Unseen, But There

Author

XINYU DONG, Rhode Island School of DesignFollow

Date of Award

Spring 5-31-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Design (MDes) in Interior Studies / Exhibition + Narrative Environments

Department

Interior Architecture

First Advisor

Can Altay

Second Advisor

Nick Haus Heywood

Third Advisor

Ernesto Aparicio

Abstract

Pedestrians often arrive at the Michael S. Van Leesten Memorial Bridge in a hurry—rushing through daily routines—only to slow down or stop at its center. Here, they are drawn by the openness of the view, the rhythm of the wind, and a sense of pause that floats above the surface of the Providence River.

This thesis is an ongoing experiment in direct, sensory experience. It centers on this pedestrian bridge not just as a site of circulation, but as a space of unintentional stillness and layered perception. While many passersby are drawn to its scenic beauty, few pause to consider what lies beneath. Below the bridge, the river carries not just water, but traces of pollution, urban neglect, and ecological disconnection. What does it mean to admire a landscape while standing above what has been contaminated?

This project proposes a long-term installation that archives these unseen realities through a growing series of glass bottles—each containing a collected water sample and paired with a short video accessed via QR code. These videos offer a poetic intersection of observation, memory, and environmental inquiry. The work invites slowness and attention, urging viewers to observe what is normally overlooked.

A second QR code embedded in the installation opens a participatory channel for the public. Viewers are invited to contribute short videos or visual reflections specifically documenting environmental pollution around the Providence River near the bridge. These community-submitted fragments may be selectively incorporated into future iterations of the project, expanding the archive while maintaining its ecological and spatial coherence.

By blending personal documentation with communal witnessing, this project creates an evolving archive of awareness—one that is not only visual but relational. In doing so, it asks: What defines what we notice? What shapes what we choose to ignore? And how might design give form to what usually flows by unseen?

Recommended Citation

DONG, XINYU, "Unseen, But There" (2025). Masters Theses. 1388.
https://digitalcommons.risd.edu/masterstheses/1388

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.