Michelle Mong Qi Wu, Creative Technologist | New Media Artist                                                                             About    Art Work     Industry Work

Solar Solace (2026)

Client: Cinthia Chen’s Lincoln Center Collider Fellowship 2025-26
Role: Electronics, Fabrication
Tools:  Bioplastic making, sewing, arduino, servo motor I worked on the premier of Solar Solace at the Lincoln Center, NY. I joined as a creative technologist to take the concept from idea to a working installation for the dance performance. my involvement was in three key domains:

1. Designing and prototyping the star shade. This included laser cutting a small scale replica using cardboard to check the functionality of the geometry folding/unfolding at a smaller size. This allowed me to find and fix small problems cheaply before committing to fabricating the final materials.

2. I prototyped the interactivity of the starshade using  distance sensors and servo motors that allow the shade to move in response to human performers. Although in the end the folding/unfolding of the shade was decided to be hand cranked, without technology, for better alignment with the theme of the piece.  

3. Lastly, I made the bioplastic panels that form the body of the piece, and I sewed the star shade together by hand.

The result is a piece that moves when the dancers pull on it, built from materials I made myself and assembled by hand.







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