Wake

Wake is a multi-layered sculpture based on the USS Nightingale and its figurehead of Jinny Lind conceptualized by artist Mel Chin and paired with Unmoored, an augmented reality piece by Mel Chin that puts Time Square, NY under water. On one hand, the sculpture speaks of climate change where New York City is consumed by rising tides and the ribs of the sunken ship mirror those of a large sea mammal. On the other, Wake speaks about the the dawn of modern advertising with the promoting of Jinny Lind and draws parallels between the history of the USS Nightingale and the United States of America.
As the project came close to opening day, I was brought on an animatronics engineer in charge of designing, modifying and fabricating parts that would allow for the mechanics and structural components would interact with the sculpture as the artist intended. I focused first on parts that would allow the breathing mechanism to actuate the fiberglass shell in a way that reduced gaps, standardized plate movement and increased adjustability. Second, I worked on a bracket that allowed for complete adjustability in arm placement. Furthermore, I managed CNC routing activities which included managing wood blank construction. When blanks were exhausted, I aided in the grinding of the ship ribs into shape.

Wake in the media:
artnews.com/2018/07/12/nautical-traffic-jam-mel-chin-imagines-underwater-world-times-square/
artnet.com/exhibitions/mel-chin-confronts-climate-change-times-square-virtual-reality-artwork-1317413