traces of these erased communities are still evident. Focused on Pasadena, where I live, Klein’s spatial metaphor can be applied to the communities that were displaced due to eminent domain and racially-motivated incidents.

The core of Phantom Limbs is a series of site-specific, projection-mapped environmental graphics. I selected several underused sites in Pasadena where displacement of communities, mainly working class people of color, occurred. This project aimed to depict the obscured stories of these communities in public as an engaging way to educate visitors and residents. It also provides a solution to activate underused sites such as parking lots and alleyways. I projected statements, imageries, and other content that pertains to the history of these sites. I chose mapped-projection as my primary medium for two reasons: firstly, it quite literally brings the hidden history of these places to light, and secondly, its ephemeral nature does not scar the façades of these existing sites. The small scale interventions were projected with a pocket projector, and the large scale installations utilized two LCD projectors mounted on C stands.

Phantom Limbs is a prototype, a proof of concept that focuses on the history of Pasadena. It is the culmination of my undergraduate studies in architecture and graduate studies in graphic design–a year-long project that involved in-depth research, design prototypes, and final executions. Even though this was primarily an independent project, I had the support of several faculty members and professionals who work in the fields of history, urban studies, and interpretive design. If I had more time, I would have liked to extend my explorations to other neighborhoods in Los Angeles and form a network of installations. I also would have liked to interact with the members of the community more to incorporate their voices into the project.

Design Team

Veronica Tsai

Collaborators

Brad Bartlett

Photo Credits

Veronica Tsai, Brad Bartlett

Open Date

April 1, 2023