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Synesthesia

By Tiffany Mercer Robbins on Feb 25, 2021

An Interactive Installation by Synesthetic Research and Design LabFebruary 19 – March 6, 2021 January 29, 2021 (Philadelphia, PA) – HOT•BED is pleased to present Synesthesia, an interactive installation by Severino Alfonso and Loukia Tsafoulia of the Synesthetic Research and Design Lab at Thomas Jefferson University. The project is the inaugural exhibition at MICRO•GALLERY, a new experimental space within HOT•BED (723 Chestnut Street). This presentation will mark the first public preview of Synesthesia before it leaves to be exhibited at the renowned ECC Architecture Biennale in Venice, Italy (May-November 2021). Synesthesia stems from Alfonso and Tsafoulia’s extensive scholarly work at The Lab, which serves as a collaborative research and prototyping platform where interactive design and emergent health sciences meet. The immersive installation investigates the relationships and intersections where responsive environments and design meet; a manifestation of abstracted bodily data, projected back onto an analog domain. Synesthesia will be on view to the public by appointment only from February 19 – March 6, 2021. Synesthesia’s bulbous, tent-like form is made of textile, aluminum and fiberglass poles and 3D printed components, designed to draw the viewer in. Abstractions dance across the installation’s soft and ambient dormant state, only activated by communal participation.... Read more »

New Curriculum Nurtures Undergrads’ Creative Side

By Tiffany Mercer Robbins on Jan 12, 2021

Jefferson prepares students to navigate a rapidly evolving work environment. The Story of the Blues. Beekeeping 101. Zen and the Art of Chocolate. Plan Your Dream Trip to Italy. The Mane Talk: A Walkthrough on Black/African American Hair. Through an eclectic mix of workshops like these, all Jefferson freshmen had their first taste of Jefferson’s Creativity Core Curriculum this past semester. The new curriculum aims to cultivate a confident and flexible student mindset, says Maribeth Kradel-Weitzel, assistant provost for academic affairs. Working with a transdisciplinary University team, she spent two years planning and developing the curriculum, which will guide students through the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the rapidly evolving future of work. “Jefferson is an incredibly forward-thinking institution that’s considering what a student’s career will be like, not in 2022, but in 2040 or 2050,” says Kradel-Weitzel, also director of the new MS in health communication design program. “We’re thinking about the longevity of a student’s career and how we can best prepare them to be adaptable leaders.” In one drawing workshop, students made Zentangles, which can enhance mindfulness and decrease stress. Featuring three main components, the curriculum is based on the University’s long-standing commitment to its award-winning Nexus Learning approach and its Hallmarks Core that have resulted in... Read more »

Jefferson Architecture and Industrial Design Students Help Israel Medical Center Look Toward Its Future

By Tiffany Mercer Robbins on Oct 22, 2020

In a unique effort that bolstered the University’s footprint in Israel, a team of architecture and industrial design students and faculty spent the spring semester working in an international design studio to envision concepts for Sheba Medical Center’s “City of Health” initiative. Under the leadership of the Jefferson Institute for Smart and Healthy Cities, the project was launched at the start of the spring semester and was supposed to culminate with Jefferson students traveling to Israel and then a final design presentation with Israeli students and faculty at Jefferson in May. The COVID-19 pandemic nixed those latter plans, due to safety concerns. However, the work proceeded apace, and ideas were presented virtually. They received rave reviews on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. “The results were amazing,” says Tal Einhorn, Sheba’s head architect, who led a studio class to address real-life challenges faced at the esteemed Israeli institute. “We’re really grateful. It went beyond our expectations and we see it as quite an achievement. “It was a thrilling experience and collaboration,” Einhorn continues. “Despite the challenges, we worked as a team, and the Jefferson students really grabbed the essence of what Sheba is all about.” The effort—which also involved Bezalel Academy of... Read more »

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