Problem: Design two surfaces addressing the concept of Utopia and Oblivion with inspiration from visionary, designer, and thinker Buckminster Fuller.

My Solution: Create a buildable two-sided 3D cube where the viewer can create Utopia and Oblivion based on which side of the components are shown.

Regarding this prompt, I knew that I wanted to go in a conceptual direction, with R. Buckminster Fuller, an inventor who tried to create a harmonious and well functioning society, and his quotes at the center of my work. Instead of looking at Utopia and Oblivion through the lens of our current society, I imagined Buckminster’s future in which Utopia is achieved through the eradication of climate change, pollution, and social issues like racism and sexism. But, I posited perhaps the only way to achieve this societal perfection is to lose human freedom and free will, as humans are undoubtedly to blame for each of these crucial issues. Thus, this Utopia could also be seen as Oblivion.

Once I defined the conceptual direction and world for my project, my next task was to devise how to visually portray the duality of this future. Because this “perfect” potential future is achieved through the eradication of the human touch, it is essentially a cube: flawless in construction but lacking any individuality or organic nature. Thus, I knew that the form of this work should be a cube. And, since we are ultimately the ones who create our future, I wanted the viewer of this piece to actually interact with it and create either Utopia or Oblivion depending on which side is showing on the blocks.

While the piece to the right is essentially a tapestry made of each of the cube’s faces, my final piece is a wooden cube made of six blocks each with two sides: one displaying oblivion and the other being Utopia.