Momento Mori:
Puzzle Pyramid
Assignment:
Turn a narrative story into an abstracted ball bearing puzzle.
Timeline:
2 weeks
Project Type:
Physical, Woodshop, 3D Print, Laser Cut, Rhino 3D
Material:
MDF, PLA, Acrylic, Wood Veneer
Date:
February 2023
We were paired with classmates and each told the other a classic five-act structure story. I have since become incredibly close friends with him.
His story was set where he grew up, Costa Rica. He, his friends, and a father were cliff jumping. One of the dads, an ultramarathon runner, father of two, jumped into the water, but didn’t come back up. My friend was the only bilingual kid there and had to call the police and notify other adults. The police and families came out. The father was confirmed dead by a scuba police officer.
At the young age of 12, my friend had an intimate, firsthand experience with death, which has since shaped his relationship with his own mortality.
I tried to capture not the story, but rather the experience, lessons, and newfound relationship my friend has with death.
Story:
Branching Paths:
This side is visually inspired by tree branches, roots, or vines. They represents the butterfly effect, where each choice you make in life can lead you down alternate paths, while some events may happen regardless of what choices you make. It isn’t too late to make changes to your path.
Fingerprints / Waves:
This side is visually inspired by fingerprints and waves in the sand. These represent how we are all unique, and there is only one of us out there in the world. We all have distinct fingerprints and each wave of sand is temporary, changing, and differently shaped from all the others.
Volcanic Rock Barriers:
This side is visually inspired by the volcanic rock found in Costa Rica, while metaphorically representing the hoops we must jump through and barriers we will face in life. The physical interaction with this side is different than the others as the ball is trapped in the lower, darker recessions and must be hopped into the next hole to progress.
Different Faces:
There are small routes halfway through each of the sides so you can switch the ball to either of the other two sides. This represents how the different ways we interpret things in our lives can completely change how we interact with them. It’s never too late to switch paths or view things from a different perspective.
Abyss:
Finally, this side has the curvature of a Zipfian Curve, which follows a curve angle 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 1:4, etc. This represents how we age. Each year becomes shorter as it is a smaller proportion of your total life. That is why time feels like it accelerates.
No matter which side you start on or which path you take, you will always meet the end, representing death. The ball bearing spirals around this vortex faster and smaller until it goes down the shoot, ending up at the opposite vertex of the pyramid, where you can pick any of the playable 3 sides to start again. This gameplay loop symbolized the cycle of birth, death, and birth again.
