The “butterfly effect” is a term used to explain the way one small impact can cause a larger experience, and lead to a change in your destiny. Winona State University Design students conveyed this message through their exhibition theme “Dreaming” held at the Laird Norton Center for Art and Design from April 20 to May 8. Six students, Kira Kainz, Sadie Marks, Addie DeMars, Lily Schartau, Alison Buck and Thea McAdams, put together a three-part exhibit that encouraged viewers to reflect on the different experiences they’ve had and the ways they are working towards their dreams.
The exhibit acted as a capstone project for the six senior Design Students, all earning their undergraduate degree in I-Design and Graphic-Design. They had been working on the project since the fall semester, choosing the theme, pairing up and working to put together three coherent and interactive rooms for viewers to walk through. The first pair took on the theme “Flying and Falling,” exploring the balance of risk and reward when chasing your dreams. The second room was titled “Remembering and Forgetting,” referring to all the people and moments that have impacted us. The third pair’s room called “Transforming and Awakening,” looks forward, inspiring viewers to take with them their reflections and appreciate all the possibilities their lives hold.
“Flying and Falling,” put together by Kainz and Marks, held a display of clouds and lightbulbs representing the goals and ambitions we have and the choices we make, the glass representing the fragility of risks. On the other side of the room, a wire model of Icarus hung, warning of the risk of flying too high in ambition. The two encouraged reflections on the balance of goals and how to reach them, challenging how to start the journey through life. “The starting leap, how fragile it can be, and how risky it can feel, no matter the size of the choice, is always going to be scary,” said Kainz.
DeMars and Schartau further encouraged reflection in their portion of the exhibit, “Remembering and Forgetting.” They provided mirrors and stones to cast into a pail of water for people to remember the people in their lives who have helped them reach the point they are at, as well as memories forgotten and lost with time.
“Transforming and Awakening” was the third and final exhibit, crafted by Buck and McAdams, held a model chrysalis for viewers to place notes to themselves into to represent forgiving past mistakes and moving forward, transforming into a more resilient person. After the cocoon, there was a branch for people to create their own butterflies, representative of their goals and perseverance and become a part of the exhibit. “The message we’re all trying to convey is how different dreams can affect people and how we all take that into our lives and even perspectives,” reflected Buck.
Throughout this project, the designers decided on the theme of butterflies and chasing their dreams, reflective of their own experiences as seniors graduating from college and the importance of taking leaps to reach one’s goals. Creating the exhibit took long processes of coordinating themes and colors, directing people through the space, adhering to building guidelines and ADA compliance and building seamless, interactive spaces that convey emotion and the group’s messages to the audience. The beauty of the exhibit, however, according to DeMars, is the subjectivity of the experience. “You can do whatever you want with it. I’ll tell you what I thought, but I want everyone to come to their own conclusions on that experience.” DeMars said.
